Dr. Leo Oliva will present a program titled “Commemorating 200 Years of the Santa Fe Trail: A Route of Commerce, Conquest, and Cultural Diversity,” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at the Barton County Historical Society. This program includes an overview of the history of the trail from its background to the opening of the trail in 1821 and on. Dr. Oliva will elaborate on how the trail developed and changed until its end when the railroad reached Santa Fe in 1880, as well as how the trail has been marked and commemorated to the present day. 

The program is presented by the Barton County Historical Society as part of the celebration of the Santa Fe Trail’s 200th anniversary and as part of the museum’s ongoing mission to share knowledge about Barton County’s history. Admission to the program will be $4 and members of the historical society will be admitted for free.

The Barton County Historical Society Village and Museum is located at 85 South U.S. 281, just south of the Arkansas River bridge in Great Bend.