Smoky Hill Trail.—The Pike's Peak gold excitement and the subsequent stampede for the new discoveries, caused the opening of a trail up the Smoky Hill valley to the mountains, known as the central or Smoky Hill route to the gold fields of western Kansas. Leavenworth was one of the foremost outfitting points for overland travelers and was the starting point of several roads that ran towards the new "diggings," one of which ran direct to Lawrence, thence west to Brownsville, thence following the divide up the river to Salina. Another ran through Alexandria, thence in a southwesterly direction, passing near Oskaloosa to Indianola, thence west over the Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley military road to Junction City, thence west to Salina where the other road joined it. A third, after leaving Leavenworth, bore north a few miles, curved to the southwest, passed through the village of Ozawkie and intersected the military road at Indianola. From Salina the trail ran west up the Smoky Hill river to its head, thence west to Sand creek, following that stream almost to its headwaters, thence in a westerly direction a little to the north, crossing Beaver, Bijou, Kiowa and several smaller creeks to the scene of the new gold discoveries. During the years 1858 and 1859 there was a continuous throng of gold seekers passing over this road to the mines. Topeka was one of the best interior points for outfitting and in one week in 1859 over 60 wagons left that town for Leavenworth to obtain supplies for equipping pilgrims. The mad rush to the mountains kept up for some time after the boom collapsed. The Central or Smoky Hill trail was surveyed in 1858 and the route was followed very closely by the Butterfield Overland Despatch.