People can find any number of things to argue about, from the best NFL team to the best president in U.S. history. But both of these answers are subjective - that is to say, they are a matter of opinion.
Another question that can start an argument with people in Howard and Jackson counties is "Where does the Santa Fe Trail begin?"
An internet search says the Santa Fe Trail "connected Independence, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico." That's true if you're talking about the American Civil War in the 1860s, but going back 40 years present another answer.
William Alexander Becknell was born around 1787 or 1788 in Virginia. He married Jane Trusler in 1807 and in 1810 moved his family to the Missouri Territory and later fought in the War of 1812. After the death of his first wife, Becknell married Mary Cribb in January 1817. The family lived around Boone's Lick until 1820, when he purchased 180 acres in Howard County.
In September 1821, under financial duress, Becknell and a group of men headed for Santa Fe on an extended trading expedition. While they weren't the only ones looking for a better trade route to Santa Fe, they were the first to arrive there in mid-November.
The newly independent people of Mexico were ready, willing and able to pay top dollar for the goods Becknell and his people offered. By the time Becknell's party left Santa Fe on Dec. 13, their $300 investment had turned into $6,000. Many such trips followed by Becknell and others.
So how does Independence get credit for being the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail?
It's all about time.
Elizabeth Davis was born and raised in Cooper County, Missouri, and has written Historically Yours for the Boonville Daily News since April 2008. In celebration of Missouri's upcoming Bicentennial, she has syndicated her column statewide and encourages readers all over the Show Me State to submit topic suggestions for future columns to [email protected].