429. Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm
The Mahaffie House and Farmstead is a registered National Historic Landmark. Mahaffie Farmstead is the only stage stop on the Santa Fe Trail that is still open to this public.
After the Santa Fe Trail had been going for several years, people began to travel the trail for reasons other than transporting freight. Some of these people traveled by stagecoach arriving in Santa Fe much quicker than going with a wagon train. The farmhouse was the first stage stop after leaving Westport, Missouri. This is where the passengers would eat their lunch.
Most trips were run night and day with only stops for food and changing horses.
The ride was not like it would be today in the comfort of an automobile. The roads were not paved, the coaches didn't have shock absorbers, and the seat cushions could become very hard. Passengers often sat very close with people they didn't know. Railroads soon replaced the need for stagecoaches, just as they replaced the Santa Fe Trail.
The Mahaffie House has many activities throughout the year that will show you what life was like in the 1860s. Among these are stage coach rides, farming with horse and plow, oxen training, frontier cooking, and other living history experiences.
For more information:
