The opening of the West is a great adventure story that wouldn’t have happened without the Santa Fe Trail. Along with the Oregon and Chisholm Trails, it is one of the "big three" trails of United States history. From 1821 to 1880, more and more traders took their goods over this route, and the Santa Fe Trail became a commercial highway connecting Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Stagecoach lines, gold seekers, adventurers, fur trappers, and emigrants all traveled this road.