Missouri
A Missouri author's new book widens the path for women of the Santa Fe Trail
The author of a new book about women on the Santa Fe Trail, which starts in Kansas City and is considered America’s first great international commercial highway, is well aware of how people often think of women who made the journey: fearful, sun-bonneted white women in wagon trains, reluctantly leaving behind their comfortable lives on the East Coast.
But in her new book, “Crossings: Women on the Santa Fe Trail,” St. Louis-based author Frances Levine tells the stories of women of many backgrounds, each with her own reason for traveling the trail between New Mexico and Missouri.
Just like women today, some appeared to be fully in charge of their lives, and others had very little control.
“If we look at sort of a wide-angle lens on Western history,” she says, “we’ll see that … oftentimes, women had to move their families looking for new opportunities, and so they were the primary decision makers, in some cases, of moving their families west.”
At the opposite end, the most fearful women on the trail were likely not white, high-society ladies torn from posh parlors, as sometimes portrayed in fiction.
“I didn’t expect to find so much about Native enslavement and the trafficking in women and children,” Levine says.
She writes that Native peoples and Europeans trafficked humans in a variety of settings, enslaving them, trading them in hostage exchanges, taking them as sexual partners or exploiting their skills as laborers and translators.
Though the trail legally opened in 1821, when Mexico won independence from Spain, Levine’s work excavated stories going back to 1760.
gift of J. Lionberger Davis, St. Louis Art Museum
That was the year a group of Comanches kidnapped María Rosa Villalpando Salé dit Lajoie and 55 other women and children from their compound in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico.
Her name itself is a trail, Levine suggests.
Villalpando Salé dit Lajoie started out as a member of the Hispanic community in northern New Mexico, then became a Comanche captive, a Pawnee captive, and later a member of a French Creole community where she gained social standing and owned real estate, firearms, furs, a store and slaves. She died in St. Louis at more than 100 years old.
Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis
Levine, who earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from Southern Methodist University, first ran across Villalpando Salé dit Lajoie in another book. In it, Villalpando Salé dit Lajoie was a mere footnote and blamed for her own capture.
Levine writes that the book embellished and romanticized the story of the raid, “claiming it was in retaliation for her refusal to marry a Comanche chief, a union supposedly arranged by her father when she was a child.”
The more Levine searched, the more she saw that Villalpando Salé dit Lajoie’s story encapsulated much of what women of the era experienced.
Levine found her story so illuminating that she has more entries in the book’s index than anyone else and jokes that “Maria Rosa Villalpando is very disappointed that this whole book is not about her.”
Levine now makes her home in St. Louis, where traveler and merchant supplies were aggregated and shipped west along the trail. She is the past president of the Missouri Historical Society. Before moving to this end of the trail, she helped preserve history at the other end: She was the former director of the New Mexico History Museum and Palace of the Governors, in Santa Fe.
She writes that making the move from one end to the other allowed her to “explore the complexity and depth of the links between the Southwest and the American heartland” and the “evolution of women’s roles in interregional travel and intercultural exchanges.”
Her office at the Missouri Historical Society occupied the same space as did the society’s head librarian from 1913 to 1943, who edited one of the trail’s most significant woman-authored journals.
Hall
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Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis
The librarian, Stella Drumm, had corresponded with journal writer Susan Shelby Magoffin’s daughter. Levine found a box with those and other papers, which appeared not to have been disturbed since the 1940s.
The information in Magoffin’s “Down the Santa Fé Trail and Into Mexico,” still in print, was plentiful, but other evidence of the female experience on the trail took a great deal of digging to find.
“I had to look for women in other contexts,” Levine explains. “I had to look for them in store records, census records, property maps, wills and lawsuits.”
She struggled especially to find particulars about enslaved women — Levine says she didn’t think she’d find anything at all. Once she did, it took the form of diary entries written by other people — an enslaved woman’s existence reduced to what captured someone else’s attention on any given day, she says.
Magoffen’s diary includes entries about the woman she enslaved, named Jane.
She “writes about Jane’s misbehaving at the same time that she’s writing about her own fears about being on the trail, but she’s not recognizing that Jane may have had her own set of fears,” Levine explains.
Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis
Levine says that examining women’s parts in this history can also reveal a failure to recognize families, very often multiracial or multicultural.
But it was the family-making and everything else that the women carried that shaped American culture, particularly through the middle of the nation.
“What we need to do,” Levine says, “is to teach history in a slightly different way, from a different perspective, sometimes taking a more community perspective. … look at the way in which people moved with their cultures, the way in which they brought their own cultural practices, their own food ways, their own heritage with them along the trails.”
This story was produced in partnership with the Kansas City Public Library.
Frances Levine will discuss “Crossings: Women on the Santa Fe Trail” at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, at the Kansas City Public Library’s Plaza branch, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri 64112. The event is free with RSVP. More information at KCLibrary.org.
WHEATLAND, Mo. — It was all Kerry Madsen on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway as the 54-year-old native of Australia, who’s now based in Knoxville, Iowa, picked up his first Interstate Batteries High Limit Sprint racing victory.
Madsen led all 30 laps to earn the $12,000 prize. He outdistanced runner-up Sue Lynch by 2.79 seconds with Tanner Holmes finishing third.
“The car’s been super quick every time we’ve hit the track,” Madsen said, noting several competitive runs in the early portion of the High Limit schedule. “The car’s been quick every night, which gives you a lot of confidence.
“We haven’t drawn well in dashes and had some little stuff going on. We drew a good one (tonight) and the car was good and we got the job done. I’m pretty happy.”
That changed this time as Madsen beat Holmes in the dash, to claim the pole position for the feature.
Madsen said his young crew chief Ty Wolfgang has “done a great job” getting in sync with him. Communication has been a big key.
“I know it sounds weird, but just hanging out together,” Madsen said of the driver-crew chief chemistry. “Dinner and a beer and just talk about racing. You do that and it might be a Wednesday night, but something clicks. He’s been real receptive with that stuff and that’s great.”
Madsen, a former Knoxville Nationals 360 winner, paced the early going after starting from the pole, with Holmes in close pursuit. Action slowed on lap six with Chase Randall and Danny Samms III tangling in turn two for the first and only yellow of the event.
Lynch moved into second on the restart as Madsen opened a 1.5-second lead by lap nine as Holmes dropped to third. Madsen’s margin swelled to nearly two seconds by lap 11 – but Lynch tracked down the leader and cut the deficit to a half-second at the halfway mark on lap 15.
As the race continued until green-flag conditions, Madsen settled into a one-second advantage as Lynch and Holmes tried to keep pace. Madsen poured it on in the late stages, cruising to the checkers by nearly three seconds over Lynch.
“Hopefully we can keep rolling like this all year. Obviously, you can’t win every night, but being quick and running well is going to be awesome,” Madsen said.
Lynch, 28 from Cowansville, Pa., said the team found some steering issues and gave him a fast car. It just was not fast enough to stay with Madsen on Saturday night.
“We were battling steering issue in the dash and it was pretty obvious,” Lynch said. “We just didn’t have time to change it and we just tried to make it the best we could. Really the car was super good. The guys busted their butt all night. It’s a testament to the team. We’re working hard and hopefully one spot better real soon.”
Holmes, a 22-year-old from Jacksonville, Oregon, came home third with Daison Pursley fourth, Hank Davis fifth and Rico Abreu charging from 11th to sixth.
“Our best night of the year,” Holmes said. “We’ve got to race a little bit during a break with High Limit these last few weeks. Some of those nights when we got our teeth kicked in taught us a lot.”
Fast overall qualifier was Sye Lynch at 13.342 seconds out of Group A. Aaron Reutzel led Group B with a lap of 13.469 seconds. Both were well off the track record for 410 Sprints held by Rico Abreu at 12.829 seconds on June 29, 2024.
The finish:
Feature: 1. 55-Kerry Madsen[1]; 2. 42-Sye Lynch[3]; 3. 13-Tanner Holmes[2]; 4. 9-Daison Pursley[4]; 5. 17GP-Hank Davis[5]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu[11]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 8. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 9. 19-Brent Marks[9]; 10. 26-Justin Peck[10]; 11. 88-Tanner Thorson[15]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[14]; 13. 28-Jace Park[23]; 14. 87-Aaron Reutzel[7]; 15. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[20]; 16. 45X-Rees Moran[21]; 17. 5-Brenham Crouch[19]; 18. 44-Chris Martin[8]; 19. 19H-Kaleb Johnson[22]; 20. 87X-Logan Seavey[17]; 21. 36-Jason Martin[16]; 22. 9R-Chase Randall[18]; 23. 24D-Danny Sams III[13]; 24. 2-Miles Paulus[24]
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 18, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing
24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 5-8-2
Midday Wild: 3
Evening: 3-8-5
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 0-1-6-1
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 4-7-6-9
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 18 drawing
Early Bird: 08
Morning: 01
Matinee: 05
Prime Time: 04
Night Owl: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 18 drawing
07-10-21-27-33
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 18 drawing
02-38-45-53-63, Powerball: 21
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 17 drawing
38-43-44-49-62, Mega Ball: 08
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 17 drawing
Midday: 4-8-6
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 8-8-2
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 17 drawing
Midday: 3-9-4-2
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 7-3-7-7
Evening Wild: 7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 17 drawing
Early Bird: 07
Morning: 06
Matinee: 08
Prime Time: 05
Night Owl: 07
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 17 drawing
04-06-25-37-39
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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