Susan Magoffin recorded what happened on the Santa Fe Trail.
Susan Shelby Magoffin was a remarkable woman for her time—for any time, when it comes to it. Married to a trader, she was one of the first females to travel the Santa Fe Trail in 1846. She was just 19. Just as important, Magoffin maintained a diary of the travels, with entries on Indians, Mexicans, buffalo, and everyday life on the trail. The diary became one of the most important documents on the Santa Fe Trail.
Unfortunately, the trip wrecked her health as she fought various diseases. She died in St. Louis in 1855 at age 28.
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