William H. Hagan, from Kentucky who later moved to Missouri, was a “Trail Captain” on the Santa Fe Trail, also called a WagonMaster. He wasn’t a WagonMaster to start off with; he was working for a freighting firm around the 1850’s of West, Majors, Russell and Waddell. Mr. Hagan signed on for a round trip on the Santa Fe Trail. The Wagon train consisted of about twenty-five to thirty wagons. He went on the trip with another man in charge as WagonMaster. After the journey the WagonMaster took off to the California gold rush and William H. Hagan became the WagonMaster or as called the “Trail Captain”. He was trail captain until 1874.
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