Kaw Mission administrator Mark Brooks will portray pioneer trader Seth Hays at a meeting April 21 of the Cottonwood Crossing chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association.

The 7 p.m. presentation at Goessel’s city building will be open to the public.

Hays, who arrived in Council Grove in 1847, traded both with travelers along the trail and with Kaw Indians, on whose reservation Council Grove was located.

His portrayal by Brooks has received positive reviews for its candor and accuracy.

Brooks also is in charge of the Last Chance Store Museum in Council Grove and is a director of the trail association.

To observe the 200th anniversary of the trail’s founding, the Cottonwood Crossing chapter is looking for documented stories by trail travelers from 1821 through 1872.

Although the trail primarily was used for commerce, many local residents’ ancestors traveled it.

Copies of original accounts from them are sought by chapter president Doug Sharp at sharplandman@gmail.com.