Sonora Texas / Old West Outlaws and Texas History

A visit to the town of Sonora, Texas offers an opportunity to tour it's downtown area that is rich in history and heritage. Sonora is the county seat of Sutton County Texas and is located about 170 miles northwest of San Antonio along Interstate 10 (about a 2 1/2 hour drive) 

Sonora, Texas 1898

Sonora is recognized as being located on the western end of Texas' scenic Hill Country. To the west and northwest of Sonora lie the flat expanses of the Chihuahuan Desert.

There are lots of history to see in Sonora involving ranching, old west outlaws and the transition of a west Texas town moving into the twentieth century. 

Annual events held in Sonora, Texas include the Annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration held on May 5th... The Sonora Outlaw Pro Rodeo is held every third weekend in August...The Sutton County Game Dinner is the oldest and largest game dinner celebrated in the area held in November...,span>The Dry Devils River Music Flood held for a day each October...Sonora’s annual one-day Christmas Market in December.

Visit the sites where history comes alive...


Old West Shootout on Main Street 
 
On the night of April 2, 1901, William Carver, a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, was shot and killed in Jack Owen's Bakery by Sheriff E.S. Briant and his deputies. Some accounts say the gunfight occurred outside of the store. With guns drawn on entry, they attempted to arrest Carver and George Kilpatrick on suspicion of the murder of Oliver Thornton in Concho County Texas. One account says that Kilpatrick made a fumbling motion and Carver's gun never cleared the holster before he was shot six times. 

Will Carver was buried in the Sonora Cemetery. There is a gravestone marker that simply shows the date of his death, April 2, 1901. 

 Old Ice House Ranch Museum

Old Ice House Ranch Museum

This is a must stop. A the  Old Ice House Ranch Museum which is housed inside an old ice house is a collection of one of a kind memorabilia pertaining to the history of Sonora and Sutton County Texas. 

Exhibits include an array of old artifacts to educate and entertain visitors about ranching in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Sutton County. Included with the relics of Sonora is information about the 1901 shootout by sheriff deputies with Will Carver, a member of Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch" gang.  Carver was on the losing end of the gunfight on the streets of Sonora. 

You'll leave this unique museum with a new appreciation of the pioneers that developed this rugged area when the discovery of a deep water well drilling technique opened this parched prairie to sheep, cattle and goats after the bustle of the West had passed it by. 

Sutton County Courthouse
 
The 1891 Sutton County Courthouse was designed by Oscar Ruffini, a prominent architect from San Angelo, in the Second Empire style. Much handwork is evident in the limestone and dressed stone. 

Sutton County Texas Courthouse

Restorations of the courthouse took place where all windows were restored and missing roof dormers and roof cresting were reconstructed using historic photographs. 

The interior restoration brought all new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems including fire protection and accessibility improvements All of these enhancement followed the original design. A non-original tile floor at the first floor corridors and offices was removed and replaced with salvaged wood. Original wood windows, doors, stairways, and wainscot were refinished to match the original stain, and wood shutters were reconstructed at all window openings. Wall colors were restored and a decorative wall stenciling of gold and copper leaf was recreated. All vault door decorative finishes were painstakingly restored. 

The courthouse was rededicated on June 11, 2002.

Old Sutton County Jail 

Old jail in Sonora, Texas

When Sutton County Texas was organized in 1890, a jail was obviously needed. At the time there were several jail construction companies, mostly located back east. 

The Pauley Jail Building and Manufacturing Co. of St. Louis was hired to build this jail. The project begans begun in Feb. 1891 under the supervision of Judge J. L. Dunagan. The new jail was completed in Sept. 1891. The native stone jail structure was two story and had a jailer's residence in addition to cells for prisoners. Of special historic note, the first prisoner in the new jail was gambler and gunman John Denson, a cousin of outlaw John Wesley Hardin. 

The old Sutton County jail in downtown Sonora stands on Oak Street near the Sutton County Courthouse. 

Additional Western Trips articles found on the links below... 

Fort Stockton Texas

San Angelo Texas

The Caverns of Sonora

Another must stop while in the area is The Caverns of Sonora. Many believe these are one of the most beautiful caverns in the world. The Caverns of Sonora contains unusual formations, such as bladed helictites and coralloid growths, and is of exceptional beauty. 

This National Natural Landmark is located eight miles west of Sonora. Because of its calcite crystal formations and rarity of helictites, the cavern is considered to be a world-class cave. The formation of the cave is said to have occurred between 1.5 to five million years ago. The cave is a constant 71°F, but feels like 85°F due to the humidity. During a tour, you can go 150 feet below the Earth’s surface and be mesmerized by all the formations underground.

For detailed information about the caverns and available tours see...http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/tours    Tours of the cave leave the caverns gift shop constantly, with usually never more than a 30-minute wait.

Additiomal photos of Sonora, Texas...

Gun used to kill outlaw Will Carver in 1901     

Another view of the old county jail structure

Sonora during the early automobile years

Downtown Sonora during horse and wagon days

Visit Historic Littlefield Texas

Littlefield, Texas is located about 36 miles northwest of Lubbock and about 65 miles southeast of Clovis, New Mexico.

Tallest Windmill, Littlefield, Texas

n the year 1830 the land where Littlefield, Texas now resides was explored by a Major Long of the U.S. Army and his troops. Major Long didn't have many good things to say in his report and essentially called the land bad for cultivation. At that time this area of west Texas was inhabited by Indians, mostly Comanche, along with the bison.

 The Texas frontier at that time was far east of this area, about in a line from present day Dallas to San Antonio. That line would have been the extreme western end of the Texas frontier and Indian raids on settlers along that line was not unusual.

The XIT Ranch Days

Where Littlefield Texas is located was during the latter part of the 1800's and very early 1900's was part of the historic XIT ranch. The XIT Ranch was historic for a few reasons. The ranch comprised a bit over 3 million acres that spanned from the northern reaches of the Texas Panhandle all the way southward for about 200 miles. This was at that time the largest cattle ranch in Texas and the world. The land was purchased for .50 cents per acre by a syndicate from the State of Texas and the money raised was used to build the Texas State Capital Building, the same capital building that is in Austin, Texas today.

Enter George W.  Littlefield

After 1900 the XIT Ranch syndicate began selling off it's land holdings to pay back debt to their bond holders. By that time barbed wire had fenced in what was once the open prairie and the days and massive ranches were selling off land. In 1901 George W. Littlefield, an Austin, Texas banker, cattleman and regent of the University of Texas purchased 312,000 acres for a price of $2.00 per acre. This acreage became Littlefield's Yellow House Ranch. Cattle was also purchased from the XIT syndicate.

When it became apparent that the railroad would build through his land he put tracts up for sale which eventually became a town. For a depot to be built the railroad stipulated that all main streets in the the proposed town would lead to the depot. As a result of this, the main streets in Littlefield run northeast to southwest where you would normally see such streets flowing east and west.

Attractions in Littlefield Texas 

 Waylon Jennings, the country music star who popularized the "outlaw county music" genre, was born in Littlefield, Texas in 1937. Among other notable groups Jennings performed with during his long career, he played for a time with Buddy Holly's Crickets band. Holly was from Lubbock Texas, just down the road from Littlefield.

A Waylon Jennings Museum was opened by his younger brother a few years after the singers death. What you'll look for his a business named Waymore's, a drive-thru liquor store converted from an old gas station. Here you'll find Waylon Jennings memorabilia and artifacts, Waylon's first guitar, plenty of photos and posters, plus more. Waymore's is located near the center of Littlefield at the corner of Waylon Jennings and Hall Ave.

See more Western Trips articles on the links below...

Historic Palo Duro Canyon Texas

Post Texas / The Building of a Model Town 

The West Texas Town and the White Buffalo

The Tallest Windmill Replica

Littlefield Texas had a 132 foot tall windmill built in 1887 on XIT ranchland. Unfortunately this very tall windmill, the world's largest, was made from wood and blew down in 1926. The replica windmill on it's site is 114 feet tall and is made out of steel. You can easily see this historic attraction at U.S. 84 and XIT Ave.

Littlefield Land/ Duggan House Museum

The Littlefield Lands/ Duggan House Museum

The Duggan House, built in 1913 and known as the Littlefield Lands/ Duggan House Museum located at 520 E. Waylon Jennings Blvd, was at one time a one room lean-to residence for the Arthur P. Duggan family. The house had several additions built and sits among large trees and a multitude of plants.

Arthur Duggan as a nephew of Major George Littlefield and was the major's land agent when Littlefield began settling the area. The museum coordinates with schools and other educational facilities to provide quality local historical information to all educational levels. New items of significant historical interest are constantly being added to our collection. The museum serves as a center of activity for the community, encouraging all residents, business owners, club members, and others to utilize the museum for community activities.

Littlefield, Texas

The museum contains a "radio room" which has memorabilia from the city's radio station. This is the station where a young Waylon Jennings worked as a disc jockey. The museum plays Waylon Jennings' hits all day and dedicated one room to their beloved hometown hero.Also exhibited are artifacts and memorabilia of early Littlefield.

If your Texas travels take you to the west part of the state up toward the Texas Panhandle you'll want to make a stop at Littlefield and view some of the historic sites and make a visit to the Littlefield Lands/ Duggan House Museum. 

The town of Littlefield is an excellent example of how a settlement was established in the early 1900's from west  Texas ranch land.

(Article and photos copyright 2014 Western Trips)

Wild Horses and Cowboys

It is a fact that just about everything about our colorful old west came about from the Spaniards. The western cowboy is truly a unique creation of North America but everything that the cowboy wore, used in his trade and rode on the range had it's origins from the time Spain and then later Mexico ruled most of the southwest.

Sculpture at American Quarter Horse Museum

The story is an interesting one and explains much of how our old west came into being. Before we tell our story we want to highlight a few excellent venues that also tell this story and suggest that they may be fun and educational additions to your next western trip.

Hubbard Museum of the American West

Located in beautiful Ruidoso New Mexico, the Hubbard Museum of the American West is an affiliate of the Smithsonian and lets the visitor experience the west through the influence of the native Americans, the Hispanic people and the old pioneers. The museum is perfect for young and old and takes you through the different stages of the old west. Plenty of antique artifacts and clothing are part of the exhibits. You'll also find many exhibits about the horse and it's role in the development of the American west.

The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum

The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Amarillo Texas directly off Interstate 40. When you're looking for things to do in Amarillo, it's a great stop. A perfect addition to your western road trip or vacation.  It's also at the headquarters of the American Quarter Horse Association.

Ruidoso New Mexico

The XIT Museum

The XIT Ranch was at one time one of the largest ranches in the world spanning over 3 million acres. The ranch ran from the northwest corner of Texas southward along the New Mexico border for about 200 miles. The XIT Museum located in the Texas Panhandle town of Dalhart includes exhibits about the life and times on the old XIT Ranch as well as the development of the Texas Panhandle and the railroad that helped it grow. Dalhart Texas is northwest of Amarillo and about forty miles south of the Oklahoma state line and about forty miles east of the New Mexico state line.

The Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy

This fascinating museum is located in Colorado Springs, CO near the foothills of beautiful Pikes Peak. Several different halls are showcased here including the National Finals Rodeo Gallery, the heritage Hall and the Hall of Champions. The Hall of Champions honors cowboys in each rodeo event.

The Panhandle Plains Museum 

Located in Canyon Texas about twenty miles south of Amarillo, the Panhandle Plains Museum opened during the Great Depression in 1933. The museum is on the campus of West Texas A & M University. This museum is sometimes referred to as the Smithsonian with a Texas accent" and is very well worth the trip to Canyon Texas to enjoy. The museum and the town of Canyon is just a few miles west of Palo Duro Canyon State Park which is one of the most scenic areas of Texas.

Horses of the American West and Great Plains

Exhibit of Spanish or California style spurs

The first horse that stood on the North American continent, at least after the last ice age, was brought here by the Spaniards about the year 1519. (It's thought that there were horses in what is North America millions of years ago but became extinct). This was the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico and later it's colonization of present day New Mexico and California.

The Spaniards transported horses by ship from Spain. It's been said that the first time the Native people of Mexico saw a Spaniard riding on horseback that they were in awe. Many thought that what they saw from a distance was one beast, rider and horse being one animal. Much of the Spaniard's success in conquering the Mexican tribes was it's tactical advantage with the horse.

Wild Horses and Longhorn Cattle

The Spanish settler continued to move northward toward the Rio Grande. When he settled more to the north he brought his livestock with him. They had more livestock than they readily could use. Eventually the horses multiplied and bands of wild horses began migrating northward out of Mexico and into Texas. This was spurred even more when the Spanish abandoned horses in Mexico before their departure.

Western Cowboy Saddle and gear

Wild bands of horses actually went far north of Texas and some of these, not all, were captured by the plains Indians. Some referred to these as Indian Ponies but they were not a separate specie. The same was true with the longhorn cattle also brought to North America by ship from Spain. There were wild cattle herds which migrated into Texas but not nearly as far north out of Texas as the horse.

Wild horses roamed the Texas landscape even during the time of Spanish ranching as did cattle. Without a real market for their cattle the Spanish rancher raised and branded cattle for local use. Supplying meat for the ranch and it's workers didn't require extensive herds and at the same time there existed ranch owned cattle there were also wild cattle herds. Some of these wild animals, horses and cattle, bred with ranch owned animals. All of these herds, wild and ranched, traced their ancestry to when Spain imported these beasts to North America during the sixteenth century.

Below are links to additional Western trips articles alwith more fun and educational trip stops...

Cattle Drives and a Tour of the Fort Worth Stockyards 

A Tour of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

A Trip to the Panhandle Plains Museum  

Three excellent books on the subject of the cowboy and cattle ranching include...

The Cowboy by author Philip Ashton Rollins.... The Cattle Kings by author Lewis Atherton and In the Days of the Vaqueros: America's First True Cowboys by Russell Freedman.

Western Roping Saddle

The Cowboy's Spanish Roots

When you view exhibits of cowboy gear, ropes, spurs, saddles, chaps, hats among other items, all have some type of Spanish and/or Mexican influence.The American cowboy obtained all the technique of his craft and the tools used in that vocation from Mexican sources. This included the horse he rode and the cattle he herded.

The cowboy's rope was at one time the reata or the lariat. These words are still used. The Spanish vaqueros and the American cowboys both practiced trick and team roping. This type of roping is still seen on western ranches as well as at rodeos.

Chaps were used for a practical purpose. Covering the cowboys trousers, chaps, generally made from leather, would protect the cowboy's legs from cactus, rocks and other obstacles while herding and at the same time adding a degree of warmth during the winter. The original chaps came from the Spaniards in Mexico who called them "armas".

While spurs were not an invention of the Spaniards, spurs used by the American cowboy were styled very much the same as what the Spanish vaquero used in North America.

Panhandle Plains Museum, Canyon TX

Hats that the cowboy wore actually differed as to the section of the country. In the southwest the hat's crown was left at full height. In the Northwest the crown was generally flat on top.

The riding saddle used by the old west cowboy went by several names. Some of these include range saddle, cowboy saddle, stock saddle and Mexican saddle. These saddle have been termed Moorish in theirs basic form and are very similar to what the Moors brought to Spain from Africa over one thousand years ago. These were all far different than the flat English Saddle and were not favored by the cowboy.

(Article copyright 2013 Western Trips)

Cattle Drives and the Fort Worth Stockyards

Visiting the historic Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth Texas is a western adventure in itself. Add to that the cattle drives which take place twice daily at 11:30A and 4P.

Fort Worth Stockyards

During these cattle drives the drovers, real cowboys, drive their longhorns along East Exchange Avenue past the front of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building for what is a real trip back to the 1800's.The best place to view these daily cattle drives is in front of the stockyard's Visitors Center.

Fort Worth Texas was established in 1849 on a bluff overlooking two forks of the Trinity River. The fort became the last large settlement of civilization along the famous Chisholm Trail. The settlement was referred to as "Cowtown" beginning in the 1860's.

The area of the Fort Worth Stockyards was a stop for cattle heading from Texas to the Kansas rail heads.This was a regular stopping off point along the Chisholm Trail.The stockyards was also a major sheep and hog marketing center considered the largest in the southwest.

The Fort Worth Herd

The Fort Worth Herd is made up of fifteen Texas Longhorns, each steer representing one decade from Fort Worth's colorful past. Yes, there are indeed stockyards still existing at this historic site. When the herd is not being driven down Exchange Street they are kept in the expansive wooden stockyards north of the Cowtown Coliseum.

The stockyards at the Ft. Worth Stockyards

Today's Fort Worth Stockyards is a National Historic District. In a big way the stockyards give you the feel of what small town America once look like. Things to do in the stockyards are geared for people of all ages.

The Fort Worth Stockyards are located  at the intersection of Main St. and Exchange Avenue about four miles north of the downtown area.

The Fort Worth Stockyards and the Railroad

A cattleman must get his herd to market. When the Texas and Pacific Railroad reached Fort Worth Texas in 1876 it made the town an important cattle herd destination. This same combination, cattle and railroads, built earlier towns such as Abilene, Wichita and Dodge City Kansas. Ten years after the railroad's arrival, Fort Worth had four stockyards doing business near the tracks.

Packing plants were built to go along with the stockyards including those from Swift and Armour. It was said that the Swift Company plant in Fort Worth, constructed in 1904, employed about 1,700 people during it's busiest years. The ruins of the old Swift packing plant are located east of the stockyards behind chain link fences. Each of the packing companies received a one third interest in the stockyards. The first decade of the twentieth century was the time of the stockyard's largest growth.

Livestock Exchange Building

Another interesting fact about the Swift packing company is that it's founder, Gustavus Swift, invented the refrigerated rail car. The Swift packing plants were considered to be state of the art at the time being highly insulated. For instance, the upper floors of the Fort Worth structure had double brick walls.

The Armour plant, adjacent to the Swift plant, was the first of the two to close in 1962. The Swift plant closed in 1971.

The Decline and Rebirth of the Stockyards

The decline of the Fort Worth Stockyards went hand in hand with the closing of the Armour and Swift packing and processing plants. What happened to this area after the plant closings is a fascinating story.

During the 1970's Fort Worth created a restoration committee to plan for redevelopment of the district.Both public and private funding would be sought. Today, the Fort Worth Stockyards is promoted by the North Fort Worth Historical Society.

Stockyards Hotel

Events are held in the stockyards all year with two of the biggest being the Chisholm Trail Days each June and the Pioneer Days each September. The Fort Worth Stockyards holds many historic markers, is filled with unique restaurants, shops and museums. The Stockyards Museum was opened in 1989 in the Stockyards Exchange Building. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10A to 5P.

At the Stockyards Station you'll want to visit the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. This museum's stated goal is to honor the men and women who have shown excellence in the business and support of rodeo and the western lifestyle in Texas. This museum also exhibits the Sterquell Wagon Collection which consists of over sixty horse drawn coaches and wagons.

Below are links to more Western Trips articles you may enjoy...

Revisiting the Old West Cattle Trails

Remembering the Shawnee Trail

See One of the Seven Man-Made Wonders of Arizona

A West Texas Adventure in San Angelo 

Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame

While the packing plant workers and the herds are gone, what remains today is a living museum of cowboy and ranching culture. Historic buildings are a big part of a stockyards walking tour as are ongoing events.

In addition to viewing the twice daily cattle drive there are opportunities to sit on a live steer and have your picture taken. What can be more western than that? The Fort Worth Stockyards make an ideal trip stop for the entire family.

If your Texas vacation or weekend trip includes visiting Fort Worth you'll want to add the stockyards to your trip planner.

(Article and photos copyright 2013 Western Trips)

A Visit to the Saints Roost Museum / Texas

In this article we want to highlight a very interesting western ranching museum which has it's roots in the legendary JA Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in the Texas Panhandle.

Old Adair Hospital, now the Saints Roost Museum

The Saints Roost Museum located in Clarendon Texas will take you back to the days when Texas meant big ranching and cattle drives. Clarendon is located on U.S. Highway 287 about 60 miles east/southeast of Amarillo Texas. The cattle and farming industries still are key economic drivers.

Why Was the Settlement Called Saints Roost?

The answer to the question of how Saints Roost got it's name has everything to do with a Methodist  reverend in 1878.

 Reverend Lewis Henry Carhart wanted to establish a settlement where drinking, gambling and everything that went with it was frowned upon. A Christian utopia of sorts that defied the reputation of many western towns. The town was named Clarendon in honor of the Reverend Carhart's wife, Clara. An interesting side note to the story is that Clara spent little time in Clarendon opting to reside much of the time in Dallas.

The JA Ranch cattle brand

The town was officially named Clarendon but the local cowboys struck on the name "Saints Roost". The cowboys said it was the place where the saints roosted. The virtues of Clarendon were promoted to settlers and eastern capitalists as a place to make home and do business.As it turned out the reverend Carhart didn't make Clarendon a permanent home.

The Saints Roost Museum

The building that serves as today's Saints Roost Museum was at one time the Adair Hospital.The hospital was both built by and named for Cornelia Adair, the wife of broker John Adair of Ireland and the Adair of the JA Ranch. The ranch was operated beginning in 1877 as a partnership with Charles Goodnight, the legendary rancher and Father of the Texas Panhandle. Goodnight told Adair all about the Palo Duro Canyon, south and east of today's Amarillo. As far as Charles Goodnight was concerned, the Palo Duro Canyon was an ideal spot to raise cattle. There was good water in the summer and the canyon provided some shelter for the herd during the winter months.

Cornelia Adair was known as a prominent philanthropist donating to several Clarendon and Donley County area charities and projects. Cornelia Adair also built the first YMCA in Clarendon. In her latter years Cornelia Adair spent time at her late husband's residences in Ireland and England.

Cowboy bunk house from old JA Ranch

When Cornelia Adair, a naturalized British subject, passed away in 1921 at the age of 84 she willed money to help support the Adair Hospital as well as money to a children's home in Dallas. Money was also in her will to JA Ranch cowboys and several Irish church groups.

The Saints Roost Museum will give you a good glimpse of the history of the Texas Panhandle as well as Donley County Texas. Exhibits include pioneer and Indian artifacts and local Clarendon culture.There are also several excellent exhibits and photos regarding rancher Charles Goodnight.

On the grounds of the Saints Roost Museum is also the old 1887 Fort Worth & Denver Railroad depot. You'll see some interesting photographs showing how the train depot was moved from the tracks to it's current location.

Collection of various Texas cattle brands

The big fundraising event to support the Saints Roost Museum is the annual Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff held each September. It was Charles Goodnight who invented the chuckwagon.

The Adair Hospital

In 1887 Cornelia Adair assumed her late husband's role as partner in the JA Ranch with Goodnight.

Cornelia Adair built the Adair Hospital in 1910 for the care of Adair Ranch cowboys. In 1917 the JA Ranch covered some half a million acres.


Below are links to more Western Trips photo articles you may enjoy...

Goodnight Ranch House

The Fascinating Panhandle-Plains Museum in Canyon Texas

Battle of Gonzales / Start of the Texas Revolution

Old Fort Worth & Denver Railroad Depot

Texas Ranch Country

If you want to visit several interesting Texas cattle ranching museums, Saints Roost Museum being one of them, the stretch of highway between Wichita Falls Texas and Amarillo, U.S. Hwy 287, is a good road to travel.

The famous Waggoner Ranch which was located around and just east of Witchita Falls is highlighted at the Red River Valley Museum in Vernon Texas, along U.S. Hwy 287 and about 50 miles northwest of Wichita Falls. The Waggoner Ranch had it's beginnings in the 1850's.

Another good stop along this highway is the newly restored Goodnight Ranch House which is in Goodnight Texas about 43 miles southeast of Amarillo. Goodnight Texas is just north of Palo Duro Canyon. Add to this a stop at the Armstrong County Museum in Claude Texas, on U.S. Highway 287 about 30 miles east of Amarillo.

If you have time while traveling through Amarillo you'll want to make a stop at the Panhandle-Plains Museum in Canyon Texas, about 18 miles south of Amarillo on Interstate 27.

(Article and photos copyright 2013 Western Trips)


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Revisiting the Old West Cattle Trails

Sign along the old Chisholm Trail in Round Rock TX

The cattle industry in North America grew rapidly after the Civil War ended in 1865. There was not only a pent up demand for western beef but regions like Texas had a vast oversupply of cattle. While Texas ranches, among them the King Ranch of southeastern Texas, did help supply beef to the Confederate forces by driving cattle to Confederate states, the Texas herds multiplied during the war. The war cut off access to eastern markets. When the Civil War finally ended and the railroads built west across Kansas, fortunes could be made by enterprising cattlemen.

The peak years of the great cattle drives were the twenty years between 1866 and 1886. That being said, Texans were known to drive cattle eastward toward New Orleans as early as 1836. In 1853 there was a successful cattle drive all the way from St. Louis to the port of San Francisco which seems incredible.

After the Civil war the potential for profit was so great that a good deal of investment money came from overseas, Scottish and English investors being the top two sources of capital. The first post war rail head destination for Texas cattle was Abilene Kansas. The rail heads continued to build westward to Wichita, Dodge City and even to Las Vegas New Mexico just 60 miles east of Santa Fe.

Today, tourists visiting the west and southwest can see many reminders of the great cattle trails.

Surviving structure along the trail in Old Round Rock

The Chisholm Trail

The Chisholm Trail ran from southeastern Texas near the San Antonio area north past the towns of Austin Texas, Round Rock, Salado, Denton and across the Red River at Red River Station and into Indian Territory past present day Duncan Oklahoma on it's journey to the rail head at Abilene Kansas. The trail followed closely to today's Interstate 35. The Chisholm trail was named after Jesse Chisholm who owned trading posts in western Oklahoma before the Civil War.

The Chisholm Trail was most active from 1867 to 1871. By 1885 barbed wire erected by settlers flooding into the region essentially closed the trail permanently. During it's active years more than five million cattle and a million mustangs traveled over the Chisholm Trail.

There are several reminders and historical markers to be seen today along the old path of the trail. The Chisholm Trail Crossing Park in Round Rock Texas reminds visitors of the city’s history. At the low water crossing there is a plaque commemorating the crossing where there is also the rock from which Round Rock took it's name. It's said that old wagon ruts can still be seen at the site of the crossing.

Original Fort Reno structure along the Great Western Trail

In Decatur Texas on the courthouse lawn is an historical marker that mentionss the Chisholm Trail as it passed through this town located about 55 miles north/northwest of downtown Dallas.

Visit Duncan Oklahoma and take a drive east to where a general store servicing the drovers once stood. There you'll see an historical marker and if you explore real good you'll see visible ruts in the ground from the millions of cattle hooves that passed this site heading north. You'll also want to visit the Chisholm Trail heritage Center in Duncan. Here you'll be treated to a  multi-sensory exploration of the Chisholm Trail as well as the story of early settlement in the southern plains. Duncan Oklahoma is located about 80 miles southwest of Oklahoma City and about 64 miles northeast of Wichita Falls Texas.

 Doan's Crossing on the Great Western Trail

The Great Western Trail began in the area south and southwest of San Antonio Texas down to the Rio Grande and, with it's many side routes, actually reached as far north as the Canadian border. The Great Western Trail or Texas Trail is considered the longest of all the old west cattle trails.

There is a spot along the Red River dividing Texas from Oklahoma called Doan's Crossing which was where cattle driven along the Great Western Trail, sometimes referred to as the Western Trail and Texas Trail, crossed on their way north to Dodge City Kansas during the 1870's. An interesting side note is that Jonathan Doan who established the trading post at the crossing became the first person to permanently settle in Wilbarger County Texas.

Chuckwagon exhibit at NM History Museum

The site was location of a trading post and general store where cowboys could stock up on supplies before driving their cattle further north into Indian Territory. Today the site is a ghost town with interesting historical markers but once a year there is a large gathering which is open to the public. The annual May Day Picnic is an event you want to see if you're in the area. For more information on this annual event see website www..tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvd50

Doan's Crossing is located about 13 miles northeast of Vernon Texas and about 60 miles northwest of Wichita Falls.

In 2003 a project was launched to mark the entire Great Western Trail with a cement post place every six miles. The initial plan was to mark the trail from the Rio Grande to Ogallala, Nebraska.

The Great Western Trail also passed historic Fort Reno Oklahoma which was originally built while in Indian Territory. This is a stop you want to make while driving through Oklahoma on Interstate 40 west of Oklahoma City. Tour the original buildings of the fort as well as it's museum with many fine artifacts. Fort Reno is located about 27 miles west of Oklahoma City and just north of the Interstate.

A few additional Western Trips articles you may enjoy are on the links below... 

American Cowboy Gear and Attire

Texas Ranching

Famous Texas Rancher George Littlefield House / Austin TX

A Visit to Doan's Crossing on the Red River 

Las Vegas NM along the Goodnight-Loving Trail

The Goodnight-Loving Cattle Trail

Among the historic accomplishments of Charles Goodnight was when he created the Goodnight-Loving Trail from Fort Belknap Texas into New Mexico in 1867. The Goodnight-Loving Trail would eventually run from Fort Belknap (near present day Newcastle Texas) west into New Mexico, then up to Denver Colorado and later further north into Cheyenne Wyoming.

Goodnight did this with the knowledge that Indian trouble could commence at any time and it was said that at one point he drove the herd some eighty miles without water. In fact, Oliver Loving, Goodnight's partner in 1867, died while wounded and trying to hold off Indians on his way to deliver beef to Fort Sumner New Mexico. This 2,000 mile trail to Fort Sumner and then north into Colorado would soon be named the Goodnight-Loving Trail.

The journey and terrain by all accounts was very tough but in making it Goodnight proved to all that cattle could be driven over rugged regions that were considered by many to be a cattleman's graveyard. The route left Fort Belknap and followed the old Butterfield Stage Line route to the Pecos River. Then it was up the Pecos to near Las Vegas New Mexico and further northward past Raton Pass and into Colorado.

The Goodnight-Loving Trail would pass by Raton New Mexico and enter Colorado through Raton Pass where a toll keeper was charging about ten cents per head for access through the pass. It wasn't long before Charles Goodnight found a slightly alternate route through the pass avoiding this fee. Raton Pass would later be the entryway into New Mexico from Colorado by the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.

Goodnight Ranch House, Goodnight TX

Charles Goodnight is considered by many today to be the Father of the Texas Panhandle. Goodnight Texas is located on U.S. Hwy 287 just about 40 miles southeast of Amarillo. At this site is the Goodnight ranch house which has been restored. The Goodnight  home was renovated by the Armstrong County Museum in Claude Texas just a few miles west of the now ghost town of Goodnight.

Another site commemorating Goodnight's ranching achievements is a statue of him outside of the fascinating Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon Texas, about a 15 minute drive south of Amarillo along Interstate 27. If you have not visited this museum I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling through the Amarillo Texas area. There is an amazing amount of historic artifacts plus an excellent historic research center.

To see where the Goodnight-Loving Trail ran along the Pecos River in New Mexico, stop at Fort Sumner which has an amazing museum and is the site where Billy the Kid is buried. Fort Sumner is located about 45 miles south of Santa Rosa New Mexico. Santa Rosa is directly on Interstate 40 about 114 miles east of Albuquerque.

Three excellent books on the subject of ranchers, cowboys and cattle drives include The Cattle Kings by author Lewis Atherton...The Western: The Greatest Texas Cattle Trail, 1874 - 1886 by authors Gary Kraisinger and Margaret Kraisinger...Charles Goodnight: Father of the Texas Panhandle by author William T. Hagan.



(Article and photos copyright 2013 Western Trips)

Remembering the Shawnee Trail

Shawnee Trail bronze sculpture

The city of Frisco Texas, a bustling and growing suburb north of Dallas, has an interesting park that honors the famous Shawnee Trail. Western Trips had the opportunity to visit this unique memorial park which is filled with beautiful bronze sculptures and walking trails you'll enjoy visiting.

The Shawnee Trail

Quite a bit of information has been written about the great cattle trails of Texas. The Chisholm Trail which ran from south Texas up to the Kansas rail heads of Abilene and Wichita. The Great Western Trail (sometimes referred to as the Texas Trail) which started in south Texas and with various branches even extended to the Canadian border to the north. There was also the famous Goodnight-Loving Trail, much further west, that traveled from west Texas into New Mexico and then north into Colorado.

The Shawnee Trail stands out as being the earliest and the easternmost of the Texas Longhorn cattle trails. Cattle was said to have been taken up the Shawnee Trail as early as the 1840's which would have been just several years after the region won it's independence from Mexico in 1836. The great cattle trails mentioned above primarily came into being just after the Civil War when there was an over abundance of Texas cattle. The Shawnee Trail came into existence just before the Civil War and passed through the towns of Austin, Waco and Dallas. Earlier trails generally went through the Fort Worth area to the west.

Shawnee Trail cowboy sculpture

The Shawnee Trail collected cattle brought in from the east and west of it's main route and herded this cattle northward across the Red River and through eastern Oklahoma which was then Indian Territory. Various branch trails then went toward rail heads and stock yards in Kansas City, Independence, MO, St. Louis and Sedalia.

The biggest trouble on the Shawnee Trail occurred in the early 1850's when the Longhorn tick disease affected local cattle on it's way north to market. As an example, farmers in Kansas actually formed armed groups to prevent the Texas Longhorns from entering their area. Some cattle did get through and many others were turned back. The armed vigilantes stampeded the herds and in some cases there were people killed. It was a violent encounter for a long time.

During the Civil War the trail was barely used. Texas cattle could not be driven to the north and this was the major reason there was such a surplus of cattle immediately when the Civil War ended. 

Frisco Texas and the Shawnee Trail

When you visit Frisco Texas today, the main north to south artery running through this very large suburb is Preston Road. This road is named after a military outpost on the Red River, Fort Preston, whose name was in honor of a Captain William C. Preston, a Texas Revolution veteran.

Shawnee Trail memorial, Frisco, TX

The Shawnee Trail coming out of Dallas traveled northward generally along what today is Preston Road. This Shawnee Trail route was also responsible for bringing the earliest settlers to what is today Frisco.

The first town to pop up here was named Lebanon, a general gathering place for cowboys and ranchers bringing cattle north. Today, what was Lebanon is a part of Frisco and was just one of the several names adopted by this settlement before it finally was named Frisco.

Frisco and the Railroad

As mentioned above, new Texas trails to the west after the Civil War generally replaced the Shawnee Trail. What came next however would be a tremendous catalyst to the settlement's growth. This was the railroad, a major factor for the creation of many towns and cities all over the U.S.

Frisco Texas ended up adopting the name of the railroad that built tracks through it. This was the St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway Company, commonly referred to as the Frisco System. The Frisco Railway had expanded to the south through Indian Territory to the Red River and then to the south beyond in an effort to tap into the Texas cattle market. Prior to this, the settlement was first named Emerson after a McKinney Texas banker. The story is that the banker promised to open a bank in the town if it was named after him. When the railroad came to town the name was changed.

Shawnee Cattle Drive wall

Visiting Frisco Texas

Today, Frisco Texas is a massive community and one of the fastest growing in the entire Dallas area. Two very interesting stops in Frisco that you may want to visit are the sites that celebrates the historic Shawnee Trail and the Frisco Heritage Museum.

The Shawnee Trail site is a seven acre park with walking and jogging trails. The centerpiece of this site is a three walled area with fascinating western sculptures all around it. The bronze sculptures depict an 1800's trail drive. A good deal of information about the old cattle drives is etched into the concrete walkways. It's a perfect stop for the entire family if you're traveling through the area. The site is located just on the west of  Parkwood Boulevard north of the Stonebriar Mall.

Another fun stop you'll want to make is the Frisco Heritage Museum just a few miles north of the Shawnee Trail site. Here you'll be able to walk through the entire history of Frisco and see plenty of great exhibits of the old Frisco Railroad as well as some rare artifacts and photos from other historic railroads. Restored historic structures from Frisco have been moved to the museum outdoor area. This indoor and outdoor museum offers a fun learning experience for the entire family. The museum which opened in 2008 is located at 6455 Page Street. 

Below are links to additional Western Trips photo articles regarding other sites of interest in the greater Dallas Texas area... 

Electric Railroad Museum 

Santa Fe Railroad Dining Car China/ Frisco Heritage Museum  

Perot Museum of Nature and Science 

A Walking Tour of Historic Gonzales Texas

Steam engine exhibit at Frisco Heritage Museum

A big thing that is happening in 2013 for the Frisco Heritage Museum involves The Museum of the American Railroad which was located near downtown Dallas. While the museum was running out of space, Frisco not only offered plenty of space but was also growing tremendously. The decision was made to move the Dallas museum's collection up to Frisco which of course would be a major undertaking. As of this writing some of the rolling stock from The Museum of the American Railroad has been relocated to Frisco. Work has been ongoing and when it's completed it will be one of the finest historic railroad displays in the country.


Both the Shawnee Trail site with it's bronze sculptures and the Frisco Heritage Museum with it's 18,000 foot display area are fun low cost ways to learn about how the town of Frisco Texas was established and named.

(Article and photos copyright 2013 Western Trips)



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Panhandle Plains

The Texas Panhandle is so named because it is an area at the top of Texas, northwest Texas to be precise, which in a large way resembles the handle of a pan. This is an area of Texas very much rich in history which today has an economy consisting of agriculture and petroleum.

Panhandle Plains Historical Museum

The largest city in the Texas Panhandle is Amarillo although it's not the oldest. The area's history is steeped in the ranching industry and was the home to perhaps one of the most, if not THE most, historically significant ranch in all of Texas, the XIT.

Western Trips traveled to the Texas Panhandle and had the opportunity to visit one of Texas' most magnificent museums regarding the Panhandle.

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum located at 2503 4th Avenue in Canyon, Texas is also on the campus of West Texas A & M University. This is a museum that opened in 1933 as a 12,500 square foot facility. In 1968 the museum doubled it's size and today it's the largest historical museum in Texas.

Canyon Texas is located about twenty miles south of Amarillo along Interstate 27. Canyon is also just twelve miles west of popular and historic Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro Canyon is well known as the site of the JA Ranch which was owned by Charles Goodnight and John Adair. The ranch is still owned by Adair's heirs. The JA Ranch was established in 1877.

Remington 1861 Army Revolver

The Museum Collection

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum exhibits their collection on two floors. There is also a third floor research center that is open to the public with museum admission during normal operating hours. This research center stores historical records, manuscripts, maps and photographs. Another interesting exhibit is the T Anchor Ranch House. This is a ranch house constructed during the 1870's and moved to the museum site in 1975. You'll find this ranch house on the east lawn outside the museum.

The museum offers thirteen permanent exhibits which cover art, paleontology, archeology, weapons, agriculture, petroleum, transportation, geology and much more.In essence, the museum exhibits everything pertaining to the Texas Panhandle and Plains. 

Panhandle Plains Pioneer Town

One very interesting permanent exhibit we found is the Pioneer Town. This is a replica of an old Texas Panhandle town which includes everything from adobe casitas, a jail, a bank, a church and more. The construction was the result of extensive research to make certain all structures were authentic replicas. The turn of the century era replicated covered the period 1890 to 1910.

Pioneer Town Western Union Office

Rare 1800's Weapons

Among the 1800's firearms exhibits at the museum is a Remington 1861 Army Revolver. This particular revolver was a percussion model commonly referred to as "cap and ball". This revolver came out just after the 1860 Army Colt and both this Remington and the 1860 Colt were popular during the Civil War years. Some have said that the Remington had a bit more accuracy than the Colt and records indicate that more Remingtons were purchased during the war than Colts. Remington produced two versions of this model revolver. The second version improvements came about simply from war experience. The first was called the Old Model and the new version the New Model. Not real creative but pretty simple to understand. 

Both Remington models were built with an eight inch barrel, a six shot cylinder and fired .44 caliber cartridges.The total length of the Remington 1861 Army Revolver was fourteen inches.

A 1903 Ford

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum helps tell the story of the Texas Panhandle region at the turn of the twentieth century with a very rare car indeed. The museum displays a 1903 Ford Model A. Many remember the Ford Model A coming out in the late 1920's replacing the long popular Model T.  Henry Ford however actually did build his first Model A before his Model T and the museum is quite fortunate to have this vehicle on display. 

1903 Ford Model A

When you first look at the automobile it has the design characteristics of a carriage. This was true with many very early automobiles if for no other reason the cars (horseless carriages) were often built by carriage companies. When you view this 1903 Ford it looks very much like a carriage minus the horses.

Below is a link to our AutoMuseumOnline site and the photo story about the 1903 Ford Model A.

1903 Ford Model A

 
The Chuckwagon

If you're going to explore the days of the big cattle ranches in the Texas Panhandle you'll no doubt come to learn about the all important chuckwagon. Just as important to the cattle drive as the trail boss and drovers was the chuckwagon. 

See our Western Trips photo article on the Goodnight Ranch House in the Texas Panhandle. 

The Goodnight Ranch House in Goodnight Texas

Many historians credit the Texas rancher Charles Goodnight, often referred to as the Father of the Texas Panhandle, with inventing the chuckwagon. Goodnight reportedly employed the chuckwagon on his first cattle drives running from west Texas into New Mexico and then north to Colorado. This was the famous Goodnight-Loving Trail. 

Texas Panhandle railroad brochures

C.H. Guenther and San Antonio's Pioneer Flour Mill

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum has a very interesting and authentic chuckwagon exhibit. You might notice the sacks of flour in the wagon. These are from the Pioneer Flour Mills in San Antonio Texas which was founded by a German immigrant named Carl Hilmar Guenther. After first settling in Fredericksburg Texas, Guenther moved to nearby San Antonio and founded Pioneer Flour in 1859. By the time of the cattle drive chuckwagons, Pioneer Flour had been in business for many years. 

The Pioneer Flour Mill operates to this day and is a popular tourist attraction in San Antonio. Visitors today can explore the original Guenther family home which was built in 1860. The restored home contains the River Mill Store, conference rooms, a museum with period furnishings, and an excellent restaurant. If you do have an opportunity to visit the Guenther House you would be wise to plan having a meal at this unique restaurant.

Below is our link to the Western Trips photo article of the Guenther House in San Antonio Texas.

A Visit to the Historic Guenther House

 Glenwood Antique Stove

Another interesting exhibit in the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum collection is an antique Glenwood Stove. This cast iron stove was a necessity for real frontier civilization. The Glenwood Stove and Range Company was located in Taunton Massachusetts and advertised their stoves and ranges for both cottages and mansions. The company's stoves and ranges came in so many styles and sizes that there would be one to fit any size kitchen. The company had huge furnaces smelted pig iron at temperatures of 2,600 degrees.

All of the stove manufacturers of the era made stoves that would not only do the job but they built them attractively as well. Manufacturers sold their stoves by a variety of means. Mail order catalogues, department stores, general stores were all used to distribute the stoves.

Glenwood Stove exhibit

Visiting the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum

The museum is located in Canyon Texas at 2503 4th Avenue. If you're traveling along Interstate 40 in Amarillo, you'll want to take Interstate 27 southbound for about twenty miles take exit 110. Go south on U.S. Hwy 60/87 which turns into 23rd Street and take it to the center of Canyon. Make a left on Fourth Street and the museum is two blocks on your left.

If you plan on visiting the museum you'll want to couple it with a visit to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The park is only twelve miles east of the museum and makes a great Texas Panhandle companion trip. 

(Photos from author's private collection)





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