|
 Chisholm Trail - Duncan, Oklahoma
N 34° 30.540 W 097° 58.050
14S E 594778 N 3819079
US 81 essentially follows the route of the Chisholm Trail through Oklahoma, so it's only natural that a large monument was dedicated in 1967 along US 81 in central Duncan.
Waymark Code: WMHVTB
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 08/17/2013
Views: 8
Things you thought you knew, but didn't, about the Chisholm Trail:
1. The name of the trail when it was in use was Jesse Chisholm's Trail. It did not get its modern moniker until after it had stopped being used.
2. Jesse Chisholm was half Cherokee Indian who travelled the American Southwest as scout, businessman, and liaison between the Republic of Texas, the Native American, and the US government, well before anyone had even thought of the trail which bears his name. He was not, however, a cowboy or rancher. In fact, he never herded cattle along the trail and died the year after the major cattle drives started on the trail which came to bear his name. He was primarily in the business of shipping dry goods to and from Oklahoma Territory. The trail bears his name because it was the one followed by his supply wagons.
3. There is little question that the trail ran into southern Kansas where it joined up with the rail yards. From there, trains took the cattle for butchering in the East. There is, however, a major bone of contention as to whether the trail actually ran into Texas. Modern scholarship, much to Texas' chagrin, tends to say that the map on the monument is correct and the verbiage is incorrect: the trail actually started just before it crossed the Red River. It did not actually exist as one trail deeper into Texas, but simply consisted of a number of feeder trails.
4. In central Oklahoma, the trail split in two. This can be seen if you enlarge the photo with the map. The wagons took the easier Canadian River crossing and went through El Reno; the cattle went through Yukon.
The information contained here was gleaned from the websites listed below.
Road of Trail Name: Jesse Chisholm's Trail (historic name); Chisholm Trail (modern name)
State: Oklahoma
County: Stephens
Historical Significance:
The trail was used by wagons to supply Jesse Chisholm's store near Duncan in the early days of Oklahoma Territory. Later, it was used to herd cattle which had been collected into large herds just south of the Red River, north to the rail yards in southern and central Kansas.
Years in use: roughly 2 decades after the Civil War.
How you discovered it:
Having lived in Oklahoma since 1974 and travelling extensively in the western parts of the State during that time, you almost can't avoid the trail. Signs of it & references to it are everywhere along the US 81 corridor.
Book on Wagon Road or Trial:
The Chisholm Trail by Wayne Gard: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080611536X/ref=nosim/thechisholmtr-20
Jesse Chisholm by Ralph B. Cushman: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0890158266/ref=nosim/thechisholmtr-20
Jesse Chisholm by Stan Hoig: http://books.google.com/books/about/Jesse_Chisholm_Ambassador_of_the_Plains.html?id=2NJ5AAAAMAAJ
Website Explination:
There are numerous such sites, but the best and most informative one is: http://www.thechisholmtrail.com/ .
The official Oklahoma historical Society page can be found at: http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/c/ch045.html .
Why?:
After the Civil War, for a number of reasons, the Texas cattle ranchers could no longer herd their cattle into Indian Territory (eastern Oklahoma), Arkansas, and Missouri. Yet the cattle still had to get to the Eastern stockyards. Western Oklahoma (Oklahoma Territory) was much more undeveloped, still being a land of mostly open prairie which was patrolled by the cavalry outposts at Ft. Sill and Ft. Reno. There were a few wagon trails into the area, mainly to help supply the two forts. It was only natural that when the cattle started to cross this part of modern-day Oklahoma to get to the Kansas rail yards, they started following the wagon trails.
It was never used as a stage road.
Directions:
The monument is located in the southern half of Memorial Park on the West side of US 81 in central Duncan.
|
Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this Waymark the poster must have a picture of either themselves, GPSr, or mascot. People in the picture with information about the waymark are preferred. If the waymarker can not be in the picture a picture of their GPSr or mascot will qualify. There are no exceptions to this rule.
|