Chisholm Trail - Duncan, Oklahoma
N 34° 30.540 W 097° 58.050
14S E 594778 N 3819079
Since US 81 generally follows the track of the Chisholm Trail through Oklahoma, it is only appropriate that a historical marker about the trail be placed next to the highway in Duncan's Memorial Park.
Waymark Code: WMHVYE
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 08/17/2013
Views: 8
The top portion of the marker consists of a map of Oklahoma marking the trail's route. Note that in the middle of the state, the trail splits in two. The wagons took an easier Canadian River crossing and took the western leg of the trail through Yukon; the cattle followed the eastern track through El Reno.
The bottom portion of the marker tells the trail's story, although it must be pointed out that modern scholarship has changed part of that story:
"CHISHOLM TRAIL
Two miles east of this point ran the Chisholm Trail named
for Jesse Chisholm, an Oklahoma part-Cherokee trader.
Soon after close of Civil War, Chisholm laid out a trail
with his freight wagons extending from the Arkansas River
Valley in Kansas to the North Canadian River Valley in
Oklahoma.
When Texas drovers headed their long-horned cattle
toward the nearest railroad at Abilene, Kansas in 1867, this
trace was the only well defined part of the route. As a
result the entire trail from South Texas to Northeast
Kansas became known as the "Chisholm."
In the vicinity of this marker, William Duncan
constructed his store where cowboys on the trail stopped
to trade and where the city of Duncan was later built.
Probably the first commercial dairy in Western
Oklahoma was established near here by Thomas Fitzpatrick
soon after the trail was opened. He secured cows from trail
herds and sold milk to drovers and the military at newly
established Fort Sill."
Oklahoma Historical Society seal
"Erected 1967"
Interesting facts not set out on the marker:
1. The trail was actually called Jesse Chisholm's Trail during his life. It got its modern moniker only after his death.
2. According to numerous sources, Jesse Chisholm never actually drove any cattle on the trail named for him! In fact, he died only a year after the first big cattle drive along "his" trail. As the marker states, he waI the marker states, the trail got its name because the cattle followed a trail which had been laid out by his wagons.
3. Modern scholars, except for those in Texas, tend to agree that the trail itself did not extend into Texas. It started at a location just across the Red River, south of Altus, Oklahoma. Texas was criss-crossed by dozens of feeder trails which all met at that spot for the river crossing.
County: Stephens
Record Address::
Memorial Park
North of W. Beech Ave. on W. side of US 81
Duncan, Oklahoma USA
73533
Web site if available: [Web Link]
Rate the Site: 
Date Erected: 1967
Sponsor (Who put it there): Oklahoma Historical Society
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Visit Instructions:1 - Must visit the site in person.
2 - New Photo required.
3 - Give some new insight to the marker/site.