Route of Marcy Trail - Hemphill County, TX - Wagon Roads and Trails on Waymarking.com

County of marker: County of Marker: Hemphill County.
Location of Marker: US-60, 8 miles S. of Canadian
Marker Erected by: State Historical Survey Committee.
Date Marker Erected: 1969

Marker text:

Route of
MARCY TRAIL This overland route, blazed in 1849 by energetic and efficient Army Captain R.B. Marcy, was best known as part of the California Gold Trail. Starting in Oklahoma, Marcy led an expedition across the Texas Panhandle and back through central West Texas. Both of the wagon roads he laid out served the emigrant traffic.

In 1853, this section was planned as part of the route for the first transcontinental railroad in America, but the Civil War shifted sentiment to northern routes. Its importance declined after the railroad came through this county, 1887.

"For the two hundred years leading up to 1875, nomadic Indian tribes representing the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, and others roamed the Panhandle following the huge buffalo herds. In search for an alternate route to California through Santa Fe, New Mexico, Josiah Gregg (1840), and Caprain Randolph B. Marcy (1845) surveyed trails that crossed Hemphill County, following the south bank of the Canadian River." ~ Wikipedia

Road of Trail Name: Marcy Trail State: Texas County: Hemphill County Historical Significance: Randolph Marcy was commissioned by the president to make a safer and less costly route from Fort Smith to Santa Fe, more pioneers then moved west using the Southern route. Years in use: 1852 - 1878 How you discovered it: I knew a marker was here from research and I looked for it. I was on a trip through Texas Panhandle hunting THC markers Book on Wagon Road or Trial: The Texas Panhandle Frontier By Frederick W. Rathjen Texas Tech University Press Website Explination: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fma43 Why?: The Fort Smith - Santa Fe Trail and other Southern route trails through Texas New Mexico were costly and dangerous. The government ordered Marcy to find, create, a trail less dangerous and less expensive which could also accommodate troops. Directions: Easy one to find, go south out of Canadian on US 60 for 8 miles. Marker will be on your right. Pay attention because at about 7 miles US 60 & US 83 split, so bare to your right and stay with US 60

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.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/05/2022 The Snowdog visited it 12/06/2015 catspa visited it

View all visits/logs