Chisholm Trail monument -- Central Area Texas Museum, Salado TX
N 30° 56.524 W 097° 32.242
14R E 639724 N 3424098
A 1986 Chisholm Trail monument installed at the Central Texas Area Museum in downtown Salado.
Waymark Code: WMXM7T
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/28/2018
Views: 4
The Central Texas Area Museum is also the home of the Salado Historical Society. This Chisholm Trail monument is at the front entrance to the Museum at 423 S Main Street in downtown Salado. The museum building dates from the 1860s, so it was in existence when the cattle were oved through ton on the Chisholm Trail
The Texas Historical Commission has posted a PDF of the tourism brochure on traveling the Chisholm Trail through Texas: (
visit link)
"In the decades following the Civil War, more than 6 million cattle—up to 10 million by some accounts—were herded out of Texas in one of the greatest migrations of animals ever known. These 19th-century cattle drives laid the foundation for Texas’ wildly successful cattle industry and helped elevate the state out of post-Civil War despair and poverty. Today, our search for an American identity often leads us back to the vision of the rugged and independent men and women of the cattle drive era.
Although a number of cattle drive routes existed during this period,none captured the popular imagination like the one we know today as the Chisholm Trail. Through songs, stories, and mythical tales, the Chisholm Trail has become a vital feature of American identity.
. . .
30. Salado
The limestone springs and abundant fish in Salado made the area a popular site for American Indians, explorers, settlers, and cattle drovers. Herds pushed through the heart of town and crossed Salado Creek at the springs near the present city bridge. The nearby Stagecoach Inn was founded in 1861 as the Shady Villa Hotel, and is said to have counted among its guests famous cattleman Shanghai Pearce, as well as Generals George Custer and Robert E. Lee. Nearby, the Chisholm Trail passed by the 1866 home of pioneer and area physician Wellborn Barton. Also a National Register-listed property, it now houses a restaurant."