Moorcroft Texas Trail - Moorcroft, WY
N 44° 16.541 W 104° 58.409
13T E 502116 N 4902493
This historical marker is located in the rest area off I-90 at the Moorcroft exit. It describes the history of the Moorcroft Texas Trail
Waymark Code: WMHJ7D
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2013
Views: 6
The marker reads:
"Moorcroft Texas Trail
After the Civil War the rise of large cities in the industrial North created a demand for beef, giving an impetus to Texas cattle drives. Herds of Texas cattle were driven north to marketing points in eastern Nebraska, but settlement by homesteaders, barbed wire and the scourge of Texas fever forced the trail further west each year. The first herds were driven over pathless ground, but as herd followed herd, trails were made, named and nameless. The identity of many trails merged with others as numerous herds in search of feed made new trails or crossed the old until they were embraced in the all-inclusive title of "The Texas Trail". In some places the trail was over 20 miles wide with various branches. It entered Wyoming from the southeast corner near Pine Bluffs and continued north along the eastern border of the state, ending near Miles City, Montana. Thousands of cattle followed this road between 1866 and 1897. It was the last of the great cattle trails.
Outfits of between 9 to 11 men worked the Texas Trail. Water was a concern. The day's drive was planned so an evening's layover meant a water hole or a river. Each drive was approximately 10 to 15 miles long, depending on where water was located. For about 30 years, the trail saw about half a million head of cattle pour out of Texas sweeping into northern states and territories.
Moorcroft, where the Texas Trail crosses the Belle Fourche River, was the nation's largest shipping point for cattle and sheep from 1880 to 1890. In 1894, 32 trail herds hoofed it through Moorcroft's streets. They totaled more than 4,000 head and were strung out two miles long and half a mile wide. Recognizing the advantages of the trail as a business location, Jake Kaufman opened a saloon in Moorcroft. For a long time it was a stopping point for all who passed along the Texas Trail."
Marker Name: Moorcroft Texas Trail
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Addtional Information: Not listed
Group Responsible for Placement: Not listed
Date Dedicated: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
Web link(s) for additional information: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Wyoming history please include that in your log.