Great Western Trail - Bandera Pass - Bandera, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member QuesterMark
N 29° 51.546 W 099° 06.348
14R E 489781 N 3303177
This concrete post commemorates the fact that the Great Western Trail went through Bandera Pass.
Waymark Code: WM134EV
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/13/2020
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member cosninocanines
Views: 6
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From a sign next to the similar Great Western Trail marker in Throckmorton, Texas:

GREAT WESTERN TRAIL

The Great Western Cattle Trail began around 1876. While not as well known as the Chisholm Trail, the Great Western actually moved more longhorns, an estimated 6-7 million, to the northern markets.

The last cattle drive on the Great Western Trail was in 1894, when 9,000 head of cattle were driven to South Dakota.

The Great Western Cattle Trail was the setting for the novel and TV Show, "Lonesome Dove".

Road of Trail Name: Great Western Trail

State: Texas

County: Bandera

Historical Significance:
The Great Western Cattle Trail replaced the Chisholm Trail when that trail closed. It reached trailheads in Kansas and Nebraska and carried horses and longhorn cattle to ranches in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, and two provinces in Canada. (--from Wikipedia)

Years in use: 18

How you discovered it:
Located between two Texas Historical Markers.

Book on Wagon Road or Trial:
Mahoney, Sylvia Gann (2015). Finding the Great Western Trail (1st ed.). Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University Press. ISBN 9780896729438

Website Explination:
http://www.thegreatwesterntrail.com/

Why?:
This trail was used to move livestock from ranches in Texas up to railheads in Kansas and Nebraska from which the livestock went to meat packing plants. It was also used to move livestock up to ranches in the northwest to get those ranches going.

Directions:
Take State Highway 173 N from Bandera to Bandera Pass. The trail marker stands between two Texas Historical Markers on the west side of the highway. It's facing the highway.
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.

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Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
WayBetterFinder visited Great Western Trail - Bandera Pass - Bandera, TX 02/11/2023 WayBetterFinder visited it
WalksfarTX visited Great Western Trail - Bandera Pass - Bandera, TX 09/22/2022 WalksfarTX visited it

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