The cattle that were driven up the
trail served several purposes,
and not all purposes were
benevolent. They meant profit and
opportunity, but also geared up
the movement to rid the West of
the buffalo and therefore drive the
Indian to extinction.
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Sourdough biscuits
were staples of the
chuck wagon. So if you
want to try to make your
own the way the
cowboys did, feel free
to try this recipe.
You'll need to make
your own yeast first.
This is called the
"starter."
1. Boil 2 medium
potatoes, cut up, in 3
cups of water until
tender - or boil the
skins of 4 medium
potatoes.
2. Take out the
potatoes and drain off
about a cup of water.
3. In a mason jar, mix
the remaining potato
water with 2 cups of
flour and 2
tablespoons of sugar.
Cover the jar with a lid
or cloth, then keep in a
warm place.
4. Ferment for about 2
days, stirring daily and
praying for bubbles in
the mixture (that'll tell
you that the yeast is
living)
5. Keep the jar for as
long as you want, but
once a week add 2
cups of flour and 2
cups of water,
otherwise the yeast will
die. Also, always keep
a cup of mixture in the
jar, or you won't have
any yeast left.
To make the biscuits:
1. Combine half a cup
of starter with 1 cup of
milk in a glass bowl,
then let it sit overnight.
2. Add 1 tsp of baking
powder, 3/4 tsp of salt,
1/4 tsp of baking soda,
½ cup of flour. Stir it
lightly, then knead it.
Don't knead it too
much, or the biscuits
will be tough. Just
enough to make a
sturdy lump.
3. Pinch some dough
off or roll it (not too thin)
and cut out rounds with
a jelly glass. Grease a
pan and put the
biscuits close together
in a 350 degree oven
until they become a
light golden brown.
4. They should be flaky
and light, or you did
something wrong. Just
don't blame the recipe!
Abilene, Kansas
The Chisholm Trail can be retraced on US Highway 81. The original trail runs a mile or five west
of the road, and large swaths of land, cut by the hooves of the longhorn, can still be seen in
several parts of Oklahoma. We'll start in Fort Worth, where the feeder trails merged to form
one big push into Indian Territory. The longest feeder trail extended into Brownsville at the delta
of the Rio Grande.
Texas Sites
FORT WORTH: Fort Worth is truly a showplace for southwestern culture, yet it still proudly
holds onto its cow town reputation. The Stockyards, north of downtown, holds daily cattle
drives complete with official longhorns and cowboys. Although used during the Chisholm Trail
days as a hold over for the cattle before the journey northward, the Stockyards are now a
remnant of a later past, when the Armour and Swift processing plants were in high gear. The
holding pens, some converted into shops, are still in good condition; the excursion train
Tarantula takes tourists to Grapevine for a stroll; and a cool museum is housed in the
Exchange Building. The area is pretty touristy, and many foreign visitors
come to get an authentic feel for the Wild West. The stockyards also host the Chisholm Trail
Roundup in June. In downtown, make sure to visit Sundance Square, with its grand mural of the
Chisholm Trail - this was once known as Hell's Half Acre, where the cowboys would let loose
one last time before heading north. For more information, visit fortworth.com or call the
Convention and Visitor's Bureau at 800-433-5747.
DECATUR: A charming city where patron and rancher Waggoner left his indelible mark. The
Baptist College building (oldest junior college in the nation) is now the Wise County Heritage
Museum. A very interesting Tourist Camp dating from the 1920s lies on Business 81. Call the
Chamber of Commerce at 940-627-3107 or visit decaturtx.org for more information.
RED RIVER STATION: This is where the cattle crossed the Red River into Indian Territory. There
used to be a saloon and a blacksmith shop - now there's nothing save for a historical marker.
The crossing is located on private land, but is accessible from Red River Station Road off of FM
2849. The river isn't visible from the site anymore, thanks to shifting sandbanks - but when it
was there, thousands of cattle crossed at one time, allowing a (fearless) cowboy to walk on
the backs of the cattle and never get his feet wet.
SPANISH FORT: On FM 103, north of US 82. A few miles to the east from Red River Station,
Spanish Fort, now a ghost town, was once a bustling place where cowboys could rest up, buy
supplies, and even have their boots mended by H.J. Justin.
Oklahoma Sites
FLEETWOOD: About 5 miles down Main Street in Terral on US 8. This town was established a
few years after the first crossing, where a trading post was set up. It was the first place of
reference in Indian Territory before the long, isolated walk ahead. The old store has been
replaced by a newer structure, which is now abandoned.
WAURIKA: Right off US 81 and US 70 you'll find the Chisholm Trail Museum, an interpretive
museum with some original artifacts. It's opened only on weekends from 10a-4p, and is closed
the first Sunday of the month and on any holiday that falls on a weekend. Call the Chamber of
Commerce at 580-228-2081 to find out more.
ADDINGTON: Check out the mural on the side of a downtown building. On Eva Road (north of
downtown, turn east), Monument Hill beckons. This is the largest hill for miles around, and
served as a camp site and look out for cowboys on the trail. The monument, carved from
beautiful red granite, tells the history of the trail on the four sides of its base. The grave of trail
driver Tom Latimore (died 1944) lies in the southeast corner. Standing on this hill, overlooking
the vast Plains on all sides, one can truly visualize the immense undertaking of the Chisholm
Trail.
DUNCAN: This city is very proud of its Chisholm Trail heritage. In April - May it hosts Chisholm
Trail Days and Rodeo, and the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center (1000 N 29th Street), a
state-of-the-art interpretive center, is open daily. It is also home to the On the Chisholm Trail
Association and a world class statue by Paul Moore showing a cattle drive. Also visit Stephens
County Museum on US 81. Downtown commemorates several of its great citizens, including
actor/ director Ron Howard (Opie!) Contact the Duncan Convention and Tourism Bureau at
800-782-7167 or duncanok.org.
EL RENO: On US 81 and historic US 66, northwest of Oklahoma City. Visit the Canadian County
Museum in the train depot. This is also close to the site where Jesse Chisholm is buried. His
grave is located near the northern county line by Greenfield and Geary (take I 40 west to US
270/281 north). His tombstone reads, "No one left his home cold or hungry." The Chamber of
Commerce can tell you more. Call 405-262-1188.
KINGFISHER: This town is very proud of its Chisholm Trail heritage. The Chisholm Trail Museum
is located directly on the trail and displays many everyday cowboy artifacts. Visit the open-air
museum, a tribute to homesteading, and also see the Seay Mansion, home of the 2nd territorial
governor. Call Chamber of Commerce at 405-375-4445.
DOVER: Little Dover used to be the Red Fort Station, a shipping point for cattle on the trail.
ENID: Enid was voted one of the best cities in America to live. It definitely is one of Oklahoma's
most history-minded towns. The Humphrey Heritage Village depicts life during the land rush. In
nearby Aline (US 60/412 west to OK 8/58 south) the only sod house left in the Southwest is on
display. The Cherokee Strip Museum focuses on the land rush. The Chamber of Commerce can
direct you at either enidchamber.com or 580-237-2494.
JEFFERSON: Visit the Medford Homesteader Monument by the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River.
Kansas Sites
CALDWELL: You'll see silouhettes of cowboys and longhorn as soon as you enter into Kansas -
check them out as you read the historical marker. This small town was called the "Border
Queen" and was the first piece of American civilization that the cowboys encountered in the
early years. Later, Caldwell was a rail stop. The city hosts a Chisholm Trail Festival in early May.
Call the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 845-6666 or visit caldwellkansas.com.
WICHITA: Apart from Fort Worth, Wichita's the biggest city on the trail and has tons to offer for
its visitors. The city has collected its Chisholm Trail memories in the Old Cowtown Museum, an
open air museum depicting life during the cattle drives. Call the Tourist Bureau at 800-288-9424
or go to visitwichita.com for more information.
ABILENE: Yahoo! We made it! Abilene is proud that it was "final destination" of the Chisholm
Trail. There's a Chisholm Trail Festival and the Old Abilene Town and Museum, complete with
entertaining gun fights. President Eisenhower and his family are buried on the grounds of his
house, which is open for tours. Call the Visitor's Bureau at 800-569-5915 or go to
abileneks.com.
I waded through tons of
reading material to bring you
the most accurate
information possible about
the Chisholm Trail.
I found discrepancies
regarding the actual time
span of the Chisholm Trail,
the number of cattle that
crossed the Red River
(anywhere from 260,00 to
one million have been
estimated), and the
authentic towns on the route.
You'll notice that many of the
original sites are now only
ghost towns, and some
don't even have enough
artifacts left to be called
ghost towns. A lot of the trail
is paved over, plowed over,
planted with trees - but in
certain spots the deep
grooves left by the cattle are
still visible, and seeing them
can give chills to a history
nut. Here are the books
that I've read and
recommend:
The Chisholm Trail by
Wayne Gard. This is the
most authoritative book
about the trail, with
historical anecdotes and
written in a very easy style.
Jesse Chisholm: Trail
Blazer, Sam Houston's
Trouble-Shooter Friend, Kin
to the Cherokee by Ralph B.
Cushman. This biography
focuses on Chisholm's
career as a peacemaker
between the Comanche and
the US.
Storm & Stampede on the
Chisholm Trail by Hubert E.
Collins; Warpath & Cattle
Trail by Hubert E. Collins,
William W. Savage, and
James H. Lazalier (newer
edition of Storm &
Stampede). This book is a
collection of memories by
the author about ranching
days in Oklahoma.
Chisholm Trail and Other
Routes by T.U. Taylor.
Published in 1936, this is
one of the earliest accounts
of the trail.
The Chisholm Trail: High
Road of the Cattle Kingdom
by Don Worcester. A good
essay published for the Fort
Worth Historical Society.
A Bride on the Old Chisholm
Trail in 1886 by Mary Taylor
Bunton. Memories of a Wild
West pioneer, published in
1939.
Traveling History: Driving Up the Chisholm Trail, coming soon!
