Chisholm Trail

CHISHOLM TRAIL

CHISHOLM TRAIL, a cattle trail leading north from Texas, across Oklahoma, to Abilene, Kansas. The southern extension of the Chisholm Trail originated near San Antonio, Texas. From there it ran north and a little east to the Red River, which it crossed a few miles from present-day Ringgold, Texas. It continued north across Oklahoma to Caldwell, Kansas. From Caldwell it ran north and a little east past Wichita to Abilene, Kansas. At the close of the Civil War, the low price of cattle in Texas and the much higher prices in the North and East encouraged many Texas ranchmen to drive large herds north to market. In 1867 the establishment of a cattle depot and shipping point at Abilene, Kansas, brought many herds there for shipping to market over the southern branch of the Union Pacific Railway. Many of these cattle traveled over the Chisholm Trail, which quickly became the most popular route for driving cattle north from Texas.

After 1871, the Chisholm Trail decreased in significance as Abilene lost its preeminence as a shipping point for Texas cattle. Instead, Dodge City, Kansas, became the chief shipping point, and another trail farther west gained paramount importance. In 1880, however, the extension of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway to Caldwell, Kansas, again made the Chisholm Trail a vital route for driving Texas cattle to the North. It retained this position until the building of additional trunk lines of railway south into Texas caused rail shipments to replace trail driving in bringing Texas cattle north to market.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slatta, Richard W. Cowboys of the Americas. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1990.

Worcester, Donald Emmet. The Chisholm Trail: High Road of the Cattle Kingdom. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1980.

Edward Everett Dale / a. e.

See also Cattle Drives ; Cow Towns ; Cowboys ; Trail Drivers .