Texas Road
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Texas Road was a major trade and emigrant route across Indian Territory. Established during the Mexican War by emigrants rushing to Texas, it remained and important route across Indian Territory until Oklahoma statehood.
The road stretched from Baxter Springs, Kansas in the north, across the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Nations, to Colbert's Ferry, Indian Territory in the south. There were two parts of the trail that set out from Kansas—the eastern trail which followed the Grand River to Fort Gibson, and the western trail which started in Missouri and passed through Fort Wayne before joining the other trail continuing to the Red River on the Texas border. Several stations were set up along the road where travelers could rest and refresh their horses.
Both sides of the Civil War used the road heavily to move supplies and troops. Union and Confederate forces met at the Battle of Honey Springs on the road.
An early cattle trail, the Shawnee Trail, followed the route. Later the Shawnee Trail branched further west. The first route was then called the East Shawnee Trail and the branch called the West Shawnee Trail. The western branch particularly remained the main cattle trail from Texas until the opening of the Chisholm Trail (or Abeline Trail) following the Civil War.
[edit] Sources
- Foreman, Grant. "Early Trails Through Oklahoma", Chronicles of Oklahoma 3:2 (June 1925) 99-119 (accessed August 16, 2006).
- Gard, Wayne. "Shawnee Trail". Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. (accessed August 19, 2006).
