The Chisholm Trail (/ˈt͡ʃɪzəm/ CHIZ-əm) was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in southern Texas, crossed the Red River into Indian Territory, and ended at Kansas rail stops.

Chisholm Trail, 19th-century cattle drovers’ trail in the western United States. Although its exact route is uncertain, it originated south of San Antonio, Texas, ran north across Oklahoma, and ended at Abilene, Kansas.

Nov 24, 2018 · The name “Chisholm Trail,” though applied periodically to other routes, is most commonly associated with a trail leading from around San Antonio north through Austin, Waco and Fort Worth before crossing the Red River at Red River Station in Montague County, then roughly paralleling present-day U.S. Highway 81 through Oklahoma and onward to ...

Jan 2, 2020 · The Chisholm Trail was the major route out of Texas for livestock. Although it was used only from 1867 to 1884, the longhorn cattle driven north along it provided a steady source of income that helped the impoverished state recover from the Civil War.

In the late 19th century, the Chisholm Trail became the main route of driving cattle northward from Texas to the railheads in Kansas. The trail was first marked by Jesse Chisholm in 1864 when he blazed the path for his wagons hauling supplies to his trading posts — one southwest of present-day Oklahoma City and the other in Wichita , Kansas.

Jan 4, 2025 · Experience the Wild West from the comfort of your own home! Trail Talks are free to attend and cover a wide range of topics related to the Chisholm Trail. Available on Facebook Live and Zoom.

Mar 28, 2017 · Learn more about the trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle from ranches in central Texas to Kansas railheads.

Jun 27, 2016 · The Chisholm Trail was a series of trails that led from ranches around San Antonio, Texas, crossing the Red River though current-day Oklahoma to the expanding Kansas railheads of Abilene, Ellsworth, and Dodge City.

From 1883 to 1887 herds headed up the trail to Caldwell, Kansas, making it the last great cow town on the trail. The Chisholm Trail crossed from Texas over into Indian Territory at Red River Station, near present Ringgold, Texas, heading north.

The historic Chisholm Trail is the best-known of the great cattle trails and had a great influence on both Texas’ cowboy image and its post-Civil War economic revival. Underscoring the Trail’s significance, historian Wayne Gard claimed the Chisholm Trail “carried what was the greatest migration of domestic animals in world history.”