Comanchero Trail
Littlefield, Lamb County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of several routes used by traders dealing with Indians, primarily Comanches (hence name). Weapons, whiskey and trade goods were swapped for stolen Texas cattle, horses and captives. Pursuit apparently began in the 1760s when Mexican hunters ventured out on "Staked Plains" (Indian domain) to hunt buffalo for New Mexico meat markets. Early explorers Zebulon Pike (1807), Josiah Gregg (1830) and Capt. R.B. Marcy (1848) told of finding Comanchero campsites and wagon trails on the plains. The Comancheros ceased to operate in the mid-1870s. (1970)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Across the Llano Estacado ran one of several routes where New Mexican traders — the Comancheros — met the Comanches to barter weapons, whiskey, and goods for cattle, horses, and captives taken in Texas raids. The traffic reached back to the 1760s, when Mexican hunters first ventured onto the 'Staked Plains' after buffalo, and explorers from Zebulon Pike to Randolph Marcy later found the traders' campsites and wagon ruts. The trade finally ended in the mid-1870s as the Comanches' power on the plains was broken.
Why it matters
The Comanchero trade is a vivid reminder that for more than a century the Southern Plains were governed by Indigenous power and a borderland economy that operated well beyond any national government's reach.
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Related people
- · Zebulon Pike
- · Josiah Gregg
- · R.B. Marcy
Related events
- · End of the Comanchero trade, mid-1870s
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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