Scyene Road, Old
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Once a buffalo trail, Scyene Road was one of the earliest roads in Dallas County. It linked the community of Scyene with Dallas, one day's journey by wagon to the west, and with Jefferson and Shreveport to the east. Named for a town in ancient Egypt, Scyene was settled in the 1840s and 1850s. During the 1870s, Belle Starr and other outlaws, including Jesse James, lived here and traveled this road. A thriving town with a post office, stores, school, and churches, Scyene declined after it was bypassed by the Texas & Pacific Railroad in 1872.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Beginning as a buffalo trail, Scyene Road became one of the earliest roads in Dallas County, linking the town of Scyene with Dallas — a full day's wagon journey west — and reaching east toward Jefferson and Shreveport. Settled in the 1840s and 1850s and named for a town in ancient Egypt, Scyene reportedly sheltered outlaws such as Belle Starr and Jesse James along this route in the 1870s. Once a thriving town with a post office, stores, school, and churches, Scyene declined after the Texas & Pacific Railroad bypassed it in 1872.
Why it matters
The old road traces the evolution of Texas travel from bison path to settlers' wagon route, and its town's fate underscores how railroads redirected commerce and left bypassed communities behind.
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Related people
- · Belle Starr
- · Jesse James
Themes & tags
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