HistoricSiteMarkers
Reconstruction & Gilded Age

Site of Early Cattle Trail

Blum, Hill County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Often called Chisholm Trail, since it connected with that famous route lying to the north. At Kimball Crossing (1.3 mi. SW) this trail entered Hill County. Drovers rested and reshod horses at Towash and Fort Graham, and then forded the Nolan River into Johnson County. (1967)

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

This trail, often called the Chisholm Trail because it fed into that famous route to the north, entered Hill County at Kimball Crossing. Drovers pushing cattle up from South Texas rested and reshod their horses at Towash and Fort Graham before fording the Nolan River into Johnson County. It was one strand in the great web of cattle trails that carried Texas beef to distant railheads.

Why it matters

The post-Civil War cattle drives were a defining chapter of the American West, and trails like this one turned Texas longhorns into a national industry.

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Related events

  • Β· Chisholm Trail cattle drives

Themes & tags

Westward ExpansionTransportationFrontier HistoryLandmark

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