Site of Western Cattle Trail
Abilene, Taylor County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The main route -1876 to 1887- for several hundred thousand longhorns driven north to stock ranches and Indian reservations and to supply beef market. Was also called Dodge City Trail, for its main terminus; or Fort Griffin Trail, for the site where feeder trails joined. This major branch began in South Texas, passed the western outskirts of Abilene, and from here moved northeast to Fort Griffin. An alternate route ran to the Red River, then to Kansas. Use of the trail ceased after fenced ranges blocked route, and Texas & Pacific Railway arrived. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
From 1876 to 1887 the Western Cattle Trail—also called the Dodge City or Fort Griffin Trail—carried several hundred thousand longhorns north out of South Texas to stock northern ranches, supply Indian reservations, and feed distant beef markets. This branch skirted the western edge of Abilene before turning toward Fort Griffin, where feeder trails converged. The great drives ended when barbed-wire fences closed the open range and the Texas & Pacific Railway made the long walk obsolete.
Why it matters
The cattle trails were the sinew of the post–Civil War West, moving Texas herds to a hungry nation and shaping the enduring American myth of the cowboy before railroads and fences ended the era.
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Related events
- · Western Cattle Trail cattle drives
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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