Trammel's Trace
Jefferson, Marion County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Traces began as foot paths used by the Indians to mark their trails through wilderness areas. They later were used by surveyors in mapping early land grants. In 1824 Nicholas Trammel (1780-1852), a government scout, began opening up the trace that now bears his name. Trammel's Trace was, for many years, an important route of immigration into Texas. Approximately 180 miles long, it began at Fulton, Arkansas, and continued to Nacogdoches, Texas. Trammel's Trace entered Marion County on its northern boundary and left the county about 3.5 miles south of Jefferson. (1984)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Trammel's Trace began, like many Texas roads, as a Native American footpath before surveyors and travelers put it to new use. In 1824 government scout Nicholas Trammel began opening the roughly 180-mile route from Fulton, Arkansas, to Nacogdoches, Texas, and for years it carried settlers streaming into the young region. It crossed Marion County from its northern boundary to a point a few miles south of Jefferson.
Why it matters
As a principal artery of immigration into early Texas, Trammel's Trace helped channel the wave of settlement that transformed the region before and after independence.
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Related people
- · Nicholas Trammel
Themes & tags
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