A Problem with the Shawnee Trail?

I've been looking at histories of counties south of Dallas. Only Ellis county mentions the Shawnee Trail passing through it. So I wonder if the name "Shawnee Trail" is only used from Ellis county and northward? I know it's named for the Shawnee village that was near present-day Denison. But the way it's described as coming all the way from San Antonio and maybe even San Patricio, I was expecting to find references to it south of here.

Looks like Austin, Texas>>>Sedalia, Missouri

The best map is close to the bottom. Click for larger version.

[www.tshaonline.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2020 10:06PM by Frank.

One issue with specific references is the Shawnee like the Chisholm were not generally known by those names at the time they were in active use and the controversy as to whether the Chisholm was ever in Texas rages on. Much of what became a part of the "Feeder Trails" in Texas that led to the Chisholm in Indian Territory were earlier a part of the Shawnee Trail in Texas south of Dallas and Fort Worth.

see:

Wayne Gard, "The Chisholm Trail," University of Oklahoma Press, 1954
Wayne has quite a few references to the Shawnee Trail throughout the book. You will also find his relevant articles in the Dallas Morning News and Southwestern Historical Quarterly

Jesse Walter Williams, "Old Texas Trails." Eakin Press, 1979

Howard J Erlichman, "Camino Del Norte How a Series of Watering Holes, Fords, and Dirt Trails Evolved into Interstate 35 in Texas." Texas A & M University, 2006

Gary and Margaret Kraisinger, "The Shawnee - Arbuckle Cattle Trail 1867-1870." The Mennonite Press, Inc, 2016

Wayne Ludwig, "The Old Chisholm Trail: From Cow Path to Tourist Stop." Texas A & M University Press, 2018

Dr. Morris L. Britton, "The Red River Frontier and its Paths, Places & Posts , 1542-1861" unpublished manuscript, Red River Historical Museum, Sherman

FACEBOOK: Texas Cattle Trails History Group (Wayne Ludwig)

M C



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2020 02:49PM by M C Toyer.

I don't know anything about the Shawnee Trail, but I noticed this announcement in the Heritage Assn. of Frisco (HAF) newsletter today:

"September is traditionally the month of Shawnee Trail Cowboy Day and this year will be no different. Your HAF board is excited to bring you a free,virtual show full of fun and Frisco history."

If you're interested, it's on you to dig out the date, time, access, etc.

Hello I haven't been on this forum in many Comanche Moons.I just recently did some poking into the Shawnee trail and this is off top of the head so take with a grain of salt.
It passed thru present day Denison and I think was called the Pioneer trail and other names as well. Also used to move freight. At some point it was used as a cattle trail and maybe the most eastern route to the railheads out ofTexas. There was an Indian village where it crossed the Red River.
I also read a book that I found at a friend's thrift store
back in the 90 S the title of which is 'Out of This Rock' which I wish I still had as its out of print and maybe valuable. The author was J. Frank Dolby a famous early to mid 20th century historian who I think taught at the college level at UT and even (Oxford?) in England.
This book had stories from early Texas and one pertaining to trails in Texas was about him chatting with an old man in the 20 S about cattle drives in Texas.
He was amused that the movies portrayed these drives with what I would call dramatic license.
It is common knowledge that with all the wild longhorn
in the Lone Star State after the war which was the precursor to the herding of cattle to northern railheads so the North could have beef.
Well according to this guy trail drives in Texas began as early as the 1850s to places like Sedalia & Shreveport on the Sedalia Trail. Little off topic but this post jogged my memory. Also he had gone on these drives while very young . One if his compadres was Sol Ross who would become governor of Tex.
Randell



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2020 02:53PM by **Rocket.