“It is my great privilege to announce the newest inductees into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Since 2002, we have proudly celebrated the enduring legacy of the cowboy. This year, we are honored to induct five remarkable men of the American West, whose contributions to the rich western heritage of Kansas are truly immeasurable,” said Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame Chairman T. Kim Goodnight. “Congratulations to each of our inductees, as well as to the family of Toby Keith. Your dedication to preserving and celebrating the history of the American cowboy is highly commendable.”
The purpose of the Western Cattle Trail Association Website is to share with others the fascinating history of cattle driving from Texas to points north that helped build America. This short-lived endeavor of cow outfits driving herds of longhorns to a market or range, stopping along the way near cattle towns and road ranches, encompasses the Old West in its purest form. The American cowboy icon was born and recognized worldwide in this brief fifty-year span. The task of pushing Texas cattle to a northern destination ended in 1897,
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Directly northwest of May, Oklahoma, the route crossed the Beaver River (North Canadian River), fording on the sand bar at the mouth of Clear Creek. It then passed near present Laverne and Rosston; it crossed the border into Kansas just east of the Cimarron River and then crossed that stream at Deep Hole Crossing.
Here the drovers could visit the Long Horn Round-Up Saloon or the Dead Fall Saloon. Finally, the trail veered slightly eastward from the Cimarron to cross the Arkansas River at Dodge City. The final section followed the Arkansas River westward to the stock pens at the railhead on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. During the 1880s, the drives frequently passed by Dodge City, heading to Ogallala, Nebraska, and Wyoming. In addition, some herds traveled to Canada. However, most of the more than two million longhorns that traveled up the Western Trail were shipped out of Dodge City. The route remained busy until 1891, when traffic fell drastically. In 1894 John Blocker drove his herd from West Texas to South Dakota on the Western Trail, its last recorded use. |