Wondering about wild grapes

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Wondering about the Chisholm Trail.

I am wondering about the Chisholm Trail today because on this day back in 1868 the founder of that trail, Jesse Chisholm, passed away bringing an interesting time in U.S. western history to an end.  He died of food poisoning, accidental, I am sure.

Jesse Chisholm was born in Tennessee (wasn't Davy Crockett born in that state, too).  His father was Scottish and his mother was a Cherokee.  He was not a cattleman, although the trail named for him later became a major cattle trail from Texas to Kansas.

 
 Next is a map of some famous trails.  Jesse's trail is in purple.  He must have liked Texas.  Most of his trails are here in Texas.  Of course, most of the cattle where raised in Texas.
 
 Here is another map.  Pretty much showing the same thing, but I found it so I am going to post it anyway:

 There are historical markers that show some of the trial's location:
 
The main difference in the Chisholm Trails and other frontier trails is that Jesse Chisholm laid all his trails and river crossing out so that heavy trade wagons could use the trail.  Maybe now you know a little more about the Chisholm Trail and the man who blazed it, at least I sure do.  It is amazing how much I learn by just writing a blog!!  Research is part of writing a blog, at least it is for me sometimes.  Other times, I write from personal experience, and no, I am old but not old enough to personally know Jesse Chisholm.  Now you all have a great day today, you hear?

12 comments:

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    1. Thanks. I am always happy when I am walking trails.

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  2. I, too, find those trails and their history interesting. I think it's the Goodnight Trail that runs through Las Cruces, NM... I had to find out more about it. Not a cattle trail, but the Natchez Trace is one of the loveliest roads to travel on... 55 mph from Natchez clear up Nashville. And you can actually walk along it in places... gives me the shivers as I just know I'm walking in history and I can feel it!

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    1. I walked plenty of trails in western Pennsylvania when I was younger. Now, I walk them where ever I park the RV, usually state parks. I enjoyed the Davis Mountains State Park. It had nice trails. I walked some, have others to walk, hopefully, someday soon.

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  3. Speak'n of trails, there was a cattle trail from my grand pappys (William Perry Birchfield) ranches in New Mexico what led into Mexico. Pancho Villa used these trails when he came into the US for meet'ns in Deming. An' he used the train rails out of Deming to visit other cities. This was before he was considered a outlaw in the US.
    The trail run right along side my granpa's homesteads an' Pancho an' his crew would sit down for a cup of coffee an' a bite to eat. Tell a few stories an' get new shoes for his horses. I have one them shoes what hang on my wall. Could it be off'n Pancho's horse?

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    1. That would be neat to have Pancho's horse shoe!! You could donate it to a western museum, or not.

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  4. I guess you could say he was ahead of the interstate builders.

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  5. Ive read about it in lots of books. And yeah, i had seen the map too.

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    1. It is an old story and I have also heard it before.

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  6. I bet Jeese would of been plenty peeved had he lived long enough to see the railroad come into Texas and make the trails less important. But then he'd be an old man and would enjoy the peace and quiet as he rode along.

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    1. Actually, some of the railroads where built on his trails. I can't say anything bad about the railroads because both my grandpas worked for the railroads. Different railroads.

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