OklahomaHorses Magazine January 2022

22 OklahomaHorses • January/February 2022 PART ONE OF A THREE-PART SERIES Oklahoma’s Cattle Trails Leave Legacy Roots Run Deep by Jason Harris, Ph.D. | Executive Director, Chisholm Trail Museum, Kingfisher, Oklahoma Photographs courtesy of Oklahoma Historical Society T he development of Oklahoma’s cattle trails and the legacy they left on the state are still felt well into the twenty-first century. The Chisholm Trail is a historic icon in America’s past, inspiring the legendary “American cowboy” known worldwide. The cowboy is featured in countless films on the big screen and televi- sion shows for audiences of all ages. Where did this world-famous identity develop, and what role did Oklahoma have in shaping its creation? Over just a few years, hundreds of thou- sands of Texas longhorns made their way through Indian Territory as they headed north to the cow towns of Kansas along the world’s most famous cattle trails. Now, motorists can hop in their car or truck and head up U. S. Highway 81 and follow along one of the most incredible cattle trails in history. With its roots in those early cat- tle drives, Oklahoma has a vibrant ranching industry today that ranks fifth in the nation in cattle and calf production, with more than four million head of cattle grazing across the state. But the famous Chisholm Trail is not Oklahoma’s only cattle trail. It is just one of several in an evolving system meant to take Texas beef to market in the East. And the trails are more than just routes to market for meat. They were occupied by thousands of drovers who faced danger and hardships as they moved the cattle. In this article, part one of three, we will explore the roots of the cattle-drive era. In part two, we will explore Oklahoma’s multiple cattle trails. In part three, we will examine how Oklahoma’s ranching heritage grew out of the cattle-drive era. How Cattle Drives Started Why do we have the legacy of the cat- tle trails? It is complicated. The Spanish founded haciendas, or large ranches, Cowboys moved herds of hundreds or even thousands of cattle north to railhead settlements in Kansas to be shipped east.