Since we still can't do anything on the line Jim and I decided to explore a bit. So today we took a ride to South Haven, KS and took a side trip West that brought us over to Caldwell, KS and part of the Chisholm Trail. This was named for the trader Jessie Chisholm not to be confused with the Chisholm Trail to New Mexico used by John Chisholm. Get this Jessie Chisholm was a TN native and he was also half Indian. He died before the trail was used or at least named for him. I believe before it was used as a cattle trail it was an Indian trail.
In Caldwell we headed South on 81 which parallels the RR which was built later. I did take a few shots of the markers that had history on them but they haven't been uploaded yet. It looks like Rt 81 is the trail and I think it takes you down to San Antonio where the trail started.
The day was hot and dry but in Ks a front was coming in and the wind way high blowing bursts of sand off where the trail was and I could just about in vision those longhorns being driven along accompanied by cowboys and chuck wagons and probably a cur dog or two. I could also imagine a band of Indians laying in wait to pick off a few cows or maybe even a group and of cattle rustlers hidden in one of those gullys. The land is now all a scattering of farms with millet, soybean or corn. If I can block them out though I can imagine seeing Cookie preparing the common meal...biscuits, beans and bacon.
My imagination full we had reached the next major highway crossing the border back to Oklahoma ,Rt11 and headed East back to Blackwell and a stop for ice cream.
Being here in cowboy land has made me watch just about every Western that cable tv has had on this past week. I also still have the habit of searching the faces of people I meet or see in the stores wondering if they have Indian blood or if they are ancestors of those brave people who settled here so long ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment