Texas Road
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201514365
2008-03-28T05:37:21Z
Hmains
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/refine cat
The '''Texas Road''' was a major trade and emigrant route across [[Indian Territory]]. Established during the [[Mexican–American War|Mexican War]] by emigrants rushing to Texas, it remained an important route across Indian Territory until [[Oklahoma]] statehood.
The road stretched from [[Baxter Springs, Kansas]] in the north, across the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Nations, to [[Colbert's Ferry|Colbert's Ferry, Indian Territory]] in the south. There were two parts of the trail that set out from [[Kansas]]—the eastern trail which followed the Grand River to [[Fort Gibson, Oklahoma|Fort Gibson]], and the western trail which started in [[Missouri]] and passed through [[Fort Wayne (Indian Territory)|Fort Wayne]] before joining the other trail continuing to the [[Red River (Mississippi watershed)|Red River]] on the Texas border. Several stations were set up along the road where travelers could rest and refresh their horses.
Both sides of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] used the road heavily to move supplies and troops. Union and Confederate forces met at the [[Battle of Honey Springs]] on the road.
An early cattle trail, the Shawnee Trail, followed the route. Later the Shawnee Trail branched further west. The first route was then called the East Shawnee Trail and the branch called the West Shawnee Trail. The western branch particularly remained the main cattle trail from Texas until the opening of the [[Chisholm Trail]] (or Abilene Trail) following the Civil War.
The Texas Road eventually became part of [[U.S. Route 69]].
==Sources==
*Foreman, Grant. [http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v003/v003p099.html "Early Trails Through Oklahoma"], ''Chronicles of Oklahoma'' 3:2 (June 1925) 99-119 (accessed August 16, 2006).
*Gard, Wayne. [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/SS/ays2.html "Shawnee Trail"]. ''Handbook of Texas Online'', s.v. (accessed August 19, 2006).
[[Category:History of Kansas]]
[[Category:History of Missouri]]
[[Category:History of Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Historic trails and roads in Texas]]
[[Category:Historic trails and roads in the United States]]
[[Category:Texas in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Oklahoma in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Trails and roads in the American Old West]]