Tascosa-Dodge City Trail Crossed Moore County
One Moore County family had close connection to the Tascosa-Dodge City Trail of the 1870's. It crossed through the Panhandle and across their land, 12 miles east of Dumas. The land belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Tom Willis, grandparents of Mrs. Martha Crabb, Delbert H. Lewis and Mary Griffin.
Delbert researched the history of Hardin Stage Coach Station and relates, "My grandfather, Tom Willis, whom we called Dedaddy, chose the site for this farm house beside an old broken down wooden windmill tower on the open prairie. The old wagon track in the buffalo grass angling northeast-southwest I found many years later, was the Dodge City-Tascosa stagecoach route. This explained all the old spent bullets, worn horse shoes, harness buckles and scrap we picked up along that ancient trace across the Plains."
"Tom established a farm headquarters here, repaired the windmill, and moved out, from some forgotten place, two dilapidated old houses he stuck together. My grandmother promptly plowed up an area west of the house for her garden and they survived through the depression years on what she could grow, a few head of hogs they could raise, and an occasional beef that the family could afford to butcher," according to the family story.
The location of the trail had a stagecoach stop at Hardin Station which was near a spring on "the old Gober place" approximately one-half mile east of the present Girl Scout Camp. Delbert was a pilot and according to his story, "I have flown the area many times from the 1940's on, following that ancient trace and have inspected sites on the ground and it is obvious the track leads directly into and away from the spring."
Delbert researched the history of Hardin Stage Coach Station and relates, "My grandfather, Tom Willis, whom we called Dedaddy, chose the site for this farm house beside an old broken down wooden windmill tower on the open prairie. The old wagon track in the buffalo grass angling northeast-southwest I found many years later, was the Dodge City-Tascosa stagecoach route. This explained all the old spent bullets, worn horse shoes, harness buckles and scrap we picked up along that ancient trace across the Plains."
"Tom established a farm headquarters here, repaired the windmill, and moved out, from some forgotten place, two dilapidated old houses he stuck together. My grandmother promptly plowed up an area west of the house for her garden and they survived through the depression years on what she could grow, a few head of hogs they could raise, and an occasional beef that the family could afford to butcher," according to the family story.
The location of the trail had a stagecoach stop at Hardin Station which was near a spring on "the old Gober place" approximately one-half mile east of the present Girl Scout Camp. Delbert was a pilot and according to his story, "I have flown the area many times from the 1940's on, following that ancient trace and have inspected sites on the ground and it is obvious the track leads directly into and away from the spring."
The Tascosa-Dodge City Trail covered approximately 200 miles, starting at Tascosa (now Boys Ranch). The first stop would be 35 miles to Hardin Station, known as Little Blue Stage Station. From there, it would be 30 miles to Jim Cator's place in southeast Hansford County. Next stop would be 40 miles to the northwest corner of Ochiltree to Hardesty's Ranch. Then, in 35 miles the trail would cross into No Man's Land (Oklahoma Panhandle) to Jim Lane's place on Beaver Creek, then 40 miles to Hine's Crossing on the Cimarron. The last stop would be in 20 miles to HooDoo Brown's Soddy on Crooked Creek, just south of Meade, Kansas. Then, the final part of the trip would be the 42 miles on to Dodge City.
The trip on stage would take 34 hours going one way. Wagons pulled by horses or oxen would take a month or six weeks for a round trip.
The trail was initially determined by the location of the Cator's Ranch. They began making trips to Dodge City for supplies. As a result of their trips, the additional stops were added.
Kit Carson and his New Mexico Volunteers came down the trail from Fort Bascom in New Mexico in 1865 to fight a losing battle with Indians at the First Adobe Walls. In Carson's report, he stated he camped 30 miles west of Adobe Walls before engagement. This would have placed him on Big Blue in Moore County.
It is thought the trail was used by Billy the Kid, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp and other lawmen and badmen who roamed the Plains.
Two places in Moore County are marked where the trail crossed. One is 6 1/2 miles south of Dumas U.S. Highway 287 and one is 12 miles east on Texas 152
The south marker reads: "Founded in 1877 for cattle drives and freight hauls from Tascosa 38 miles southwest to market in Dodge City, Kansas. A mail route. The first stagecoach stop out of Tascosa was 3 miles southwest of here. Tascosa had a post office, 1878; was county seat, Oldham County, 1880; declined after 1887."
The marker on State Highway 152 east reads: "As ranchers and merchants settled in this part of Texas during the 1870's , the need for a direct supply line became evident. This trail was established in 1877 for cattle drives and freight hauls from Tascosa (38 miles southwest) to markets in Dodge City, Kansas. It also served as a stagecoach and mail route. The town of Tascosa received a post office in 1878 and was the Oldham County seat from 1890 until 1915. The coming of the railroad in 1887 led to the decline of the town and to the abandonment of the Tascosa-Dodge City Trail."
The trip on stage would take 34 hours going one way. Wagons pulled by horses or oxen would take a month or six weeks for a round trip.
The trail was initially determined by the location of the Cator's Ranch. They began making trips to Dodge City for supplies. As a result of their trips, the additional stops were added.
Kit Carson and his New Mexico Volunteers came down the trail from Fort Bascom in New Mexico in 1865 to fight a losing battle with Indians at the First Adobe Walls. In Carson's report, he stated he camped 30 miles west of Adobe Walls before engagement. This would have placed him on Big Blue in Moore County.
It is thought the trail was used by Billy the Kid, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp and other lawmen and badmen who roamed the Plains.
Two places in Moore County are marked where the trail crossed. One is 6 1/2 miles south of Dumas U.S. Highway 287 and one is 12 miles east on Texas 152
The south marker reads: "Founded in 1877 for cattle drives and freight hauls from Tascosa 38 miles southwest to market in Dodge City, Kansas. A mail route. The first stagecoach stop out of Tascosa was 3 miles southwest of here. Tascosa had a post office, 1878; was county seat, Oldham County, 1880; declined after 1887."
The marker on State Highway 152 east reads: "As ranchers and merchants settled in this part of Texas during the 1870's , the need for a direct supply line became evident. This trail was established in 1877 for cattle drives and freight hauls from Tascosa (38 miles southwest) to markets in Dodge City, Kansas. It also served as a stagecoach and mail route. The town of Tascosa received a post office in 1878 and was the Oldham County seat from 1890 until 1915. The coming of the railroad in 1887 led to the decline of the town and to the abandonment of the Tascosa-Dodge City Trail."