Cattle Drives of the West

Contreras 1

When discussing cattle drives in Western historiography,

scholars generally focus on the cattle drives originating from

south to north. Cattle drives from Texas to Nevada, Colorado,

and Wyoming are famous for such stories in Western

historiography. These stories inspired works such as “Lonesome

Dove,” the big drive from Kansas to Montana, “The Wagon Train

Dairies,” or “Women on the Oregon Trail.” However, often

neglected are the cattle drives that took place east to west.

Places such as Arkansas, Missouri, and Georgia also occupy a

significant role in Western historiography.

Arkansas was a source for many cattle drives westward

following the California gold rush, and some later cattle drives

cut through Arkansas for northward routes. In comparison to

Texas, Arkansas played a minor role in cattle drives, but was

significantly affected by these cattle drives. There is evidence

that the Cherokee drove cattle drives in the late eighteenth and

early nineteenth century, but the major cattle drives out of

Arkansas ensued the California gold rush in 1848. These cattle

drives usually departed from Fort Smith, Sebastian County,

Contreras 2

Arkansas. Fort Smith boomed as a western frontier as adventurers

equipped themselves there.1

Most notable of the Arkansas cattle drives are the stories

of James Miles Morse of Conway County who reportedly made two

such cattle drives west following the Arkansas River. John

Kirkbride Potts of Pope County, later the founder of Pottsville,

made at least two cattle drives west, and Thomas Jefferson Linton

of Pope County. Linton and Potts stressed the necessity of

grazing cattle in California before sale since such a journey had

devastating consequences on the livestock. Some cattle drives

west followed the route of the Butterfield Overland Express2, but

1 Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Cattle Drives,

http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?

entryID=4748

2The Butterfield Overland Express was a route that left Fort

Smith, AR in a southwesterly direction, cutting through Indian

Territory (present-day Oklahoma), Texas, and what would later

become the states of New Mexico and Arizona, before arriving in

San Francisco, California.


Contreras 3

most popular route was the Cherokee Trail.3 Cattle drives began

to diminish following the Civil War as railroad expansion in

Arkansas and points west offered alternative means of transport

making it easier to transport live animals. The introduction of

the refrigerator car also diminished cattle drives as animals

were processed closer to where they were raised.4

entryID=4748

3 The Cherokee Trail largely followed the course of the Arkansas

River from Fort Smith, AR through Indian Territory, Kansas, and

present-day Colorado. There it cut northward in the area of what

is now Pueblo, CO until it entered the present-day state of

Wyoming. The route then turned west again, running parallel to

the southern border of Wyoming, cutting across Utah and Nevada

before finally entering California.


entryID=4748

4 Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Cattle Drives,


entryID=4748

Contreras 4

This narrative addresses the neglect from historians

considering the east to west cattle drives. The Shores-Carter

cattle drive is among the many that took place out of Arkansas in

the mid nineteenth century. It is important to note that Shores

story is vague in detail, the majority of the details were

derived from a book published in 1992 out of the University of

Arkansas, Fayetteville titled “Old Brands and Lost Trails:

Arkansas and the Great Cattle Drives,” By Ivan Denton. The

Shores family historical records are a private collection of

historical document on the Shores matrilineal family line who

settled in Arkansas in the early nineteenth century. Among the

information obtain from the private collection are wills, court

records, land grants, deeds, and letters from family who

immigrated from Scotland to present day Ozark, Arkansas. Details

description on living condition geographical settlement data,

marriage, death, and birth records are among some of the

information contain in the collection, collaborate many of the

facts by Ivan Denton account on the Shores-Carter cattle drive.

However, the information is limited in detail regarding the

Contreras 5

entire cattle drive, and it was essential to use Denton’s account

to bring the narrative to light.

As the sun began to set, William Dahl Shores moved one

hundred and fifty yards away from his house to see everything in

readiness. It was customary to make an inventory of all the

stock before such a long journey to take place. Six loaded

wagons, forty-eight yoke of Oxen, eight yoke of Oxen per wagon,

and five hundred and fifty head of cattle ready were to make the

journey to California.5 As William took inventory of his stock,

he recollected on the long line of ancestors who had migrated

westward from Germany.6

5Ivan, Denton, Old brands and lost trails: Arkansas and the great

cattle drives, (Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press),

1991 79; Denton quotes “four yoke of cattle.” The term yoke

generally means a pair of animals in which case there were eight

head of cattle pulling each wagon a total of forty-eight yoke.

6 Leo J. Shane, Ancestors and Descendants of Fredrick Shore: Switzerland, 1570 to

Surry County, North Carolina, 1750 with the History and Genealogy of Related Families,

(Hillsboro, Kansas: Multi Business Press), 1983, 22-30.

Contreras 6

William’s family took great pride in keeping records of the

family’s history, and he continued to do so himself. As a third

generation, his great-grandfather, Friedrich Schorr, set sail to

the United States in 1750 and landed on the coast of North

Carolina. Tragically, Friedrich had lost his wife during the

voyage and buried her at sea. Freidrich migrated from the coast

of North Carolina to Surry County, today Yadkin County so named

for the Yadkin River that ran through the county, with his son

Fredrick Shore, William’s grandfather. William’s father, Jacob

Shore, was born two years before the Revolutionary War and

remained in Surry County until his death. William, as the

generations before him was born in Surry County in 1804 and

remained in Surry County until 1840. 7

On April 13, 1853, William in company of his fried John W.

Carter and six other fellows, whom William had hired and paid

eight dollars each per month, started their journey west. Their

7 Leo J. Shane, Ancestors and Descendants of Fredrick Shore:

Switzerland, 1570 to Surry County, North Carolina, 1750 with the

History and Genealogy of Related Families, (Hillsboro, Kansas:

Multi Business Press), 1983, 31-47.

Contreras 7

names were L. Hill, D. Crumley, Sam Kelley, F. A. Licklyter, and

John A. Tennant. As the day drew near, they sat up camp at

Lindsey’s Prairie,8 which was not even a settlement and marked

the border into Indian Territory.9 The plan was to rest the

evening and start the journey west the next day in search of the

8Gerald T. Hanson, Historical Atlas of Arkansas, (University of Oklahoma

Press, 1992. Lindsey Prairie does not appear on any Arkansas

maps for the period it is likely that it was a community west or

northwest of Fayetteville, AR, or likely today Siloam Springs,

AR.

9The border of Arkansas and Oklahoma were a result of the

Cherokee Treaty of 1828 named in honor of Major William Lewis

Lovely who served as the Arkansas Cherokee Indian agent from 1813

until his death in 1817. The Treaty created the boundary between

the Arkansas Territory and Cherokee Indian Nation by establishing

a line from the corner of Missouri down to Fort Smith. This line

still serves as the Oklahoma-Arkansas boundary. State of Arkansas

Historical Land Records.

http://www.cosl.org/history/spanish.aspx

Contreras 8

“Cherokee Trail.”10 After several day journeys, they crossed the

“Grand River” and the “Verdigrees River” southwest of Fort

Gibson11, where they set camp. William thought necessary to have

a layover since the grass was good for grazing before entering

the “Cherokee Trail.”

10 Ivan, Denton, Old brands and lost trails: Arkansas and the

great cattle drives, 63-64. Denton argues that the Cherokee trail

is a forgotten trail that historians never mention, and the

pioneer routes show neither a dot nor line indicating where it

lay. He argues that most descendants of emigrants confuse it

with the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, or the Independence

Trail.

11Derek R. Everett, “On the Extreme Frontier: Crafting the Western

Arkansas Boundary,” The Arkansas Historical Quarterly Vol. 67, No. 1

(Spring, 2008), 1-26. The Grand River seems questionable as it

is nowhere to be found, however, the next point of reference

which is the “Verdigris River” southwest of Fort Gibson is likely

to be the Illinois River with its headwaters emanating at the

Arkansas-Oklahoma border due west of Springdale, AR.

Contreras 9

During the layover, William began to recall the events that

led him to this expedition. Now forty-nine years old, this was

his chance to acquire cheap inexpensive land. He recalled the

position he had accepted in 1840 as Postmaster of Sweet Home Post

Office near present day Prairie Grove, Arkansas (Washington

County); however, in 1845, the Post office discontinued, and he

remained unemployed for two years before he managed to secure

another postmaster position in Laney, Arkansas in 1847 just to

last until 1849. William knew that the only security was to

acquire land where he could sustain his own living. A father to

three children, and a wife Elizabeth, it was the only guarantee

they would have to survive in a hostile frontier environment.12

There were several methods to acquire land and William had

explored all of them. He had seen from firsthand experience the

struggles some settlers had in acquiring land through the various

12 According to the 1850 United States Federal Census, William

D. (age 45) and Elizabeth Shores (age 38) were living at West

Fork, Washington County, Arkansas. Living with them were

children: Mary (age 10), Charity (age 6), and Alfred Shores (age

1) (Year: 1850; Census Place: West Fork, Washington, Arkansas;

Roll: M432_31; Page: 374B; Image: 158).

Contreras 10

governmental means. The Military Bounty grant did not apply to

William since he was not a veteran of the War of 1812 Bounty land

was land promised to soldiers in exchange for military services.

A practice begun during Colonial times and was widely used during

the Revolutionary War, and again used during the War of 1812.

Military bounty land was an option available to qualified

veterans, the other option being a military pension. These

included the present day sates of Illinois, Arkansas and

Missouri.13

In 1841, the U.S. Congress in response to the demands of the

Western states that squatters were allowed to preempt lands.

Pioneers often settled on public lands before they surveyed and

auctioned by the U.S. government. Squatter claims were not

recognized, but in 1830, Congress passed the first of a series of

temporary preemption laws. The Act of 1841 permitted settlers to

stake a claim to one hundred and sixty acres of land. After about

fourteen months of residence, the squatter could purchase it from

13 John F. Callan, The Military Laws of the United States: Relating to the Army,

Volunteers, Militia, and to Bounty Lands and Pensions from the foundation of the

Government to the year 1886, Philadelphia: (Henry B. Ashmead, 1862), 285.

Contreras 11

the government for as little as $1.25 an acre before it was

offered for public sale.14

During the Mexican American War, the U.S. Congress

introduced the Script Warrant act of 1847. Under the Script

Warrant Act, Veterans who served during the Mexican American War

for a year were entitled to one hundred and sixty acres of land.

For those who served less than a year were entitled to forty

acres.15 However, William was exempt because he did not fight

the Mexican American War.

The only hope William had at acquiring land was through the

Land Act of 1820. Since the provision within the act eliminated

the purchase of public land in the United States on credit,

William had to procure other means by acquiring it, thus, the

cattle drive he had embarked on would provide the means for him14 Library of Congress. “The Preemption Act of 1841.” 27th

Congress, Ch. 16, 5 Stat. 453 (1841) CHAP. XVI. An Act to appropriate

the proceeds of the sales of the public lands, and to grant pre-emption rights.

15 John F. Callan, The Military Laws of the United States: Relating to the Army,

Volunteers, Militia, and to Bounty Lands and Pensions from the foundation of the

Government to the year 186, Philadelphia: (Henry B. Ashmead, 1862), 379.

Contreras 12

to purchase the land directly for the United States government.

The act required a down payment of hundred dollars and reduced

the price from $1.65 to $1.25 per acre.16

William had traveled to California in 1849 along with Carter

in search of Gold, as many Americans had during the discovery of

Gold in 1848, but soon realized that his fortune lay in as a

supplier to the miner because that is where the money was made.

Both William and John returned to Arkansas in the winter of 1852

to purchase a stock of cattle to drive out to California by the

summer of 1853. Since the supplier made the money and the miner

remained in debt, William believed he could raise enough money

from the cattle drive to purchase land.17

16 Library of Congress. “The Land Act of 1820”. 16th Congress,

Session I. Chapter 51 Stat I (1820). Chap. LI. An Act making further

provisions for the sale of Public Lands.


great cattle drives, 79. In Denton’s account Shores had been in

California in 1849. It is unclear what his intentions were, but

given the time frame of the gold rush of 1848 it is likely he was

in search of gold as the other 100,000 American who had migrated

Contreras 13

The following day, William and John managed to acquire one

hundred and fifty head of cattle, and fifty head of horses.18

William believed this to be a wise investment since his inventory

had increased to about seven hundred head including both cattle

and horses. As they crossed the Verdigres River, they took the

Lewis-Evans Trail. “One Evening, while camping on the prairie, we

had no wood for fuel. The boys wanted to take the mules to

gather wood. I advised them that would be unwise since the timber

to California during the same time period; Robert M. Utley, A life

Wild and Perilous: Mountain Men and their Paths to the Pacific, (New York: Henry

Holt and Company, Inc.), 85. Utley argues that the supplier was

the person who gained more since supply was always in demand for

those who were trapped in remote areas.

18 Shores family historical records are a private collection of

historical document on the Shores Matrilineal family line who

settled in Arkansas. William journal is unclear how the

additional livestock stock was acquired; Ivan, Denton, Old brands

and lost trails: Arkansas and the great cattle drives, 79.

Denton’s account is also unclear as to how the livestock was

acquired.

Contreras 14

outskirts were at least ten miles away. Instead, we gathered

buffalo chips for fuel19. The wind blew so hard that we had to

dig pits where we could burn the fire”20

That evening, William pondered on the meeting he had had with

the land office in Clarksville, Johnson County, Arkansas

regarding one hundred and twenty acres, in Franklin County, a

total of two-hundred and fifty dollars, one hundred dollars for

the down payment the remainder of one-hundred and twenty five for

the acreage. At a price of eight to ten dollars per head in

Arkansas, William foresaw lucrative results. Historian J. H.

Atkinson notes that a cow that sold for fifty dollars in the gold

fields could be purchased back in Arkansas for usually five

19 Waldo R. Wedel, “The High Plains and Their Utilization by the

Indian,” Society for American Archeology: American Antiquity, Vol. 29, No. 1,(

Jul., 1963), 1-16. Buffalo chips were among the few things that

could be collected and burned on the prairie and were used by the

Plains Indians, settlers and pioneers, and homesteaders as a

source of cooking heat and warmth.


great cattle drives, 80.

Contreras 15

dollars, given the surplus of cattle in Arkansas cattle drives to

California were a lucrative enterprise.21 Even if he could sell

the cattle in California at twenty-dollars per head, he would

profit at least $17,000.00 enough money to pay the five boys,

split half with his partner John, and pay for the cattle itself.

Not to mention if he could at least get thirty-five per head, he

looked at gaining at least $24,000.00; however, as with many

pioneers in the West he did not foresee the variables that lay

ahead. 22

Within a few days, they had reached Walnut Creek where they

found plenty of wood for fire, cooking, and bathing.23 The

21 Encycopedia of Arkansas. “Cattle Drives”


entryID=4748

22Love, Clara M. “History of the Cattle Industry in the Southwest”

The Southwestern Quarterly, Vol.19. No.4 (April, 1916), 376.


great cattle drives, 80,81; Shores family historical records are

a private collection of historical document on the Shores

Matrilineal family line who settled in Arkansas in the early

Contreras 16

following day, they camped on the Cottonwood Creek24 and the next

morning reached the open plains. Good fortune had followed

William and John so far for there was plenty of food, grass, and

water on their journey. In a few days, they reached a U.S. fort,

then called Fort Mann25, and after trading for some goods, they

nineteenth century.

24 Lambert Bowman Wolf, “Extracts from Diary of Captain Lambert

Bowman Wolf,” Kansas Historical Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 3, (May,

1932) 195 – 210. Walnut Creek was key region for travelers to

stop. Wagon trains found drinking water near the Peacock Trading

Post at the Walnut Creek Crossing. Nearby was Fort Zarah and Fort

Learned, which protected wagon trains from tribal raids. Present

day Barton County Kansas.

25 Fort Mann was established in 1845 by Captain Daniel P. Mann it

was located approximately 8 miles west of the present Dodge City

in Ford County, on the north bank of the Arkansas River, near the

site of old Fort Atkinson. It was 25 miles below the Santa Fe

Trail. There is confliction in Shore’s and Denton’s accounts of

Fort Mann because it was abandoned in 1850 and the Shores-Carter

cattle drive took place in 1853. It is possible that both Shore

Contreras 17

came upon the buffalo range. “There were so many buffalo that

they blanketed the landscape.” “The first evening we came upon

them, we lost about twenty head ran away with the buffaloes” “The

following day, we lost an additional or so dozen head along with

some horses and a fine mule I had paid a handsome price for.”

After three days among the buffalo range we were happy to be past

them.”26 It was a heavy loss for William since he had lost

nearly fifty head already and had barely reached the plains. At

this pace, by the time they reached California, he could very

well lose at least half of his head count. He had projected a

fourth lose since cattle drives had its risks.

and Denton mistook Fort Mann for Fort Atkinson.

http://www.vlib.us/old_west/forts.html#mann


great cattle drives, 80,81; Shores family historical records are

a private collection of historical document on the Shores


nineteenth century.

Contreras 18

The next evening while camping a ban of wild Indians were

riding in a battle formation and approaching the camp.27 The

sight alarmed William. When the Indians approached the camp at a

distance of at least one hundred and fifty yards, they halted and

their leader approached and made some signs. William made some

signs as well and after an exchange of sign language the leader

and its party dismounted. The Indians indicated that they were

on a buffalo hunt and wanted to trade. “We traded sugar and

hardtack”28 and the leader distributed them among the other


cattle drives, 81. It is hard to assume which tribes the Indians

belong to an 1850 map of the United States tribes in the plains

suggest that there were probably of Osage-Sioux or Pawnee-Caddos.

"Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of

Texas at Austin." http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histus.html

28 Ludwell Lee Montague, “Subsistence of the Army of the Valley,”

Society of Military Affairs, Vol. 12, No. 4, (Winter, 1948), 229. Hardtack

is a simple type of cracker or biscuit made from flour, water,

and sometimes salt. Inexpensive and long lasting, it was used for

sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly used by

Contreras 19

Indians. “There were probably fifty of them, I reckon.” As dusk

drew nearer, they mounted and left for their own camp. The next

morning as the party resumed the journey, they passed the Indians

who were all mounted on good ponies.29

As William readied and watched the Indians ride away, he began

to wonder if his efforts were worth all its trouble. So far, he

had lost about fifty head, supplies were becoming scarce, and

they had come upon a band of Indians. He recited a small prayer

frontiersmen on long journeys.


cattle drives, 81. Given the extent of the conversation between

Shores and the Indians determining that they were on a buffalo

hunt, wanted to trade, and dinned with the Indians indicates that

Shores was able to communicate with them. Either they spoke

English or Shores understood their language. If indeed Shores

understood their dialect, the Indians tribe must have been

familiar to him, in which case native to the area were the Osage-

Sioux or Pawnee-Caddo. "Courtesy of the University of Texas

Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin."

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histus.html

Contreras 20

for he believed he was blessed that the Indians were friendly and

had left in peace, yet he wonder what lay ahead. Although

scarcely populated, Arkansas in comparison was miniscule for what

lay ahead. One thing that remained in his head was land. If he

could see this cattle drive through, he would not have to worry

about navigating through strange lands, dangerous encounters, or

scares resources. The Ozark Mountains was plentiful in resources,

Indians were far in between, and was hardly a strange country.

Although few roads existed, the isolation created a sense of

security for William. The nearest populated place was Fort

Smith, Arkansas, the border into Indian Territory, but he would

be in familiar land where he knew how to survive.30

Within a few days of encountering the Indians, William

reached the Arkansas River and traveled up streamed until they

reached the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains lay to their

left as the traveled to a cold stream called “Cash la Tudy.”31 As

they approached the stream, they faced a dilemma for the river

30 Shores family historical records are a private collection of

historical document on the Shores Matrilineal family line who

settled in Arkansas in the early nineteenth century.

Contreras 21

was running high. They began by crowding the cattle to get the

train started, but immediately a dozen or so broke away. William

had heard of previous trains trying to cross the “Cash la Tudy”

and failed. It was customary for drivers who owned their own

horses or mules to retrieve any lost stock, in this instance,

William ordered one of his boys to retrieve the four steers that

had broken away. William could not afford anymore lose, but it

was too late the river carried the steer until they disappeared

upstream.32


great cattle drives, 8. Denton mentions this river as “Cash la

Tudy,” but no evidence of such a river exists. Given the location

of the drive, it was probably the Cache la Poudre River in

Colorado, which runs through present day Fort Collins Colorado.

The South Platte lays eastward about five miles. History of the

American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the Denver

Public Library http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query



Contreras 22

Once on the other side of the river, William was distraught,

but before he could languish on his lose another train approached

the “Cash la Tudy.” Their leader, who was a Baptist minister,

had no cable rope to guide the train through the river and asked

if he could borrow Williams’. William a man of faith himself saw

no reason why not so he let the other train borrow the cable

rope. Once the other train made it across “Cash la Tudy,” the

Baptist minister sold the cable rope to another train that

approached for twenty-five dollars. William was furious about

this, but before he could do or say anything; the Baptist

preacher rode away and hunted down the cattle, they had lost

crossing the river and took off with them as well. William sent

his boys ahead to catch up with the Baptist preacher train, but

they fail to come across him.33


cattle drives, 83; Shores family historical records are a private

collection of historical document on the Shores Matrilineal

family line who settled in Arkansas in the early nineteenth

century. It is here where a time frame for the drive is on course

because there was a universal timeline to cross the mountains,

Contreras 23

If matters could not get any worse, a few days later after

crossing “Cash la Tudy” a raid of Indians stole some horses and

mules. William was devastated. The cattle drive he had embarked

on had become a disaster. William sat up camp as a storm was

approaching. While the Storm raged through William was

distraught, discouraged, and troubled. One of the boys

entertained everyone with Baptist sermons and singing to cheer up

the mood and get through the night. The following day there was

not a cow in sight! Williams heart about dropped to the ground.

He sent out the boys to seek the stocks, which were found five

miles away from camp behind a mountain. William was relieved at

the sight of the stock approaching camp.34

rivers, and snow. Given the amount of detail between encountering

trains suggests that the train was a due course.





century.

Contreras 24

The South Platte was the next river that William’s party

arrived, but the river was low to the point that the party just

forded the river.35 However, when William approached the North

Platte, the river was running so high that they spent two weeks

making a ferry to cross. In their attempt to cross the river,

several head of cattle and horse perished totaling to almost

seventy since their journey out of Arkansas. As if matters could

not get any worse William recalls, “After this point the water we

found was bad, and we used sage brush for fuel. The brush was


cattle drives, 83. Given Denton’s last account of Cache la

Poudre River in Colorado it is unlikely that he was in the South

Platte. In Denton’s account he was traveling North West while the

South Platte runs South West of Cache la Poudre River. It is

likely he is referring to the Larimer River because the next

river he approaches is the Medicine Bow River. History of the

American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the

Denver Public Library http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

Contreras 25

scarce so we loaded the wagons when we came across it so would be

available at night” 36

The following river William came upon was the Medicine Bow

River that was low and easy to cross. Fortune must been on

Williams side because in three days’ time word reached William

that the Medicine Bow River was running as wide as one and a half

mile wide. “It is here were we came upon on first snow drifts.”

“It was the Fourth of July flowers were in bloom under two feet

of snow”37 They reached the Green River, which was wide, deep,

36 Clarence B. Bagley, “Crossing the Plains,” The Washington Historical

Quarterly Vol. 13, No. 3, (Jul., 1922), 163-180. It was not

uncommon for frontiersmen crossing the plains to construct

farriers to carry supplies across the river in times of high

water; Ivan, Denton, Old brands and lost trails: Arkansas and the

great cattle drive, 84.


cattle drives, 84. It is here again, where a time frame for the

drive is on course because there was a universal timeline to

cross the mountains, rivers, and snow. Given the amount of detail

between encountering trains suggests that the train was a due

Contreras 26

and swift. “We were delayed here for a few days.” “We lashed two

wagons beds together creating a boat that allowed us to cross

safely and dried.”38 In a few days, they struck the heads of

Bitter Creek, which William recalls it deserved its name because

the waters were bitter in taste. “We traveled one hundred miles

down this stream and passed a U.S. Fort which I have forgotten

the name of. It was about fifty miles from Salt Lake City”39

On July 20, they reach Salt Lake Valley, which William

recalls, “it was the prettiest town I have ever saw.” Forty miles

past the City of Salt Lake, they reached the Bear River where a

Mormon was charging five to eight dollars to cross the wagons

across the river depending on the weight of a wagon. “We arrived

at noon, but it wasn’t until one o’clock the following day that

course.


great cattle drives, 84; Clarence B. Bagley, “Crossing the

Plains,” The Washington Historical Quarterly Vol. 13, No. 3,

(Jul.,1922), 163-180.



Contreras 27

it was our turn to cross.”40 In a few days, they reached the

Humboldt River where William recalls the most horrific part of

the trip. “The water was clear at first, but the further we

traveled the dirtier the water got because there were so many

dead carcasses from dead stock.” “At night, as we camped, near

the river we had to fetch water from the river for cooking and

drinking.” “There was no use to avoid the carcasses because the

further you would walk and see the more carcasses there was so we

had to dip the bucket into the river and run as fast as you could

without vomiting all over the place.”41

They continued down the Humboldt River until they reached

the trail that led to Oregon, Lossom Trail.42 The train traveled

40 Clarence B. Bagley, “Crossing the Plains,” The Washington

Historical Quarterly Vol. 13, No. 3, (Jul.,1922), 163-180.


great cattle drives, 85; Clara M. Love, “History of the Cattle

Industry in the Southwest,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol.

19, No. 4, (Apr., 1916), 381-382.


great cattle drives, 85. There is no evidence of a Oregon Lossom

Contreras 28

twenty-five miles the first day down the Lossom Trail where they

came upon the first water spring. “Here we found enough water to

cook with and by working all night we were able to gather enough

to fill our kegs, but non for our stock.” The next water spring

lay fifty miles ahead, and the trained travelled until eight

o’clock before stopping for rest. “Here I lost about fifty head

of cattle, they must have scented the water and deserted the

train in their haste.” “I got up the next morning and reached

the spring at day break, by this time almost all the stock had

made it before I did.” “There was plenty of grass and water in

the region, but the water was boiling hot and the stock had to

travel a mile or two to drink the water.” “The Spring was the

largest I had ever saw. It must have been forty to fifty feet

across and the water would boil up every little bit three to four

feet high.” William also recalls that they attempted to measure

Trail. It is likely that Denton is referring to the Oregon

Trail, or the Hudspeth Cutoff Caribou. “Courtesy of the Families

Forever: Historic Trails of the Old West.”

http://www.ida.net/users/lamar/trails.html

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the depth of the spring by attaching two forty footropes together

and still were not able to reach bottom of the spring.43

Williams train continued the following day after leaving the

hot spring of the region until they came upon a canyon that

Williams describes as being “two mile in length and no more than

one hundred yards in width at any place.”44 After crossing into

the plains, the next important place was the Sierra Nevada

Mountains. William recalls that it took a whole day to get over

the mountain. “We had to hitch eight yoke of cattle to each


great cattle drives, 85; Shores family historical records are a

private collection of historical document on the Shores


nineteenth century.


great cattle drives, 85. The description of the canyon by

Williams suggests that it may have been the Warner Mountains.

History of the American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the

Collection of the Denver Public Library

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

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wagon, to get up it, and the wagons were nearly empty.” “It was

at least two miles up and three miles down on the other side.”

After crossing the mountain, William train reached Goose Lake.

Here William recalls that a U.S. Calvary was stationed there to

protect emigrants from hostile Indians, which had massacred a

train of emigrants the year before.45

William train continued west the following day leaving Goose

Lake in accompaniment of three U.S. soldiers who traveled with

William’s train for three days. As the journey continued the

train past many lakes, William recalls that some of the cattle

had gone astray from the train. The next morning William could

see smoke in the horizon where he had last seen the cattle.

Here, William came upon the Indians who were eating the cattle

that he had lost the previous day. “Some of our boys and the

soldiers were determined to kill the Indians, but they failed, as

the Indians had hid in the lake.”46


great cattle drives, 85. Denton does not give any details about

the massacre nor does Shores account.

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William reached his destination on October 16, 1853 in Yreka

City, California, in the northern part of California. Yreka was

founded in 1852 and had become a miner town with the discovery of

gold near Black Gulch in 1851. After six months and four days

and a head count of six hundred cattle, William had reached his

destination with a miner population in need of supplies. Here

William and John settled since William had reached his

destination, but John’s journey lay one hundred miles further

ahead. “Since I kept all the wagons, I kept most of the

supplies” John’s journey was not reachable by wagon so William

had to settle with John. “I don’t remember the amount, but it

was hefty” “The inventory consisted of: saddles, saddle bags,

curb bridles, snaffle bridles, gun flints, gun locks, blankets,


great cattle drives, 85. At this point Denton is conflicting

because his account points out that he believes this lakes are in

Oregon, which previously just described crossing into Nevada and

over the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

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spurs, gun powder, and other miscellaneous which are essential

for a cattle drive.” 47

In 1857, William left Washington County, Arkansas and moved

to the Hurricane Creek area (what is now known as Shores Lake),

Franklin County, Arkansas, which at the time the county was

Crawford County. He purchased two-hundred acres of land, sixty-

five to seventy-five acres of that was in cultivation, and built

a cemetery in which his wife, Elizabeth, was the first to be

buried there.48 William lived on the Mulberry River in Franklin





century. Neither Denton nor Shores accounts for what the profit

made on the cattle drive. However, the evidence is found in the

land records that Shores purchased in 1860. A total of two

hundred acres paid in cash.

48 See illustrations of land grants courtesy of Arkansas Archives

Federal Land Grants. http://usgwarchives.net/ar/fedland.htm

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County, Arkansas from 1 April 1861 to Spring 1865, when he moved

thirty miles north to a colony on the middle fork of White River,

where he remained to the close of the Civil War. “At the

beginning of the ‘Rebellion’ I don’t know that I sympathized with

either side. I would rather they wouldn’t have forced the start.”

William became Justice of the Peace in Franklin County, Arkansas

in 1868. After the death of William D. Shores on 22 August 1885,

his son, Alfred Wallace Shores, continued on with all the

business operations. It was a gathering showplace for everyone,

until the government bought all of his land. The land that was

forced to sell is now known as Shores Lake.49

The story of western expansion took many forms. There was

the trapper in quest for wealth in the fur trade. Their legacy to

“Western Expansion” was the mapping of the Western routes that

49 The 1860 United States Federal Census lists W.D. Shores (age

56). Living with him were Charity S. Shores (age 16), Alfred W.

Shores (age 12), Louis C. Shores (age 10), Wm. Carmack (age 21),

and A. Fugit (age 30) (Year: 1860; Census Place: White Rock,

Franklin, Arkansas; Roll: M653_41; Page: 324; Image: 324; Family

History Library Film: 803041).

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allowed others to ensue. The farmer followed leaving a legacy of

sustenance farming. In this process the farmer clear land and

set rudimentary networks for food to be attained for those to

follow. The miner followed and in the process of exploiting the

resources of the West benefited from their predecessors’

accomplishments, but likewise those who followed the miners,

farmers, and trappers was the supplier. The supplier by far was

the most who benefited in the Western expansion. The supplier

was the one who supplied the trappers with the essentials to

carry on their enterprise. The supplier benefited from the

farmer in supplying the equipment, seeds, and ammunition for

sustenance farmer. The supplier also benefited from the miner.

Perhaps even more so than any of the other predecessors for the

miner not only in need of supplies but sustenance as well.50

50 Robert M. Utley, A life Wild and Perilous: Mountain Men and their Paths to the

Pacific, (New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc.), 85. Utley argues

that the supplier was the person who gained more since supply was

always in demand for those who were trapped in remote areas.

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As the California Gold rush was in its full swing, the miner

was in need of supplies to carrying on their endeavors. Among

the many, the cattle drives sought to meet this demand. Unlike

pork and chicken, beef required consumption immediately after

processing. Beef was a luxury item that could not be obtain from

Spanish California as the Spanish rancher used cattle for items

such as leather, tallow, and candles. The cattle drives provided

the substance that miners required. It is because of this demand

for beef that cattle drives were a lucrative enterprise. Cattle

in Arkansas worth five to eight dollars per head sold as much as

fifty dollars per head in California making cattle drive a

lucrative enterprise for those who embarked on them.

Motivation for embarking on such expeditions varies from

individual to individual. Wealth, change of socio-economic

status, and land acquirement were among many of the motivations.

However, their motivations are examples of “Western Expansion.”

Shores story, while not unique, does describe that cattle drive

did in fact took place from east to west. This narrative sought

to address the gap from historians considering the east to west

cattle drives. Since all cattle, drives shared similar

Contreras 36

experiences, dilemmas, and tragedies; this narrative was not

unique in that aspect. The intention of this narrative was to

illuminate the fact that cattle drives in fact did originated

from east to west. The story of William D. Shores is an

embodiment of such cattle drives originating from Arkansas to

California. Shores story is more than an example of such feat

originating out of the east; it is a continuation of the story of

“Western Expansion” during the middle of the 19th century. It is

also a story of Jeffersonian ideology where Shores envision

owning land and ultimately living as a self-sufficient yeoman

farmer despite his socio-economic background. Shores story is

the epitome of “Western Expansion.”

Bibliography

Arkansas Archives: Federal Land Grants. http://usgwarchives.net/ar/fedland.htm

Bagley, Clarance B. “Crossing the Plains.” The Washington Historical Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 3, (Jul., 1922), 163-180.

Callan, John F. The Military Laws of the United States: Relating to the Army, Volunteers, Militia, and to Bounty Lands and Pensions from the foundation of theGovernment to the year 1886. Philadelphia: Henry B. Ashmead, 1865.

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Denton, Ivan. Old brands and lost trails: Arkansas and the great cattle drives. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press, 1991

Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Cattle Drive http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net

Hanson, Gerald T. Historical Atlas of Arkansas. University of Oklahoma Press, 1992.

Everett, Derek R. “On the Extreme Frontier: Crafting the Western Arkansas Boundary.” The Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Vol. 67, No. 1 (Spring, 2008), 1-26.

Families Forever: Historic Trails of the Old West.” http://www.ida.net/users/lamar/trails.html

History of the American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the Denver Public Library http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

Hughes, Simon P. “The Progress of Arkansas” The North American Review,Vol. 143, No. 357 (Aug., 1886), 133-141.

Lambert Bowman Wolf. “Extracts from Diary of Captain Lambert Bowman Wolf.” Kansas Historical Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 3, (May, 1932) 195 – 210.

Love, Clara M. “History of the Cattle Industry in the Southwest” The Southwestern Quarterly, Vol.19. No.4 (April, 1916), 370-399.

Library of Congress. “The Land Act of 1820”. 16th Congress, Session I. Chapter 51 Stat I (1820). Chap. LI. An Act making further provisions for the sale of Public Lands.

Library of Congress. “The Preemption Act of 1841”. 27th Congress, Ch. 16, 5 Stat. 453 (1841) CHAP. XVI.—An Act to appropriate the proceeds of the sales of the public lands, and to grant pre-emption rights.

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Montague, Ludwell L. “Subsistence of the Army of the Valley.” Society of Military Affairs, Vol. 12, No. 4, (Winter, 1948),226-231.

Shepard family historical records are a private collection of historical document on the Sheppard Matrilineal family line who settled in Arkansas in the early nineteenth century. Among the information obtain from the private collection arewills, court records, land grants, deeds, and letters from family who immigrated from Scotland to present day Ozark, Arkansas. Details description on living condition geographical settlement data, marriage, death, and birth records are among some of the information contain in the collection.

State of Arkansas Historical Land Records. http://www.cosl.org/history/spanish.aspx

The Public Land Survey National Atlas of the United States of America. http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/boundaries/a_plss.html

University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histus.html

Utley, Robert M. A life Wild and Perilous: Mountain Men and their Paths to the Pacific. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1997.

Wedel, Waldo R.“The High Plains and Their Utilization by the Indian.” Society for American Archeology: American Antiquity, Vol. 29, No. 1,( Jul., 1963), 1-16.

Wilson, Jaunita. Cincinnati, Arkansas, Illinois Township, 1836-1986. Siloam Springs: Siloam Springs Print, 1986

Whayne, Jeannie M., Black, Thomas A., Sobo III, George, and Arnold, Morris S. Arkansas: A Narrative history. Fayetteville: The University of Arkansas Press, 2002

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histus.html

http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/boundaries/a_plss.html

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Cattle Drives of the West

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Transcript of Cattle Drives of the West