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The Case:
In the decades following the Civil War, more than six million cattle were herded from Texas to the railhead in Kansas in one of the greatest known migrations of animals in the United States.
These 19th-century cattle drives along the Chisholm Trail only lasted twenty years, but had tremendous impact across the country: it lifted Texas out of post-Civil War poverty, provided much-needed affordable beef to the Northeast, and gave birth to the classic American cowboy legend.
In the small town of Donna, Texas, near the Mexican border, a historic marker declares that the famous trail ran through this area, yet many dispute the idea that the trail ever made it this far south. Is the marker another bit of famed Texas bravado or misguided history? A local historian wants to set the record straight.
History Detectives heads deep into the heart of Texas to help solve a local mystery and shed light on this lively chapter in American history.
Texas Land Office Maps
Check out the maps used to solve this mystery from the archives of the Texas General Land Office.
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- Latest CommentIt turns out that this collage was sold last fall: http://www.worthpoint.com/wort... I wonder if it would be possible to contact the buyer by way of the auction house about getting a print made. (2 weeks ago)
- Twitterremember this investigation with @TukufuZuberi @elyseluray Tonight they reunite! Let us know your thoughts! @PBS http://t.co/4KMnc27K (8 months ago)
- FacebookCongrats on your exhibit, TZ! Here's a Washington Post article about the exhibit, everyone, and the great story TZ and Elyse did on his "Our Colored Heroes" story. http://tinyurl.com/mzpuyo8 http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigation/our-colored-heroes/ (2 weeks ago)