Trail Drivers of Texas, Texas Classics

“For 60 years, [it] has been considered the most monumental single source on the old-time Texas trail drives north to Kansas and beyond.” —The Dallas Morning News

These are the chronicles of the trail drivers of Texas—those rugged men and, sometimes, women—who drove cattle and horses up the trails from Texas to northern markets in the late 1800s. Gleaned from members of the Old Time Trail Drivers’ Association, these hundreds of real-life stories—some humorous, some chilling, some rambling, all interesting—form an invaluable cornerstone to the literature, history, and folklore of Texas and the West. First published in the 1920s and reissued by the University of Texas Press in 1985, this classic work is now available in an ebook edition that contains the full text, historical illustrations, and name index of the hardcover edition.

“The essential starting point for any study of Texas trail driving days. Walter Prescott Webb called it ‘Absolutely the best source there is on the cattle trail . . .’” —Basic Texas Books

“A book of recollections written by the trail drivers themselves. It has been declared that this volume will prove to be the storehouse of historians and novelists for generations.” —J. Marvin Hunter’s Frontier Times Magazine

“A collection of narrative sketches of early cowboys and their experiences in driving herds of cattle through the unfenced Texas prairies to northern markets. They are true narratives told by the cowpunchers who experienced the long rides.” —Texas Proud