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Famous Cattle Towns

Baxter Springs, Kansas: The First Cow Town to Receive Texas Herds

Baxter Springs took Texas cattle when Missouri closed its doors, then watched the railroad end the trade.

Where did Baxter Springs begin?

The Osage used the area's mineral springs on their way to summer hunting grounds. In spring 1849 the Rev. John Baxter moved his family from Missouri to 160 acres near Spring River and opened Baxter's Place, an inn and general store, according to Legends of America's Baxter Springs history. Baxter was killed in a property dispute in 1859, and the town itself was laid out on 80 acres in 1865 by Captain M. Mann and J.J. Barnes. Some references date the town to 1858, so sources differ on its founding.

The Civil War reached the area first. Fort Blair was established in spring 1862 to guard against Confederate attacks, and on October 6, 1863, Quantrill's guerrillas struck the fort and then a contingent of troops led toward Fort Smith by Gen. James G. Blunt. Nearly 100 Union soldiers were killed and are buried in the Baxter Springs Cemetery.

Why did Texas cattle come to Baxter Springs?

After the war Baxter Springs became a cattle outlet when Missouri closed to Texas cattle because of quarantines. The Kansas Historical Society reports that Texas drives reached Baxter Springs in 1866 with large herds and a rowdy cowboy crowd. Profits were low that year, and fewer herds came the following year.

Legends of America's Kansas cowtown survey places Baxter Springs as the first Kansas cowtown to develop and says it stayed a cattle outlet through the 1870s, with herds coming up the old Shawnee Trail. The two sources agree on the beginning but differ on how long the trade lasted, and the Legends of America survey adds more on the wild reputation.

Saloons, stockyards and trouble

Stockyards at Baxter Springs could hold about 20,000 cattle. Cowboys frequented the town's many saloons, and public hangings, gunfights and brawls became common. The town was incorporated in 1868 with about 1,500 residents.

The sources reviewed do not give specific cattle counts for 1866 or 1867, so no figures are offered here. The trade was real, but its scale cannot be pinned down from the pages consulted.

What Made It Work

Baxter Springs was early rather than lasting, and the record explains both parts.

Its story also shows how a cattle town could rise and fall with a single railroad.

  • It was in the right place when Missouri quarantine laws closed that state to Texas cattle.
  • It built stockyards able to hold roughly 20,000 head.
  • It was among the earliest Kansas towns to take Texas drives, in 1866.
  • It courted a railroad with municipal money: the city issued $150,000 in bonds to attract the Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad.
  • It reached about 6,000 residents by 1872, up from about 1,500 at incorporation.
  • The cost was volatility: the town lost most of its population within a few years once the cattle trade moved on.

How did the railroad end the cattle trade?

The Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad arrived on May 12, 1870, after the city issued $150,000 in bonds to attract it. The town had about 6,000 residents by 1872. The railroad later pushed south into Texas, and the cattle industry died.

By 1876 the population had fallen to about 800. The Kansas Historical Society adds that by the mid-1880s rail lines reached directly into Texas, quarantine laws closed the open range, and the drives ended by 1885.

Baxter Springs after the cattle

The town became a health spa for a time. On April 19, 1876, James-Younger Gang members Charlie Pitts and Bill Chadwell robbed the Crowell Bank of almost $3,000. Lead and zinc mining began in the late 1800s and drew residents back, though the springs stopped drawing bathers.

Route 66 arrived in 1926, mining ended in the 1970s, and the town now has about 4,500 residents. For more on trail towns, read the ranching pages at farm.FM and a farm.FM story about the Shawnee Trail.

Timeline

  1. 1849Rev. John Baxter opens Baxter's Place
  2. 1863Quantrill's guerrillas attack Fort Blair on October 6
  3. 1865Town laid out on 80 acres
  4. 1866Texas herds reach Baxter Springs
  5. 1868Town incorporated with about 1,500 residents
  6. 1870Railroad arrives on May 12
  7. 1872Population about 6,000
  8. 1876Population about 800

Frequently asked questions

Was Baxter Springs the first Kansas cow town?

It is widely called the first Kansas cowtown. The Kansas Historical Society reports Texas herds reached it in 1866, and Legends of America calls it the first cowtown to develop in the state.

Why did Texas cattle go to Baxter Springs?

Missouri closed to Texas cattle because of quarantines, so herds were directed to Baxter Springs, whose stockyards could hold about 20,000 head. Profits were low in 1866 and fewer herds came in 1867.

What ended the Baxter Springs cattle trade?

The railroad arrived in 1870 and later pushed south into Texas, so herds no longer needed to be walked north. By 1876 the town's population had fallen to about 800.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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