The Old Buffalo Road

(About 100 Yards to the West)
    Named for its traffic in buffalo hides and bones,
this North Texas road gave subsistence to pioneers
while aiding in mass "harvest" of the American Bison.
As long as buffalo survived (providing food, shelter
and clothing) the Indians were lords of the plains.
Recognizing this, the authorities encouraged hunting.
Harvested hides were taken to market over this road.
     The buffalo and Indians gone, permanent settlers
arrived. In adverse years (while a man tried to get
a start at farming, ranching or storekeeping), bones
were salvaged and sold for grocery or seed money.
     The old road was route of hundreds of wagons
taking buffalo hides to market before 1878 and
hundreds of wagon taking bones to Wichita Falls
and Henrietta before 1890. The road came east from
the plains, near south line of Foard and Wilbarger
counties to guide the mound; then three miles east (near this marker) and south to Wichita River bridge, then to the county line three miles west of Holliday.
Next it passed the north edge of Holliday, and south
of Lake Wichita, then crossed at the old Van Dorn
crossing five miles south of Jolly. Pioneers also
called it "Great North" Road or "Good Creek" Road. it
proved invaluable to economy and mapping of the area.  (1970)
     The marker is located on State Highway 25, approximately twelve miles south of Electra.
     GPS coordinates thanks to Google Earth: 33-degrees 52' 20.18" North, 98-degrees 50' 20.80" West.
     For information about the Old Buffalo Road at the Handbook of Texas Online, click the button below.