"The Trailboss"

Walton & Taylor Mercantile
"The Trailboss"

Murry Walton went to Texas before the War Between the States and at some point became involved in the cattle business, like almost everybody else in Texas at the time.

Contrary to what passes for "common knowledge" in these modern times, the practice of trailing large herds out of Texas to beef hungry markets did not begin in 1866. Trail herds went to New Orleans as early as the late 1830's, and up to St.Louis and even Chicago by the late 1840's on "The Texas Trail", also called "The Shawnee Trail".

The most amazing trail drives were those made from Texas to San Francisco to feed the '49ers. Compared to these now all but forgotten great early trail drives, the post war drives to Kansas seem almost tame.