The Western Cattle Trail 1874-1897 by Gary and Margaret Kraisinger

Each Saturday I tell you about great items available for check out at the library.  Merry (early) Christmas everyone! We’d like to wish all our patrons a very peaceful and relaxing time this holiday season. The library will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We’ll reopen at our normal time on Saturday, December 26th.

Cattle driving was big business in Kansas in the late 1800s. The towns of Dodge City and Delano (now west Wichita) were populated around cattle drives. Trails began near ranches in Texas and went all the way to Wyoming, Montana and further points north. One of the best books on the subject is by Kansas natives Gary and Margaret Kraisinger. In 2004 they published a well-researched book named after the most well-known trail:The Western, which the library owns. 11 years later the Kraisingers have updated and expanded the original work to include the Goodnight, Shawnee, and Chisholm trails. The Western Cattle Trail, 1874-1897: Its Rise, Collapse, and Revival features reproduced source materials, over 40 photographs from the area at the time, and meticulously researched maps detailing exactly where the trail was. Mr. Kraisinger has even reproduced the text from all the local monuments along the trails. The Chisholm and Western Trails are currently up for inclusion in the National Historic Trail system.  This book will be housed as reference in our Kansas collection.

You can get  more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit.  This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”