Our last full day in Waco, was spent strolling along the Brazos Riverwalk Waco Texas. It was a glorious warm sunny day with a brisk breeze. Perfect for taking in some amazing scenery.
Welcome to the Brazos Riverwalk Waco Texas
This area of Waco was absolutely gorgeous! The Brazos Riverwalk meanders along the Brazos River and pays tribute to the cattle drivers who followed the Chisholm Trail to get their cattle to market in Oklahoma and Kansas.
The Cowboy
The Chisholm Trail was used as a wagon and livestock route after the Civil War to drive cattle from ranches in Southern Texas, across the Red River into Native American Territory, then ultimately northward to railroad stations in Kansas.
Texas Longhorn
This trail was created by using a pathway that was established by Black Beaver in 1861 along with a wagon road set by Jesse Chisholm around 1864. The Chisholm Wagon Road started from the Chisholm’s trading post on the south Canadian River to the Cimarron River crossing, to the Arkansas River at what would become Wichita where Chisholm had another trading post. From there it continued north to Abilene Kansas. Eventually, by 1869, the entire route from Texas to Kansas became known as the Chisholm Trail.
Drover and Longhorn by sculptor Robert Summers
Texas rancher used the Trail to have their cowboys run cattle drives from either San Antonio or the Rio Grande area. Once they crossed into the Oklahoma Territory they continued north to sell their cattle and ship them eastward.
Trail Boss and Longhorn by sculptor Robert Summers
Back in 1866, cattle in Texas were only worth $4 per head. However in the North and East those same cattle went for over $40 per head. The Civil War had created a lack of market access, which resulted in an overstock of cattle in Texas.
Cattle Drive across the Waco Bridge
Joseph G. McCoy built stockyards in Abilene, Kansas in 1867 and encouraged Texas cattlemen to drive their herds to his stockyards. Several ranchers answered the call and used the Chisholm Trail to bring a herd of 2,400 head of cattle to Abilene. It became the first herd of many to reach Kansas by way of the Chisholm Trail. In fact, it’s estimated that figure was 5,000,000 head of Texas cattle! McCoy’s stockyards became the largest stockyards west of Kansas City, Kansas, shipping 35,000 head in 1867.
The Beautiful Waco Suspension Bridge
To pay homage to this legendary journey there are magnificent life-sized sculptures of cowboys and the Texas Longhorns they drove along the trail. There is also the beautiful Waco Suspension Bridge which was the first bridge built across the Brazos River.
Part of the historic Chisholm Trail
The bridge opened on January 7, 1870, and was originally a private toll bridge. At the time it was the longest, single span suspension bridge in the world – 475 feet. In 1889 it was bought by McLennan County and made a free public thoroughfare.
Steven standing in the middle of the Waco Bridge over the Brazos River
We crossed the bridge and then back again before continuing our exploration of the Brazos Riverwalk Waco Texas.
