THE TRAIL DRIVERS OF TEXAS

The Trail Drivers of Texas is a collection of narrative sketches of early cowboys and their experiences in driving herds of cattle through the unfenced Texas prairies to northern markets. They are true narratives told by the cowpunchers who experienced the long rides.

In total, there are more than 300 independent narratives contained in Trail Drivers, a book of over 1000 pages. The writers of these narratives represent only about one percent of the cowboys who rode the trails to deliver some five to ten million head of cattle between the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century.


The volume is edited by J. Marvin Hunter and published under the direction of George W. Saunders, president of the Old Time Trail Drivers’ Association. This on-line version is based on the second edition originally printed in 1925 by Cokesbury Press.

Unlike other on-line books presented by Lone Star Junction, this edition retains the pagination found in the original 1925 printing. Thus, the indexing and formatting are also somewhat different than our other on-line books. To maintain an overall perspective of the book layout and flow, it is recommended that two windows be used on your computer (one for the master “Contents” page below and one for the narrative section in which you are reading.

Lone Star Junction wants to especially thank William Greer for providing the scanning and proofing this on-line version. We hope that you enjoy the narratives.

Above Image: George W. Saunders,
President and Organizer of Old Time Trail Drivers’ Association

About Lyman

Lyman Hardeman has held a deep interest in Texas history. He spent his youth in College Station, Texas and received a degree in Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M in 1966. In 1995, Lyman created Lone Star Junction, a popular Texas history website that later merged with TexasProud.com. Lyman is a life member of the Texas State Historical Association and the author of Texas A&M The First 25 Years.