[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPENING OF THE ELLSWORTH 
                      ROUTE OF THE CHISHOLM TRAIL

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                             HON. RON ESTES

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 10, 2023

  Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th 
anniversary of the opening of the Ellsworth Route of the Chisholm 
Trail. The paths of both the main Chisholm Trail and the Ellsworth 
Route pass through the 4th Congressional District of Kansas. Throughout 
my district, communities along the trail are gearing up to celebrate 
this remarkable example of frontier courage and adventure.
  During the Civil War, longhorn cattle in Texas roamed free and 
multiplied while railroads were built across the central plains, with 
major stops in Kansas. After the war, eager to meet the growing demand 
for beef nationwide, ranchers and cowboys came west to seize this new 
opportunity. On horseback, they gathered the wild cattle herds and 
moved them north. The brave men who took up this challenge formed a 
cornerstone of the American identity and made history.
  In 1865, J.R. Mead and Jesse Chisholm established a trading post near 
the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers in Kansas, 
founding what would become modern-day Wichita. From this new 
settlement, Mr. Chisholm established a trail bringing trade goods from 
Wichita down to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma. When the 
cattle herds started coming north after the Civil War, the cowboys 
could easily follow Chisholm's route north toward the rail lines. As 
the path became world famous for its cattle drives, the nearly 1,300-
mile route became known as the Chisholm Trail.
  As stockmen and entrepreneurs continually sought better 
opportunities, another route was surveyed to access new cattle 
stockyards in Ellsworth, Kansas. When the Ellsworth trail opened in 
1873, millions of longhorns traversed both paths on their journey 
north. Along the way, small towns and outposts sprung up to provide 
supplies to the cattlemen opening up the vast swaths of the American 
West.
  Today, I want to honor the people of these cattle trail communities 
and all those who maintain the history of these trails in Kansas and 
beyond. Our nation can learn from the legacy of grit and determination 
that these cowboys left behind. Without assistance or interference from 
the government, they blazed new trails to feed the world, settle the 
frontier, and grow the American economy. On this 150th anniversary of 
the Ellsworth Route of the Chisholm Trail, let's honor this piece of 
history while encouraging the producers and entrepreneurs of today.

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