A Bride On The Old Chisholm Trail?

A Bride On The Old Chisholm Trail In 1886 is a historical fiction novel written by Mary Taylor Bunton, set in the late 19th century. The story follows Emma, a young woman who travels from her home in the East to join her fianc in the West. Along the way, she faces numerous challenges and adventures as she journeys down the famous cattle trail known as the Chisholm Trail.

Mrs. Bunton, a young bride, took great pleasure in going to her husband’s ranch after their honeymoon to Northern and Eastern points was over. The Chisholm Trail was used between 1867 and 1884 as the major thoroughfare for Texas longhorn cattle en route to markets north of the Lone Star State. In those years, between six to eight million head of cattle passed up the trail and the novel tells the story of Emma’s journey.

The book is part of the collection entitled: Women’s Lives in the Southwest and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries. The final, and perhaps most influential reason that popular culture refers to all cattle drives as going up the Chisholm Trail is the song born of those drives called, “The Old Chisholm Trail.” The lyrics date back to the 1870s, and the tune to the 1600s. Gene Autry, Bing Crosby, Randy Travis, and Michael Martin Murphey have all lent their vocal stylings to the song.

Mary Bunton cataloged her experiences on the trail in her book A Bride on the Old Chisholm Trail in 1886. She only rode the trail one time but worked the Bar S Ranch with her husband for many years.