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This narrow strip of sandy timberland, called "The Eastern Cross Timbers", separates the Blackland Prairie and the Grand Prairie. It covers about one million acres. Indians camped here because the mild climate, good soil, frequent rains and nearby prairies supported large herds of buffalo and horses. There were salt licks, fresh water springs, trees for fuel, and good grass. They also found game for food and hides. West of the Grand Prairie, covering about 2.7 million acres, is "The Western Cross Timbers". During the 18th century Wichita Indians, of Caddoan stock roamed this area. Southern plains tribes, such as the Kiowa and the Comanche, often wintered here and traded with them. Cultural exchanges occurred here as trade routes developed between flint sources in the south and tribes from the north. By 1720 French traders came. They opened the trading posts and bartered with the Indians. The Spanish moved through, traveling to their Mission outposts. Settlement in the 1840s by Anglo-Americans led to clashes. A turning point came on May 24, 1841, with the battle of Village Creek, a few miles west of this site. The Indians withdrew to the west, leaving the land to the white settlers. (1979) |
