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Shackelford County was an unorganized and largely unsettled county of 914 square miles when Oliver Loving (1812-1867) and Charles Goodnight (1836-1929) engaged in cattle drives through the region between 1866 and 1867 along what would become their namesake trail. Their success driving cattle to market in New Mexico and Colorado inspired many cattlemen to traverse the trail, ranking the trail third in the volume of cattle driven to market annually between 1866 and 1875. Portions of what became known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail were originally blazed by the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, also known as Southern Overland Mail, which operated between 1858-1861. This route crossed from the northeast corner of the county diagonally toward the southwest, nearly dividing the county into equal parts. Smith's Station, located on Chimney Creek west of Albany, was the only station in Shackelford County. Segments of the Butterfield route were explored by the U.S. Army in the late 1840s and early 1850s as its troops followed the advancing frontier. The trail differed from those that travel to northern markets, as it traversed through desert and over mountain passes, subjecting the herd and cattlemen to raids and environmental hardships. In addition, cattle on the Goodnight-Loving Trail were delivered directly to markets as opposed to railheads for further transport. Both destinations, however significantly contributed to the state's post-Civil War economy. The cattleman legacy in Shackelford County, born along the Goodnight-Loving Trail, contributed to the formation and development of the county and remains a significant part of its identity. (2017) |
