Border Queen Caldwell: Toughest Town on the Chisholm Trail

by Bill O'Neal

The Wild West thrived for more than two decades in Caldwell, Kansas. Throughout the 1870s Caldwell was a lawless, unincorporated village astride the storied Chisholm Trail. Located just north of the Kansas state line, the Border Queen was the first semblance of a town seen by drovers after long weeks of shoving their herds through Indian Territory. The raucous trail town offered whiskey and women to legions of dusty cowboys, while inevitably becoming the site of shootouts and lynchings.
In 1880 railroad tracks reached Caldwell, and the Border Queen boomed as the last railhead on the Chisholm Trail, succeeding Abilene, Newton, and Wichita. Shanghai Pierce, Col. Joseph G. McCoy, and other cattle kings often were seen on the streets of the Border Queen, and so were such other western notables as Charlie Siringo and young buffalo hunter Wyatt Earp. Continuing violence in Caldwell finally was tamed by city marshal Henry Brown but Marshal Brown and his deputy were lynched after pulling a murderous bank robbery in a neighboring community.
Although the Chisholm Trail closed in 1885, for several more years Caldwell retained its cattle town status as headquarters for the Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association. And before settling into a quiet existence as a wheat farming center, Caldwell enjoyed one last Wild West adventure as a launching point for the spectacular Cherokee Strip Land Rush.

254 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2008

About the author

Bill O’Neal is an American historian of the West, author of more than 25 books and hundreds of articles, longtime Panola College professor, frequent documentary contributor, and recipient of the 2003 NOLA Literary Award.

Reviews

[Morghan Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at a period of Kansas/Oklahoma Territory history in the late 1800's. The courage of settlers, the dangers of a life on the unsettled prairie, and how justice was meted out on the lawbreakers during this time period were very interesting. As a Kansas resident, all the places written about are familiar to me. This is a must read, especially for those with a love for American history. A little slow at first, but picks up steam steadily and finishes with a flourish. Highly recommended.