National Cattle Trails Conference

Location: Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, Cleburne, Texas

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2025
8:00 am Chuckwagon Breakfast at Old Gringo Pavilion, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum

  • Registration, Meet/Greet, Tour of Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum

10:00 am Welcome

  • Carrie Murdoch, Executive Director, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, Cleburne, Texas
  • Ron Wilson, Poet Lariat of Kansas, President of Historic Cattle Trails Consortium
  • Bob Saul, MC, recognition of guests and introduction of the six affiliated historic trail organizations
    • Shawnee Cattle Trail
    • Goodnight-Loving Trail, Inc.
    • Texas Chisholm Trail Association, Inc.
    • International Chisholm Trail Association, Inc.
    • Great Western Cattle Trail Association, Inc.
    • Western Cattle Trail Association, Inc.

10:40 am Working Sessions: Sharing of Partnership Goals — Bob Saul, MC
Efforts of cooperation and partnership to promote the legacy and value of the historic cattle trails have been hindered by misinformation, disagreement over trail routes, and confusion over scope and modern trail names. Congressional legislation to achieve 'historic trail' designation has been stalled for 16 years. Our purpose is to come together for the common good of all the historic cattle trails.

The following working sessions are designed to:

  • elicit input of both what has been done and what is planned by each trail organization.
  • foster discussion of activities, ideas, and procedures that will help each trail organization develop measurable goals plus share in reaching common goals for the good of all.
  • encourage participants in each trail organization to become more involved locally and nationally.
  1. Long-term goals for 2026 and beyond
    1. Increase heritage tourism by fostering and promoting local events in trail towns
    2. Develop relationships to provide opportunities for all entities along the trails
    3. Increase membership in each trail organization
  2. Short-term goals 2025-2026
    1. Create stand-alone marketing pieces for the trails
    2. Work with state and local tourism entities to cross-promote the trails
    3. Feature events/attractions in travel guides and local publications
  3. Action steps: Preserve and promote the legacy and importance of the trails
    1. Document trail markers, monuments and historic locations
    2. Develop audio tours for travelers — Steve Myers
    3. Increase awareness of the basic history of the trails
  4. Report on legislative support for potential designation of historic cattle trails as National Historic Trails. —Ron Wilson

11:40 am Chuckwagon Lunch at Old Gringo Pavilion, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum

1:00 pm Welcome Back

  • Carrie Murdoch, Executive Director, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, Cleburne, Texas
  • Ron Wilson, Poet Lariat of Kansas, President of Historic Cattle Trails Consortium
  • Bob Saul, MC, recognition of guests and the six affiliated historic trail organizations
    • Shawnee Cattle Trail
    • Goodnight-Loving Trail, Inc.
    • Texas Chisholm Trail Association, Inc.
    • International Chisholm Trail Association, Inc.
    • Great Western Cattle Trail Association, Inc.
    • Western Cattle Trail Association, Inc.
  • Sid Miller, Texas Secretary of Agriculture
    — GO TEXAN®
  • Richard McCaslin, PhD, Director of Publications, Texas State Historical Association
    — The Cattle Kingdom Sprawled Across the West: The trails that linked the 'breeding grounds' of Texas to the 'shipping grounds' of Kansas to the 'grazing grounds' of the Northern Great Plains drove the economic recovery of post-Civil War Texas and integration into the national economy.

    2:45 pm Break

    3:00 pm Speakers

    • W. W. "Bill" Caruth III, descendant of Dallas pioneer real-estate family
      — Shawnee Trail
    • Frank Sharp, Official Texas Longhorn Herd, Fort Griffin State Park
      — The Texas Longhorn, From Distinction to Extinction: The importance of these Spanish cattle in the Americas from their arrival with Columbus through the great trail drives to today's need and efforts to preserve pure-bred longhorns.
    • Jim Hodges, Author of Texas Longhorns, A Short Essay
      — A Tribute to the Drovers: Texas Cattle King, James Taylor White, and the pre-Civil War era cattle drives that led the way for the post-Civil War era cattle drives. Highlighting some of the drovers, their trails, and their contributions to the development of America.

    5:00 pm Opportunity to attend Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering in Fort Worth Stockyards (separate ticket required)

    SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2025
    8:00 am Chuckwagon Breakfast at Old Gringo Pavilion, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum

    9:00 am Welcome Back

    • Carrie Murdoch, Executive Director, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, Cleburne, Texas
    • Ron Wilson, Poet Lariat of Kansas, President of Historic Cattle Trails Consortium
    • Bob Saul, MC, recognition of guests and the six affiliated historic trail organizations
      • Shawnee Cattle Trail
      • Goodnight-Loving Trail, Inc.
      • Texas Chisholm Trail Association, Inc.
      • International Chisholm Trail Association, Inc.
      • Great Western Cattle Trail Association, Inc.
      • Western Cattle Trail Association, Inc.
    • Greetings from civic leaders
      • Tracy Thomas, Cleburne Visitors Bureau, President
      • Blake Jones, Cleburne Mayor Pro-Tem, City Councilman
      • Roger Williams, U.S. Congressman (letter/video)
      • Helen Kerwin, Texas State Representative
    • Stephen Walker, retired, Texas Department of Transportation
      — 2014 Texas Chisholm Trail Marker Restoration Project
    • Steve Myers, Vice President, Texas Chisholm Trail Association, Fort Worth, Texas
      — Trail Drivers of Texas and Peter Preston Ackley: Trail driver who spearheaded marking the Chisholm Trail and an 1880s International Cattle Trail in the 1930s from Mexico to Canada
    • Brad Patterson, Director, Division of Community Heritage, Texas Historical Commission
      — Texas Historic Tourism
    • Glenn Murray, horse breeder, PRCA, ranches in Comanche, Texas and Nebraska
      — Story of Charles Alonzo Kennaday: His great-grandfather, who rode several of the cattle trails.
    • Jerry Baird, world champion chuckwagon cook and rancher
      — Cooking for Some of the Big Ranches; Ranching and Today's Cattle Industry
    • Academy of Western Artists presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Michael Martin Murphey
      — Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the song "Wildfire"
    • Michael Martin Murphey — What Inspired Me to Sing Cowboy Music

    11:30 am Closing

    • Historic Cattle Trails Consortium and Cattle Trails Showcase — Ron Wilson, President, HCTC
    • 2026 National Cattle Trails Conference, Sedalia, Missouri — Doug Kiburz, Shawnee Trail
    • Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, Cleburne, Texas — Carrie Murdoch, Executive Director

    12:00 pm Chuckwagon Lunch at Old Gringo Pavilion, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum

    1:00 pm – Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum OR Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering, Fort Worth Stockyards

    3:00 pm – Meet/greet Michael Martin Murphey at Old Gringo Boot Store, 140 E Exchange, Stockyards

    get your conference tickets now