Comanche, Kiowa, Comancheros, Ranchers

Pole Canyon Ranch contains approximately 6,000 acres of beautiful caprock canyonlands. The colorful property has seen tragedy, commerce, success, and failure, and is connected with famous Texas ranchers.

Certainly, the VALLEY OF TEARS (Valle de las Lágrimas), a long, narrow swale at the intersection of the Cottonwood and Los Lingos creeks near Quitaque, has a dramatic history. Located along the northern boundary of Pole Canyon Ranch, it is surrounded on three sides by hills. The elevation drops from about 2,550 feet to almost 700 feet in the space of six or seven miles from the top of the plains to the floor of the valley. The sides of the valley are cut by steep, dark canyons, and the creek banks offer sweet grass that once drew buffalo to the area. Several miles to the west of the Quitaque Peaks, the falls of Los Lingos Creek tumble from the Caprock. According to legend, the name of the valley was suggested by some unknown person who heard the wailing of mothers and children coming from the valley in the mid-1800s, after they had been kidnapped by Indians and brought there to be separated from each other and sold. (See "Valley of Tears" by Jeanne F. Lively in the Handbook of Texas; excerpted from that entry.)

It was here that the COMANCHEROS met with the Comanche and Kiowa tribes to carry on trading activities. The Comancheros were natives of northern and central New Mexico who conducted trade for a living with the nomadic plains tribes. They were so named because the Comanches, in whose territory they traded, were considered their best customers. Journals from Coronado's expedition in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Gold mentions the trade as early as 1541.

At first many Comancheros cached their oxcarts or carretas and loaded their merchandise on burros before venturing into the trackless Comanchería. During the first decades of the Comancheros' trade, their merchandise consisted largely of beads, knives, paints, tobacco, pots and pans, and calico and other cloth, as well as the metal spikes that Indians came to prefer over flint points for their arrows. Foodstuffs such as coffee, flour, and bread were also bartered. From about 1840 on, Comanches realized the commercial value of horses and raided the frontiers of both Texas and northern Mexico to secure animals not only for themselves but for trade to the Comancheros. The rising demand for cattle in New Mexico led to further raiding. Between 1850 and 1870 thousands of animals stolen by Indians were traded by Comancheros to merchants in New Mexico and Arizona. The addition of firearms, ammunition, and whiskey to the list of trade items from New Mexico likewise added to the trade's worsening reputation.

A familiar trading site was at Las Lenguas (or Los Lingos) Creek, near the future site of Quitaque. From a typical rendezvous, during which bargaining might last as long as three weeks, a shrewd Comanchero could take back with him a mule for five pounds of tobacco or a keg of whiskey, a good pack horse for ten pounds of coffee, or a buffalo robe for little or nothing. Probably the most controversial aspect of the Comancheros' operations was the ransoming of captives, a practice dating back centuries. Comancheros often accompanied Comanches on cattle raids. Noted traders like José P. Tafoya maintained crude rock and adobe shelters at places like Las Lenguas during the 1860s. (See "Comancheros" by H. Allen Anderson in the Handbook of Texas; excerpted from that entry.) To learn more about the Comancheros, visit the Comanchero Canyons Museum in Quitaque.

In the 1840s, this area played a starring role in the tribulations experienced by the TEXAN SANTA FE EXPEDITION. This politico-military-commercial expedition of 1841 was occasioned by the Nation of Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar's desire to divert to Texas at least a part of the trade then carried over the Santa Fe Trail and, if possible, to establish Texas jurisdiction over the Santa Fe area, which the Republic of Texas claimed on the basis of an act of December 19, 1836. Lamar on his own initiative proposed an expedition to Santa Fe to establish a trade route as well as to offer the New Mexicans the opportunity of participating in the Texas government. Trade merchants started on the trek on June 19, 1841, with twenty-one ox-drawn wagons carried the supplies as well as the merchandise of the traders, valued at $200,000. A military force of five companies of infantry and one of artillery accompanied the expedition as guests. These with the merchants, teamsters, and others brought the total number to 321.

By August 20, harassed by Indians and suffering because of insufficient provisions and scarcity of water, the expedition slowly made its way to the northwest. On Quitaque Creek in the area of present town of Quitaque, unable to find a route by which the wagons could ascend the Caprock, the expedition decided (made a resolution) to divide the group, sending a party of horsemen out to seek the New Mexican settlements while the remainder waited with the wagons and the remaining force at the foot of the Llano Estacado, at a site they called Camp Resolution.

The advance party, after suffering many hardships and encountering difficult traveling in crossing Quitaque and Tule canyons, finally met some Mexican traders on September 12 and sent a guide back to lead the waiting force on into the settlements. The Texans, reduced in number and broken in health and spirit, were eventually taken captive by the Mexican army. The Texas prisoners were marched to Mexico City. They were subjected to many indignities both en route and after their imprisonment in Mexico. The affair became the subject of a heated diplomatic controversy between the United States and Mexico before most of the prisoners were finally released in April 1842. (See "Texan Santa Fe Expedition" by H. Bailey Carroll in the Handbook of Texas; excerpted from that entry.)

Pole Canyon Ranch is a part of the ranchland that the famed rancher, CHARLES GOODNIGHT, owned. The first ranch on this land was established by George and Jim Baker in 1878. Named the Quitaque Ranch after its location on Quitaque Creek, the ranch was also called the Lazy F Ranch after the brand it used. By 1882 the Quitaque Ranch covered 140,000 acres in Briscoe, Floyd, and Hall counties. It was that year that Charles Goodnight, who, at the request of his JA Ranch partner John G. Adair, was buying up most of the land around Quitaque Creek for Adair's wife, Cornelia. Goodnight purchased the ranchland at twenty-two cents an acre. At that time the ranch contained about twice the purchased acres, counting interspersed, state-owned school lands left free for grazing. After Adair died in 1885, Goodnight continued to manage the Quitaque for Mrs. Adair until December 1887, when they divided the JA property. As part of the negotiation Goodnight assumed full ownership of the Quitaque. The following year, to ease the financial strain, he sold a half-interest in the ranch to L. R. Moore of Kansas City and continued using the Lazy F brand. In 1890 Goodnight disposed of his remaining half-interest to Moore. Moore retained sole ownership of the Quitaque until 1904, when he sold the Lazy F cattle to Henry W. Cresswell and A. J. (Tony) Day. These cattle were shipped by four consecutive rail lines to pastures in Canada. Cresswell and Day then parceled out the Quitaque range to farmers, and the Lazy F brand was discontinued. (See "Quitaque Ranch" by H. Allen Anderson in the Handbook of Texas; excerpted from that entry.) The Taylor brothers, Jim and John, purchased the existing ranch land in 1911 to start their ranch operations.

---

Excerpts from the diary of J.W. (Jim) Taylor

This is part of the diary Jim Taylor kept as he and his brother, John, ventured into the Texas Panhandle in the winter of 1910 in search of a location for their new ranch. Jim, with a very limited formal education, maintained a written account of this arduous trip. Later, in the spring of 1911, Jim and John purchased property for their new ranch to be located in Briscoe and Floyd counties. Eventually, the property that Jim possessed became known as Pole Canyon Ranch.

J. W. Taylor
Knox City Texas

On Nov 23/1910 Started on wild west trip.

In Guthrie Mon 24
stayed til after dinner

Nov. 25 cut brand on matador gate FAYJ.W.T. stayed at wind mill in matador pasture. turned half way around

Nov. 26/1910 Eat dinner in Mat ador with Bill Whitman stayed all night with Jim Tye at Whiteflat

Nov 27 Eat on Pease River pased through Flomot stayed all night on Quitaque Rivver

Nov 28 Come to Quitaque P.O. eat dinner 1 ½ mi west of Quitaque stayed all night Stroup.

Nov 29 Left Stroup eat dinner half way up caprock stayed all night MacWatters

Nov 30 Left Mac Watters come through Silverton eat dinner 2 miles west crossed Tulia canyon stayed all night on plaines

Dec 1/1910 Crossed Paloduro Canyon stayed all night just under cap rock roughest place I ever saw looks like rain got no water dry as a fish

Dec 2 Eat dinner in Claude went 7 ½ mi north stayed all night in Conway

Dec 3 Eeat dinner in Panhandle stayed all evening and all night

Dec 4 was Sund ay and a long one to me in town all day

Dec 5 Stayed all day in Panh- andle --- started to Cannadian River but was to windy and cold

Dec 6 Come out to Mr Merchant was sure cold

Dec. 7. Looked at the cows all day lots of good water but don't like the count ry verry well will leave tomorrow for Plemons.

Dec 8 Come down river to Plemons and stayed all night

Dec 9 left Plemons come a bout 18 mi stayed all night in S. B. Burnetts pasture saw some pretty good count- ry

Dec 10 Left 6666 pasture come throug gh Panhandle about twelve o'clock come through Conway stayed all night in Claude

Dec 11 Left Claude come to Palladuro canyon eat dinner come about 3 mi south and stayed all night at old windmill

Dec 12 Eeat dinner in Tulia Canyon come to Silverton stayed all night and it was cold and cloudy looks like snow

Dec 13 Stayed all day in Silverton was a bad day cloudy and misting rain sleeted some

Dec 14 Stayed in Silverton till after dinner went out to McWatters in the evening

Dec 15 Stayed all day with McWatters went down and watch -ed him get wood out with his border

Dec 16 Went down and looked at the ladder pasture nothing doing it was sure enough country was on the head of little red got down with it awful bad

Dec 17 Left McWatters come under cap rock eat dinner come on south saw some good country stayed all night. close to some old coggers house his name was Potter an old friend of Papa and Mamas.

Dec 18 Went and looked at Askeys pasture it looks pretty good to me it's the best thing we have struck expec -it will buy it it is pretty rough but good grass country but aint no place to build much

Dec 19 Went back and looked at Askeys pasture but don't know what will do will go over and see him tomorrow

Dec 20 Went to Quitaque stayed all day never traded any with Askey come out and stayed all night with Mr. Sutton

Dec 21 Went back Quitaque stayed all day saw Askey never traded with him left him option for 20 days come back stayed all night with Mr. Potter

Dec 22 Left Potter started back south come thro-ug Flomot and Whiteflat stayed all night in Matador

Dec 23 Left Matador come through Duno (??) nt stayed allnight in Guthrie

Dec 24 Stayed in Guthrie till after dinner went home in the evening

On Jan 4 th 1911 Left home started to Briscoe County eat dinner with Red Mitchell went through Guthrie stayed all night with Jim Finley

Jan 5 1911 Left Jim Finleys went to John Bess for dinner then to Matador and sayed all night

Jan 6 1911 Stayed in Matador and had my horse shod left there went to Whiteflat eat dinner with Jim Tie at store come out to widow Latham place and looked at it. it was to high for us went on and stayed all night with Jack Fish

Jan 7 1911 Left Jack Fish went to Mr Potters for dinner then to Quitaq-ue in the evening come back to Mr Potters stayed all night Lige Freman was there also

Jan 8 1911 Rode in the Askey pasture til dinner liked it all right eat dinner with Potter went to Quitaque in the eve stayed all night with Askey

Jan 9 1911 Left Mr Askey went to Silverton to fix up papers with Askey on land drew up contract with him dident get abstract up don't no when he will may 3 or 4 days yet

Jan 10 1911 Stayed in Silverton all day had sand storm from south west and it sure dusty and bad

Jan 11 1911 Left Silverton come to Lockney had another sand sorm from south west rode all day without dinner stayed all night with two old people in Lockney. had lots to eat nice place stay

Jan 12 1911 Left Lockney went to Floydada seen Massie eat dinner come about 12 mi stayed all night with a Mr Miers nice place had family prayer they were Virginia Duch

Jan 13 1911 Left Mr Miers come to Mr Davis eat dinner then went and looked at a house on Plains from there to Mr Stroups stayed all night

Jan 14. 1911 Left Mr Stroups come to Quitaque stayed all day it was about (???) days long stayed all night at Hotell had some music but not much to eat

Jan 15. 1911 Stayed all day in Quitaque eat dinner at hotell stayed all night with Mr Askey

Jan 16. 1911 Stayed all day in Quitaque are waiting for Mr. Askey to fix up papers on land

Jan 17. 1911 Are still in Quitaque waiting on papers on land from Austin every day seems like it was a week long

McAdams
$282.80 Lumber CO

Lockney Lumber. C.O.
$276.70
Alfalfa Lumber
$300.00
Fulton Lumber CO

In Acct with
Taylor Bros

1910
Sold mule for $100.00
one cow to Burnett 20.00
1914
sold old flaxy 115.00
sold molley bailey 110.00
1916
sold D.C 80.00
1912
sold tiger 162.50
(We know Tiger was a horse, and we think that Old Flaxy, Molley Bailey, and D.C. were, too.)