Frisco in Collin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Tribes and Trails
Photographed by James Hulse, July 9, 2026
1. Tribes and Trails Marker
Long before the City of Frisco existed, American Indians including the Wichita, Tonkawa and a few small bands of the Delaware called North Texas home. Comanches, Apaches, Kickapoos, and Kiowa also occasionally traveled here from the west to trade and hunt. All of these tribes were nomadic hunter-gatherers who moved their villages around throughout the year to be near the plants that were in season and herds of animals they hunted.
The Shawnee Trail
The Shawnee Trail was the earliest and easternmost route used to drive Texas longhorn cattle to railheads and markets in the northern states. Originally used by American Indian hunters and early pioneers to Texas, cattle drivers began using the trail in the early 1840s. Traveling 10-15 miles each day, a drive could take several months from start to finish to allow cattle the opportunity to rest and graze so they wouldnt lose weight during the long march.
By the late 1850s, cattle drivers were met with protests from farmers in the states they passed through because the longhorns carried ticks bearing a disease that became known as Texas Fever. The ticks were devastating
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The Civil War in the 1860s halted most of the cattle drives along the Shawnee Trail. Following the war, cattle drives resumed along with hostilities between the drivers and the farmers. To avoid the violence resulting from these conflicts, trails further to the west were formed, expanded, and preferred. By the 1880s, the Shawnee Trail was no longer used for cattle. In total, the Shawnee Trail operated as a cattle trail for 51 years.
Locally, a major Shawnee Trail outpost was setup in the town of Lebanon, located near modern-day Preston Road and State Highway 121. It was a booming town with a wild and wooly reputation. Lebanon flourished until 1902 when the railroad arrived, and the center of commerce moved three miles north to the new town of Frisco. The town of Lebanon now lies within the footprint of the City of Frisco as does a small segment of the Shawnee Trail.
Call it a buffalo trail or the Texas Trail, Preston White Rock Road, an immigrant trail of the Divide Road. Or call it the Cattle Trail,
Photographed by James Hulse, July 9, 2026
2. Tribes and Trails Marker
Tonkawa Village, Photo credit: Frisco Heritage Museum
In Summer, Kiowa, Rinehart, F.A., Boston Public Library
During the spring, summer, and fall, the Wichita people settled in North Texas to farm and hunt. They used the abundant prairie grass of the area to make tall grass houses. These houses could accommodate a family of 10 to 12 people. Photo credit: University of North Texas Libraries
Shawnee Trail Cattle Drive, Anita Pauwels / Central Park, Frisco, TX, Photo credit: Martin Iles
Facts with Walnut
The Caddo were another tribe that lived in Texas. The name of our state comes from a Caddoan word, Taysha, meaning friend or ally. It was spelled by the Spanish as Tejas, and English-speaking settlers later spelled it as Texas.
Erected by City of Frisco.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.
Location. 33° 9.332′ N, 96° 48.804′ W. Marker is in Frisco, Texas, in Collin County. It is on McKinney Road east of Sycamore Street. The marker is located in the Frisco Commons Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8000 McKinney Rd, Frisco TX 75033, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Private Cecil Cleveland Waldrum (within shouting distance of this marker); Purple Heart (within shouting distance of this marker); History of the Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Seaman First Class Richard Lloyd Bolton (within shouting distance of this marker); 1948 Veterans Memorial Urn (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); WWII Flyboy (about 300 feet away); Battlefield Cross (about 300 feet away); City of Frisco (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Frisco.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 17, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
