Historical Marker
Jones-Plummer Trail
Beaver County · Oklahoma
Erected by Beaver County Historical Society and Oklahoma Historical Society, 1983
Charles Edward Jones was known as Dirty Face. The route ran 168 miles from Dodge City to Mobeetie, Texas, crossing the Cimarron at Miles Landing in Meade County, Kansas. Jones spaced the watering places closer together than most trails did and picked smoother ground, but the six running-stream crossings were the danger, and in flood the Cimarron could widen to four hundred yards of quicksand. Towns along the way had the road moved to run down their own main streets. The Santa Fe reached Dodge City on New Year's Day 1888, and the ruts were soon forgotten.
What the plaque says
Jones-Plummer Trail In early 1870s C. E. (Ed) Jones and Joe Plummer blazed historic trail which is an important part of Oklahoma Panhandle's rich heritage. These two pioneers established trading post on Wolf Creek in central Ochiltree County, Texas, south of Beaver. Supplies for post were first hauled from Dodge City, Kansas railhead by wagon over trail to Fort Supply and then westward to site. Later, Jones scouted new more direct route across what later became Bea- ver County. Buffalo hides, major trade item for Jones and Plummer, were first cargo over new route which bore their names. Critical supplies for Generals Nelson Miles and Philip Sheridan were brought over the trail to support famous 1874 campaign against Plains Indians. Mater- ials hauled down trail to build Fort Elliott in north- west Wheeler County, Texas, which then became southern terminus. Later, thousands of cattle were herded over trail to Dodge City for rail transport to eastern markets. Midway of trail, near Beaver River crossing, James Lane built sod house in 1880 and established station to accommodate teamsters and cowboys using this road near this point on south side of river. Section of rutted trail later became Beaver's Main Street. Beaver County Historical Society 1983 Oklahoma Historical Society
Where it stands
36.80718, -100.52052 · Directions
Worth the stop nearby
- Mid-America Air Museum — 29 miMore than 100 aircraft in a former Beechcraft plant on the old Liberal Army Airfield, where nearly a third of all B-24 Liberator command pilots trained during World War II.