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Blood & Treasure

Our Trail Guide through the facility is Buck Taylor. Buck (the audio-visual narrator) is a former star of the Gunsmoke television series as well as numerous western movies. He will explain what is being shown in various segments of the historical experience. In the Welcome Theater, Buck introduces visitors to the Spirit Guides found throughout the facility.

A Wild Land

For almost 15,000 years before the Texas Frontier was settled, humans traveled through this region on foot. But this was no place to make a permanent home. It was a harsh land, and each day was a life or death struggle. Climate alternated between ice ages, and torrid heat and drought cycles. One culture after another disappeared from the ravages of weather, wild animals or human enemies.

Comanche Empire

Riding on recently acquired horses, the Comanche hunted, traded, and made war across a huge expanse of the Southwest. Mobility, as well as economic and militaristic supremacy, made them the first culture to sustain dominance of the frontier Texas region. The Comanche were formidable enough to block European expansion into their homeland for over 150 years, a feat no other Native American tribe achieved.

Buffalo Hide Trade

The discovery that buffalo hides were suitable for industrial leather created an industry that transformed frontier Texas. Soon after the Civil War, eastern capitalists ordered as many buffalo hides as could be supplied. Hunters responded, first decimating the herds on the Northern Plains, and then coming after the millions of Texas buffalo. A government treaty protected the Texas buffalo for Indians, but hunters ignored it.

Military

The first U.S. military forts were established after the Mexican-American War to prevent the Comanche, now wards of the U.S., from raiding into Mexico. As more Anglos pushed westward, conflict between Indians and settlers grew. Additional forts were built along ever-westward lines to help control the Indians. In 1871, an Indian attack on the Warren Wagon Train near Graham, Texas, led to a government change in Indian policy––from peacekeeping to one of containment or eradication.

Cowboys

Texans began to drive the longhorns across open range and the Indian Territory to railheads in Kansas for shipment to eastern markets. Hundreds of herds of cattle were driven up trails to the existing railheads, as a Texas steer worth $3 could be sold at a railhead for $30. Cowboys were paid well for the hard, dangerous trip and herd owners often amassed fortunes. In less than 25 years, cowboys drove millions of cattle out of Texas over the cattle trails.

Settlements

As more soldiers, trail drivers, buffalo hunters and other pioneers came into the area, ramshackle settlements grew up on the frontier. Some settlements grew up around the frontier forts, while others developed as trading posts where buffalo hunters could sell hides and resupply their crews. These frontier outposts attracted everyone looking to make a buck

Experience Theatre

The history of this place was shaped by a special breed of people. Their stories live on because that spirit lives on, so it don’t take much magic to bring those folks back to life. When you see ‘em along the trail, think of ‘em as your Spirit Guides. And you’ll see most of ‘em again in the Experience Theater at the end of the trail, so make sure that you don’t miss it.

Guns of the West

For centuries gunpowder weapons had been changing the course of battles around the globe. Each culture that gained the knowledge of gunpowder experimented with ways to improve its efficiency as a tool of hunting and war. The demand for firearms from settlers moving westward across the plains helped lay the foundation for an American arms industry that would eventually fuel a bloody Civil War.

Featured event

WEST TEXAS WINE FESTIVAL | OCTOBER 17, 2026 | 11 AM – 5 PM

Join us for the fourth annual West Texas Wine Festival, a fundraising event supporting Frontier Texas. There will be music, food trucks, wineries, and more to enjoy during the festival (located at the Frontier Texas Outdoor Parade Grounds). For more information on how to support this fundraiser or purchase tickets, please contact Whitney Herrington at whitney@frontiertexas.com.

Featured event

SATURDAY, MARCH 2 | Doors Open at 6 P.M.

Join us for special, one-night-only fundraising event on Texas Independence Day! This year, as we continue to raise funds for our Facility Expansion Campaign, we have invited to the talented, Emmy-nominated actor, Barry Corbin to help celebrate the evening with a one-man show.

Frontier texas is the perfect venue for your event

The museum facilities are available for rental after hours for receptions, parties, and more. The lobby is available inside and over 75,000 square feet is available outside (most fenced, some covered).

History Resources:

Want to learn more about the history of the area you live in? Take a look through some of our resources on Texas!

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Become a Frontier Texas Member and show your support of the museum. You will receive benefits for you and your family. The annual standard membership benefits include:

The general Store

The General Store at Frontier Texas! carries all your Texas souvenirs including books, t-shirts, jewelry, canned goods, and unique items made by local artisans.

Featured event

Featured event

Frontier texas is the perfect venue for your event

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