This information was obtained from The Cass County Genealogical
Society, 1975, Vol. II, #2, pg 11-13.
TRAMMEL'S TRACE
An Early East Texas Landmark
"Trammel's Trace - an Indian trail used by the first
white settlers as their main overland route to the north, crosses
US highway 79 at 37.8 miles southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana,
near Carthage, Texas" ........from TEXAS, A GUIDE TO THE
LONE STAR STATE, published by the Texas State Highway Commission
in 1940.
"So, Jefferson was established in 1836 on land donated
by Allen Urquhart. It was on Trammel's Trace over which Sam Houston
and, later, David Crockett entered Texas." .......from JEFFERSON,
TEXAS, QUEEN OF THE CYPRESS, written by Winnie Mims Dean in 1953.
In her book CADDO LAKE, MYSTERIOUS SWAMPLAND, Mildred McClung
describes Trammel's Trace as running from the Red River on the
north, through Daingerfield, skirting Jefferson and Marshall,
across the Sabine River and on to the Gulf on the south. She
further states that the trail was cut by Gasper Trammel who was
a transportation leader. He operated the road with six and eight
mule teams as well as ox drawn wagons.
The 1947-1948 TEXAS ALMANAC has a map (on pg 289) showing
the historic travel routes of the southwest which passed through
Texas. It was drawn from date furnished by T.C. Richardson of
Dallas and shows Trammel's Trace in the included maps.
The drawing may be described as respects Trammel's Trace this
way: Trammel's Trace entered the State of Texas in the northeast
corner near what is now Texarkana. It ran southwest across what
we now call Bowie County and down the western side of Cass County.
Near Hughes Springs the Trace joined the Jonesboro-Nacogdoches
Road in a "Y" then they proceeded together to Jefferson
and Marshall. Just south to the southwest of Marshall the two
roads forked with the Jonesboro-Nacogdoches Road continuing to
Nacogdoches and Trammel's Trace proceeding southeast to Teneha
and Gaines Ferry on the Sabine River where it intersected the
El Camino Real or Old San Antonio Road.
Despite the differing opinions as to exactly where the Trace
was located, we do know the consensus of opinion places it in
Cass County as it wandered through the extreme northeast corner
of Texas. It was probably an Indian trail long before 1800 and
was simply improved and expanded by early, enterprising settlers
in this area.
