Festivities to mark the historic anniversary planned

Ellsworth’s historic cowtown days were recalled Saturday during a cold and blustery afternoon dedication of a historic maker at W. North Street and Colorado Street — the site of the Kansas Pacific Railway stock yards.

The dedication marked Ellsworth’s Cox Cut-Off of the historic Chisholm Trail and the start of activities from now to October to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the trail.

Ellsworth Mayor Dan Finnegan said it was moments like this that he really likes about Ellsworth.

“You keep history alive and the color and the beauty of that lifestyle and that culture,” Finnegan told the crowd of about 20 people gathered for the dedication, noting the hard work and dedication put forth daily by the volunteers of the Ellsworth County Historical Society.

Dennis Katzenmeier, portraying Ira E. Lloyd, a prominent Ellsworth lawyer in the 1870s, said April 15 commemorates the day the Union Pacific Railroad made the decision in 1873 to survey a new trail to Ellsworth, which broke off from the Old Chisholm Trail to Pond Creek in Indian Territory.

Katzenmeier said the trail’s original name was the Ellsworth Cattle Trail, but it picked up the nickname “Cox’s Trail” as well as the nickname “Cox’s Cut-Off ” of the trail that originally went to Abilene.

“We’re extremely happy to do this,” Katzenmeier said. “It’s a great time in history.”

He noted events will also hopefully take place in the future further down the trail in Ellinwood, Kingman and at Pond Creek.

Katzenmeier then read a proclamation signed by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly proclaiming the significance of April 15 to the trail, after which refreshments were served at the Ellsworth County Historical Complex.

Poet laureate Ron Wilson of the Lazy T Ranch, in Manhattan, wrote the following poem to mark the occasion, titled “The Cox Trail to Ellsworth.”

Today we are in Ellsworth, to proudly commemorate A historic western landmark in the history of our state.

The original Ellsworth Stock Yards were built here in 1869, Where buyers’ and sellers’ interests would intertwine. Cattle trading started slow, as history depicts, Because of southern Plains Indian conflicts. But the Kansas Pacific Railroad saw an opportunity Which would have a huge impact on the Ellsworth community.

Railroad agent William Cox was the one who set out To survey and map a new trail drive route. From where the Chisholm Trail came up to Pond Creek, It would head to the northwest, a better route for to seek.

Past Ellinwood & Kingman, Ellsworth was the final destination.

And the Ellsworth Route had achieved its creation. As Route, Branch, or Trail, it might have a different name, But the title Cox Cut-Off would have an excellent claim.

Whatever the title, it made history, As it brought longhorn cattle to the Ellsworth community.

The western history of Ellsworth is fabulous, As this town became known as the Longhorn Metropolis.

So, after 150 years, it’s like historic rebirth, Dedicating this marker of the Cox Trail to Ellsworth. Saturday’s dedication was presented by the National Drovers Hall of Fame Association, the Ellsworth County Historical Society and the International Chisholm Trail Association.