Red River War of 1874-1875

Red River War of 1874-1875

  • <p>Kiowa ledger drawing of Buffalo Willow battle (Texas Archeological Research laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin)</p>
  • <p>Quanah Parker</p>
  • <p>Col. Ranald Mackenzie (Texas Parks and Wildlife)</p>
  • <p>Buffalo (Texas Parks and Wildlife)</p>

Welcome to the Texas Historical Commission’s mobile tour, Red River War of 1874-1875: Clash of Cultures in the Texas Panhandle. Most people today have never heard of the Red River War, even though this conflict changed the Southern Plains, and the United States, forever. It very well may be one of America’s most significant wars.

The Texas Historical Commission conducted archeological fieldwork from 1998 to 2003 to locate and unearth battlefield artifacts at six battleground sites, shedding new light on what really happened during 10 tense months on the high Panhandle Plains. Listen to the stories of the struggle and those involved, and plan a visit to the museums and state parks included to learn more of the Red River War story.

  • Listen to the audio