The development of the Panhandle Plains depended on where people could find water. The first Native American tribes knew these important water routes like they were lifelines, and later travelers and settlers would track water sources as they discovered them. However, many of the water sources were unreliable. Nolan’s Lost Expedition in 1877 is a prime example of the importance of water on the Staked Plains and the deadly consequences of not being able to find it. Trails and trade routes crisscrossed the plains, mapped out by the earliest Native American inhabitants, Spanish explorers, buffalo hunters, the U.S. Army, and other guardians of the vast west Texas frontier – all with known water sources in mind.

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Plains Trail Region

Historical Marker: Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877 in Lynn County

Marker #16331 Text:

Known as Buffalo Soldiers, African American troops played vital role on the western frontier following the Civil War on July 26, 1877, Buffalo Soldiers of Company A, 10th Cavalry left Double Lakes in Lynn County in pursuit of a Comanche party. The Comanche led the solders away from watering holes and they suffered from extreme dehydration and sickness, enduring heat, dryness, and 86 hours without water. A number of soldiers became lost while searching for water and many of their horses and mules died. On July 30, the remaining troops returned to Lynn County for recuperation. Four died on the expedition, including Pvt. John T. Gordon, who is buried at Double Lakes.

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