Big Spring, Water Hole on the Comanche Trail

For Comanche war parties, about 1750 to 1875, the Big Spring was an oasis. Here paths from northeast, north and northwest twined into the War Trail that led to San Antonio and other Texas points, and down into Mexico. At the Big Spring, parties from far away as the Arkansas Valley could rest their horses. At this point on return trips northward, their weary captives might find water, rest, and possibly food. The Comanches harrassed settlements, robbing and burning stores, mills, farms, ranches; killing men and capturing women and children to be held for ransom, slavery, or adoption into the tribe. The War Trail was well marked, for warriors took on their long expeditions numerous pack and riding horses, hordes of dogs, and their women and children to wait upon the men and assist in the looting.

In 1849 Capt. Randolph B. Marcy's expedition reached Big Spring on the return trip from Santa Fe and marked it as a campsite on the Overland Trail to California. The spring was also a campsite on the Santa Fe Trail^qv from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to El Paso.

Indians in the Civil War years, 1861-1865, had much freedom to invade Texas. By 1866 they were selling to New Mexico traders thousands of cattle stolen from Texas ranchmen. Most of the Comanches were put on reservations in 1875. Afterward their old trails were used by white settlers and by hunting parties on special leave.

As late as 1881 a hunting party attacked builders on the T. & P. Railroad working near here.

The natural springs were pumped dry in 1917 .. see also Comanche Springs; another story of Texans loving Texas to death. The city pumps water now to keep the springs flowing.

TerraServer and Google Maps

Location of Big Spring on TerraServer topo maps (below); Red marks the springs; Green the nearby State Park; Pink the location South Mountain, one of several mesas around the springs used since prehistoric times as a lookout and for smoke signaling. Signal Mountain is south east of South Mountain.

Below, Google Map view of Big Spring (red circle).