SAS to CHI

The Texas Eagle route traverses land which was part of the Louisiana Purchase all the way from northeast Texas to St. Louis. Anyone with the courage and fortitude to travel this route in the year 1800 would have been trekking through wilderness owned by France and occupied by numerous Native American tribes.

The Texas Eagle route traverses land which was part of the Louisiana Purchase all the way from northeast Texas to St. Louis. Anyone with the courage and fortitude to travel this route in the year 1800 would have been trekking through wilderness owned by France and occupied by numerous Native American tribes.

What do you picture when you hear the word "ranch?" Maybe you see a cowboy driving a herd of Texas Longhorns, or envision sprawling ranch houses. It is a surprise to many that ranching did not start in the Wild West or in Texas, but has roots reaching back into history. Spanish ships seeking to establish new colonies for Spain brought cattle to the Americas in the 1600s.

What do you picture when you hear the word "ranch?" Maybe you see a cowboy driving a herd of Texas Longhorns, or envision sprawling ranch houses. It is a surprise to many that ranching did not start in the Wild West or in Texas, but has roots reaching back into history. Spanish ships seeking to establish new colonies for Spain brought cattle to the Americas in the 1600s.

Imagine you were traveling in wagons and on horseback to settle in the Texas territory, when you came across a wooded expanse in the middle of the Great Plains. This landmark came to be called the Cross-Timbers, and was used by many as a landmark to judge the distance they had traveled while crossing the expanses of the United States.

Imagine you were traveling in wagons and on horseback to settle in the Texas territory, when you came across a wooded expanse in the middle of the Great Plains. This landmark came to be called the Cross-Timbers, and was used by many as a landmark to judge the distance they had traveled while crossing the expanses of the United States.

The train you are riding in today is powered by diesel fuel and electricity, but in the early days trains moved at slower speeds and were powered by large coal burning steam engines. Today in Grapevine, TX you can travel the old Cotton Belt in one of the few trains still pulled by steam power.

The train you are riding in today is powered by diesel fuel and electricity, but in the early days trains moved at slower speeds and were powered by large coal burning steam engines. Today in Grapevine, TX you can travel the old Cotton Belt in one of the few trains still pulled by steam power.

Fort Worth, a city that was built on the backs of cattle trails and railroads, gave birth to the Fort Worth stockyards and grew into a booming metropolis. Early in its history, Fort Worth saloons provided cowboys with refreshment and entertainment, and the city is still known for unique, down-home hospitality today.

Fort Worth, a city that was built on the backs of cattle trails and railroads, gave birth to the Fort Worth stockyards and grew into a booming metropolis. Early in its history, Fort Worth saloons provided cowboys with refreshment and entertainment, and the city is still known for unique, down-home hospitality today.