Northern Frontier’s Significance to the City of Wichita Falls

What is a Frontier?

A frontier can be defined as the territory or invisible line that separates two separate states, or countries.

What is considered as the Northern Frontier of Texas?

The Northern Frontier of Texas is defined by the Red River; the Red River of Texas separates what is known as the State of Texas from that of the State of Oklahoma. This body of water determines both the end and the beginning of each respective state’s territory. Aside from having a single borderline that determines the Northern Frontier, the Northern Frontier of Texas additionally includes the cities that surround the border of Northern Texas along the Red River itself. Such cities include Abilene, Brownwood, Dallas, Grand Prairie, San Angelo, Sherman, and Wichita Falls.

How does it relate to the Wichita Indians?

Before being displaced from their native land in the state of Kansas, the Wichita migrated to several locations within the Northern Frontier of Texas itself. The Wichita additionally focused on the major waterways that could provide and be used as a natural resource such as the Red and Brazos River.

What is it’s significance to the city of Wichita Falls?

The northern frontier of Texas is relatively close to the city of Wichita Falls. The northern border that separates the state of Oklahoma and Texas is the Red River, which is about 30 minutes from the city of Wichita Falls.

¹ Kreidler, Tai. “Tales of Texoma: Episodes in the History of the Red River Border.” Wichita Falls: Midwestern State University Press,  2005.
² Richardson, Rupert N. “The Frontier of Northwest Texas 1846-1876. Glendale.” CA: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1963.
³ Rister, Carl C. “Fort Griffin on the Texas Frontier. Norman.” OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1956.

Next Page 

Previous Page