The Comanche Nation dominated the southern plains for centuries. Projecting their power deep into Mexico, the Texas coast, and the Rocky Mountains from their heartland in the Llano Estacado (the staked plains of Texas), the Comanche held the largest Native American Empire. Through hundreds of years held off the Spanish, the French, the British, the Mexicans, the Apaches, the Texans, the Confederates, and a host of Plains Tribes. The fabled Texas Rangers were a force developed to combat the Comanche. It took the upstart United States decades to put Comancheria in history books. The deed required an unprecedented ecological disaster, that of reducing the sea of buffalo to a shadow of its peak numbers combined with determined military activity.
In 1875 Quanah Parker led the last of the free Comanches to the reservation, where he became a rancher. Quanah was appointed principal chief by the U.S. Government and became a founder of the Native American Church. He became a pal of Teddy Roosevelt and struggled with the government to retain as much of Comanche lands as possible.
The image above is of Quanah's tombstone at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Quanah died in 1911 and originally was buried in Poison Oak Mission Cemetery. He was moved to Fort Sill in 1957.
In 1875 Quanah Parker led the last of the free Comanches to the reservation, where he became a rancher. Quanah was appointed principal chief by the U.S. Government and became a founder of the Native American Church. He became a pal of Teddy Roosevelt and struggled with the government to retain as much of Comanche lands as possible.
The image above is of Quanah's tombstone at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Quanah died in 1911 and originally was buried in Poison Oak Mission Cemetery. He was moved to Fort Sill in 1957.
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