John chisum biography

American businessman, rancher (1824–1884)

For the baseball player, see John Chisum (baseball).

John Simpson Chisum (August 15, 1824 – December 22, 1884) was a wealthy cattle baron on the frontier in the American West in the mid-to-late 19th century.

He was born in Hardeman County, Tennessee, and moved with his family southwest across the Mississippi River to the newly independent Republic of Texas the year after the Texas Revolution (and brief war for independence from Mexico) in 1837, later finding work as a building contractor.

He also served as a county clerk in Lamar County, Texas. He was of Scottish, English, and Welsh descent.^[2]

Seventeen years later in 1854, Chisum became engaged in the cattle and ranching business and became one of the first to send his herds further west from Texas to the newly established New Mexico Territory which occurred in 1850, two years after the Mexican War's end (acquired along with future state of California, and a