Quanah Parker, Comanche Warrior and Chief!


"Of all the Indians whom Mackenzie fought, Quanah Parker fared best of all..."


Snippet from Charles M. Robinson III's biography of Fort Clark's former CO, General Ranald S. Mackenzie, Bad Hand.


Page 120:

"Of all the Indians whom Mackenzie fought, Quanah Parker fared best of all.

"The wily Comanche chief adapted beautifully to reservation life, using his prestige to organize and administer tribal lands according to white methods.

"Before long he was charging trail bosses a portion of their herds for passage across the reservation, adding immeasurably to the tribal herds and, presumably, to his own.

"He told one white friend that he declined an invitation to join his white Parker relatives at Weatherford because, As far as you can see here I am chief and the people look up to me, down at Weatherford I would be a poor half breed Indian...

"A land speculator, financier, rancher and federal judge for Indian affairs, at the time of his death in 1911 Quanah was the wealthiest Indian in North America.."