Stampede Creek

Stampede Creek takes its name from a horse stampede that occurred near this site in 1839. On May 26 of that year, Capt. John Bird and a Ranger force of 34 men encountered more than 200 Caddo, Kickapoo and Comanche Indians at what became known as the Battle of Bird's Creek. The Rangers returned to Bird's Creek a week later to bury their dead and then headed west in pursuit of the Indians. The horse stampede took place on the evening of June 4 while the Ranger force camped along the nearby creek, later named for the incident. On July 4, 1876, the stream was the site of another stampede, this time of cattle being driven north from South Texas. (2002)

Stampede Creek is a historical marker in Temple, Bell County, dedicated in 2002. It is one of 226 historical markers documented in Bell County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 411 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.2739, -97.4116 near Temple. The nearest cataloged historic site is Cox (cemetery), about 2.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include Moody-Leon, Buckhorn, and Moody-Leon United Methodist Church.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5027012820. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.