One of the largest Osage bands was led by Chief Black Dog (Manka - Chonka).

[4][5] It started from their winter territory east of Baxter Springs and extended southwest to their summer hunting grounds at the Great Salt Plains in present-day Alfalfa County, Oklahoma.

They made the trail by clearing it of brush and large rocks, and constructing earthen ramps to the fords.

Wide enough for eight horsemen to ride abreast, the trail was the first improved road in Kansas and Oklahoma.

[8] During the late 1830s and Indian Removal, the Cherokee people were among the Five Civilized Tribes forced out of the Southeast United States to west of the Mississippi River.

[9] During the American Civil War, the United States government built several rudimentary military posts at present-day Baxter Springs, fortifying what had been a trading post: Fort Baxter, Camp Ben Butler and Camp Hunter.

This was to protect settlers against the Confederate regulars and partisan guerrillas operating in the eastern part of state.

[10][11] After temporarily reinforcing the fort, the United States abandoned the Baxter Springs area later that year.

Before leaving, US forces tore down and destroyed Fort Baxter to make it unusable for hostiles.

Texas cattlemen and stock raisers drove large herds of cattle from the southern plains, and used Baxter Springs as a way point to the northern markets at Kansas City, which linked to railroads to the East.

This led to the dramatic growth of Baxter Springs by the early 1870s as the first "cow town" in Kansas.

They constructed corrals for up to 20,000 head of cattle, supplied with ample grazing lands and fresh water.

Texas cattle trade stimulated the growth of related businesses, and Baxter Springs grew rapidly.

The town was regularly the rowdy gathering place of cowboys, and saloons, livery stables, brothels and hotels were developed to support their seasonal business.

[13] After railroads were constructed from the North into Texas later in the century, cattlemen no longer needed to conduct the cattle drives, or to use Baxter Springs as a way station to markets.

Their actions protected the land in the city; nearby towns have suffered from mining-related environmental degradation.

In addition, in the early 1900s many mining executives built their business offices in Baxter Springs.

Federal and state restoration efforts have helped to improve the land since the late twentieth century.

[16] In 1926, the downtown main street was designated as part of the historic Route 66 transcontinental highway connecting Chicago and Los Angeles.

[17] Since the late 20th century, the town has reserved the land of Riverside Park along the Spring River.

[citation needed] A tornado started near Quapaw, Oklahoma and moved through Baxter Springs on April 27, 2014.

[18] The 2020 United States census counted 3,888 people, 1,595 households, and 979 families in Baxter Springs.