Trading Area of Jose Tafoya and other Comancheros

In Quitaque area, Comancheros (peddlers in Comanche domain) from New Mexico traded flour and other goods to Indians. The barter (begun in 1700's) reached peak in 1864-1868, when Apaches, Comanches and Kiowas rustled horses and thousands of cattle "down in Texas", to use in trades. Jose Tafoya, who had wagons as well as pack mules, sold guns to Indians until U.S. Army caught and threatened to hang him in 1874 unless he enlisted as a frontier scout. There were many other Comancheros. Tafoya is an example of one who helped rid Texas of Indian marauders. (1969)