Rattlesnake bite off old cattle trail

In the early 1840's "there were no roads in western Ellis County, just a cow trail leading from Greathouse Branch northeast to Waxahachie by way of Buena Vista." -Texas National Laboratories Research Commission. Historic American Buildings Survey. "Later this cattle trail was a part of the trail connecting what once was the Shawnee Trail to the Chisholm Trail."

Recently off FM 1446(Buena Vista), the old cattle road in Waxahachie, Vannessa Dial was bitten by a small rattlesnake on August 2nd according to Dr. Paul Wax of Phoenix. Dr. Wax, the nation’s top toxicologists, determined the bite was from a rattlesnake after reviewing Mrs Dial's blood work and toxicology report. Luckily Dr. Wax happened to be at Parkland for a toxicology conference.

This story has grabbed the attention of an A&M professor, Ray C. Telfair II, Ph.D., who is from Ennis. He is requesting that anyone who has encountered a rattlesnake in Ellis County to contact him. Dr. Telfair refers to the rattlesnakes in Ellis county as the canebrake and mainly found in the Maypearl-Italy area. Any info please post here and pass on to Professor Telfair by calling him at 903-839-4602.