Although most Indians had left the Texas Panhandle by the 1880s, fear of Indian attacks remained prevalent among settlers who arrived in the next decade. On Jan. 29, 1891, rumors of approaching Indians spread throughout the region, and for three days settlers barricaded their homes and communities and prepared to defend themselves. It was later discovered that the rumored Indian war cries and smoke signals were actually cowboys pursuing a steer, which they finally caught and cooked over an open fire.