Western Expansion: Cattle Industry, Barbed Wire & Closure of the Frontier Origins of the Cattle Industry
• Cattle brought to America by the Spaniards. • Spaniards & Mexicans established large ranches in Northern Mexico & Texas. • 1st ‘cowboy’ was the Spanish vaquero. • Culture taught to Anglos that settled in area. “Cowboys” of Texas
• 1/3 were African-American (ex-slaves), Tejanos, and women. Maria del Carmen Cavillo • Born 1765 near San Antonio • Father murdered on his ranch. • María preserved title to the land through 4 different political administrations: Spain, Mexico, Republic of Texas, and the U.S. • She had 2,000 head of livestock. • Through efforts of women like María del Carmen, Spanish laws protecting women’s rights to inherit and manage property became part of Texas law.
• Born a slave in1843. • Learned to farm & ranch while Bose Ikard working on a Texas Ranch. • After the Civil War he worked for Oliver Loving & Charles Goodnight on their trail. • Reputation of being brave & a good fighter. He was loyal to his employer and trusted by others. • Fights Quanah Parker’s Comanche’s during the Indian raids.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Johnson Williams
• Born 1840 • Became a teacher in Austin. • Invested money in cattle & property. • Traveled & bought expensive jewels & became known as the ‘cattle queen’ • 1st woman to ride the Chisholm Trail. Daniel Webster “80 John” Wallace
• Born September 15, 1860 in Victoria County. • Ran away at 17 to work with cattle. • Doesn’t learn to read & write until he is 25. • Gets nickname from branding ‘80’ so fast into cattle. • Saves money & buys cattle & property. • Dies March 1939 with an estate of more than a $1 million.
• According to the biographies above, what did the cattle industry do to improve their lives? King Ranch • Established by Richard King in 1853. • 1 million acres of land (size of Rhode Island) • 1869-1884 sent 100,000+ cattle on trails • Own unique type of cattle- Santa Gertrudis - mixed Indian Brahman with British Shorthorns = Santa Gertrudis XIT Ranch
Largest ranch in TX. Located in the Panhandle. 3 million acres of land. Almost the size of Connecticut. Land given for building the state capitol in Austin. Major Cattle Trails
Cheyenne Ogallala
Denver
Ellsworth Abilene Pueblo Sedalia
Dodge City Baxter Springs
KEY Goodnight-Loving Trail Great Western Trail Chisholm Trail Fort Concho Sedalia (Shawnee) Trail Austin Towns Kerrville Forts Railroads Rivers Chisholm Trail Named after Jesse Chisholm. Trail went through Indian Territory to Abilene, Kansas. Ideal route for cattle drive = far away from farms Goodnight - Loving Trail
Started by Charles Goodnight & Oliver Loving
Trail went into NM & into Colorado & WY.
Became the most traveled route in Southwest. Wrangler Remuda
Swing Point Drag Flank Chuck wagon
Drag
Trail
Drag Boss
Flank Swing Point
This diagram shows a typical cattle drive formation. TYPICAL The Pointers guided the cattle in the desired direction; CATTLE DRIVE the Swing Riders, behind the Pointers, assisted in guiding the cattle, and in keeping the herd in formation. FORMATION The Flank Riders worked at keeping the formation intact. The Drag Riders, the most undesirable position because of the dust , depending upon the wind, kept the weaker, lagging cattle from slowing the formation down. Barbed Wire Invented by Joseph Glidden.
Inexpensive to make & inexpensive to buy = everyone is going to use it.
By 1880 Texas ranchers were closing off their property- ending the open range of the Texas Plains
Longhorn- mixture of Spanish & English cattle. Longhorns • Very important breed of cattle in TX. • Could survive on little water. • Resistant to cattle disease called Texas Fever. *Texas Fever An infectious disease of cattle first identified in Texas, characterized by high fever, anemia, and emaciation and caused by a parasitic protozoan (Babesia bigemina) that is transmitted by cattle ticks. What was the need for all the ranches, trails, & cattle drives?
Cattle supply had gone down since the Civil War. Northerners wanted beef.
Cattle selling $3-6.00 in TX were selling for $30-40.00 in Kansas $80.00 in NY The Cattle Industry starts doing poorly. How & Why? Why did Cattle Drives End? Sheep Ranching . Ranchers found that they could make more money $$$ raising sheep. . Wool from sheep could be shaved off & replaced when it grows back. . Cattle once they’re sold- sent to their death never to return. Windmills Invented to pump water from underground to irrigate (water) crops that are not near rivers or lakes. This invention allowed the expansion of farming on the plains. Many ranches were sold off as farmland More Railroads Railroads began to use refrigerated cars.
This meant that beef no longer had to be shipped alive. Overgrazing Large numbers of cattle were being raised with limited amounts of grass.
Cattle overgrazed the land eliminates the grass and destroys the soil. 1. What trail would you use to take cattle directly to Abilene, Kansas? 2. What trail goes through New Mexico & into Colorado? 3. What trail would you use to take cattle directly to Dodge City, Kansas? 4. What was the purpose of these cattle trails being established in Texas?