The Effect of Railroads
After railroads were established in the West, communication and transportation between the East and the West increased. Railroads helped the economy of the West. They also aided in the cattle boom. Joseph McCoy was a businessman who had the brilliant idea of establishing cattle towns, or towns built along railroads in which cattle from Texas could be transported to northern and eastern cities. But why was cattle needed?
The Big Boom of the Longhorn
You see, after the Civil War, beef was in high demand. And in Texas, there was a breed of cattle known as the Texas Longhorn, which was a mix of Spanish and English breeds. The longhorns had acquired their name by the five foot long horns which rose up off their heads. These creatures were used to the weather of the Great Plains and needed little water. So, the people of the West had all this cattle which could be worth big bucks in Kansas or New York.
So why didn't they sell the longhorns?
Well, butchers firmly believed that the longhorns had too little meat, people thought that no one could possibly transport cattle across the vast distance between Texas and the East, and some worried that the longhorns would give farm animals in the East a disease called Texas fever. THEY WERE WRONG.
Once Joseph McCoy came up with his innovative plan, there was no stopping the boom of the longhorn. Buyers would come down South and Texas rancher would come up North and they would meet halfway in the cattle towns, where they would buy and sell cattle which would be shipped off via railroad. The cattle boom had begun.
So why didn't they sell the longhorns?
Well, butchers firmly believed that the longhorns had too little meat, people thought that no one could possibly transport cattle across the vast distance between Texas and the East, and some worried that the longhorns would give farm animals in the East a disease called Texas fever. THEY WERE WRONG.
Once Joseph McCoy came up with his innovative plan, there was no stopping the boom of the longhorn. Buyers would come down South and Texas rancher would come up North and they would meet halfway in the cattle towns, where they would buy and sell cattle which would be shipped off via railroad. The cattle boom had begun.
Cattle Ranching Expands
Quickly, the cattle ranching expanded into Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and North and South Dakota. The expanse of cattle land, which now spread from Texas to the Great Plains, became known as the Cattle Kingdom.
Many people began to realize that cattle ranching was a big business where a person could make a lot of money. So miners, like Elizabeth Collins , who had come to the West to get rich decided to switch to cattle ranching- a less laborous way of earning profit. Soon, Elizabeth Collins became a successful cattle rancher in Montana, and she earned herself the nickname "Cattle Queen of Montana".
Charles Goodnight was one of the original Texas ranchers who played a huge role in the history of cattle ranching. He started the first ranch 250 miles from town. He also was infamous for his technique of buying range rights known as crazy quilt. Range Rights were the rights to the ownership of a body of water and the land surrounding it. Charles Goodnight cunningly bought the range right to small pieces of land in the same area, giving him control of the whole regions. Since ranchers controlled ranches far off from town, they served as the local authorities of the land they owned. They also had to have many different skills in order to fend for themselves on their ranches.
Many people began to realize that cattle ranching was a big business where a person could make a lot of money. So miners, like Elizabeth Collins , who had come to the West to get rich decided to switch to cattle ranching- a less laborous way of earning profit. Soon, Elizabeth Collins became a successful cattle rancher in Montana, and she earned herself the nickname "Cattle Queen of Montana".
Charles Goodnight was one of the original Texas ranchers who played a huge role in the history of cattle ranching. He started the first ranch 250 miles from town. He also was infamous for his technique of buying range rights known as crazy quilt. Range Rights were the rights to the ownership of a body of water and the land surrounding it. Charles Goodnight cunningly bought the range right to small pieces of land in the same area, giving him control of the whole regions. Since ranchers controlled ranches far off from town, they served as the local authorities of the land they owned. They also had to have many different skills in order to fend for themselves on their ranches.
Cowboys
Who were cowboys?
Cowboys were the men who took care of the rancher's cattle. These men borrowed many techniques and equipment-such as the saddle, lassoing ropes, ,leather pants called chaps, and hats- from the Mexican vaqueros. They also adopted bandana's which they used to shield their face from the dust and for bandages. Most cowboys were either Mexican or African American, like Nat Love-a famous cowboy who wrote an autobiography about his life. The jobs of cowboys included gathering cattle in a herd and branding them with special marks so that if they were stolen they couldn't be sold. The cowboys had low pay and sadly few ever earned enough money to start their own ranch.
Cowboys were the men who took care of the rancher's cattle. These men borrowed many techniques and equipment-such as the saddle, lassoing ropes, ,leather pants called chaps, and hats- from the Mexican vaqueros. They also adopted bandana's which they used to shield their face from the dust and for bandages. Most cowboys were either Mexican or African American, like Nat Love-a famous cowboy who wrote an autobiography about his life. The jobs of cowboys included gathering cattle in a herd and branding them with special marks so that if they were stolen they couldn't be sold. The cowboys had low pay and sadly few ever earned enough money to start their own ranch.
Cattle Drives to Cattle Towns
As I mentioned earlier, Joseph McCoy invented the practice of building cattle towns along railroads so the cattle could be bought and transported. But in order to accomplish this, the cattle had to get to the cattle towns first. That's where the cattle drives came in.
What were cattle drives?
Cattle drives were long journeys that lasted months and crossed hundred's of miles, in which cowboys (as the handy-dandy caretakers of the cattle) had to herd cattle to the cattle towns. Like their are many roads to travel to cities, there were many trails that could be used to reach cattle towns. One extremely popular route was the Chisholm Trail. This trail led to Abilene, Kansas- a cattle town established by Joseph McCoy himself. Another popular trail was the Goodnight-Loving Trail, created by Texas ranchers Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving.
What were cattle drives like?
During cattle drives, cowboys had to herd cattle through harsh country with no shelter. When the cattle stampeded, cowboys would have to round them up again. At night, one cowboy would have to stay up watching the herd. The cowboys were happy when the cattle drive ended.
Once they reached their destination, cowboys were tired, hungry and needed a place to stay. That's what business people in the cattle towns depended on. They established boardinghouses, saloons, restaurants, and hotels. Many of these businesses were run by women such as Melinda Jenkins, who ran most of the boardinghouses. The cowboys spent their wages on food, baths, and beds in the towns. Life in the town was violent and full of disorderly behavior, but shoot-outs were rare.
What were cattle drives?
Cattle drives were long journeys that lasted months and crossed hundred's of miles, in which cowboys (as the handy-dandy caretakers of the cattle) had to herd cattle to the cattle towns. Like their are many roads to travel to cities, there were many trails that could be used to reach cattle towns. One extremely popular route was the Chisholm Trail. This trail led to Abilene, Kansas- a cattle town established by Joseph McCoy himself. Another popular trail was the Goodnight-Loving Trail, created by Texas ranchers Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving.
What were cattle drives like?
During cattle drives, cowboys had to herd cattle through harsh country with no shelter. When the cattle stampeded, cowboys would have to round them up again. At night, one cowboy would have to stay up watching the herd. The cowboys were happy when the cattle drive ended.
Once they reached their destination, cowboys were tired, hungry and needed a place to stay. That's what business people in the cattle towns depended on. They established boardinghouses, saloons, restaurants, and hotels. Many of these businesses were run by women such as Melinda Jenkins, who ran most of the boardinghouses. The cowboys spent their wages on food, baths, and beds in the towns. Life in the town was violent and full of disorderly behavior, but shoot-outs were rare.
The Decline of the Cattle Kingdom
Low prices, bad weather, and competition over land caused the end of the Cattle Kingdom. Due to the new invention of barbed wire, pieces of land were now fenced off and there was no open range. Also, cattle ranchers had to compete with sheep owners for the land. Range wars, or wars over range rights, also broke out. After severe winters in which thousands of cattle died, the Cattle Kingdom had deteriorated.