 The rise of the Cattle Business Before the Civil War  millions of longhorn in Texas  sold for $4 each  raised for leather or tallow (fat) to make candles or soap After the Civil War  The demand for beef rose in the USA  Price of longhorn rose from $4 to $40 per cow  Now it is more profitable to raise and sell cattle…cattle drives…than it was to grow cotton

  King Ranch - most famous founded in 1852 by Richard King. It has doubled in size after his death and is now larger than the state of Rhode Island.  The JA Ranch – founded by Charles Goodnight and backed by John Adair from Great Britain. It is the oldest privately owned cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle.  The XIT Ranch was located in the Panhadle and spanned over 3 million acres using 6,000 miles of fence. The Ranch was sold to homesteaders and ranchers. Early Texas Ranchers

Texas Cattle Trail Map Shawnee Trail Chisholm Trail Western Trail Goodnight-Loving Trail St. Louis Brownsville Abilene Dodge City Denver Kansas City Sedalia San Antonio Dallas

 Life on the Trail  In the spring, cattle were brought into camp to be branded.  The average herd size was around 3,000 head.  Managers (AKA trail bosses) planned and managed the drive.  The number of men on a drive ranged from  Cowboys needed good horses, called a remuda.  Managers earn $100/m Cooks earn $75/m Wranglers earned $50/m Trail Hands earn $25- $40/m

 Range Wars Cattle vs. Sheep  Sheep ate the grass almost to the roots which destroyed the grazing for cattle  Sheepherders often needed to drive their flocks over ranchers’ land in order to move from pasture to another. Cattle vs. Barbed Wire  1873 – Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire.  As ranchers began fencing their land in 1880’s conflicts worsened.  Some public roads and water supply were cut off by fences, so small farmers fought back by cutting fences  By 1883 a “range war” had begun, finally legislature made it illegal to cut fences. People who fenced across public roads or water supply had to provide a gate.

 The Railroad Comes to Texas  In 1853 the first trains rolled across Texas on 20 miles of track  By 1861, nine sets of railroads were in Texas  By 1900 over 10,000 miles of railroad tracks expanded across Texas.  Before the Civil War there were very few railroads in Texas.  Railroads were first successfully completed in 1851

  Goat ranching and Mustang ranching engulfed the cattle drive tradition, causing a stop of drives in the 1880s.  The invention of barbed wire and setting up fences made it necessary for ranchers to change their practices.  Railroads expanded west into Texas and made it less essential to have drives. The End of the Open Range

 The Big Die Up Modern Ranching Begins  Cattle are now fenced in.  It was the harsh winter of  Cattle were lost in the snow trying to find their way back. They got trapped in the fence and froze to death.  The following summer was a drought that prevented the grass to grow for grazing.  This marks the beginning of Modern Ranching.

  Cattle ranchers start calculating how much pasture is needed to manage their cows  Ranchers started crossbreeding cattle in order to improve the quality of their meat. Modern Ranching

 Fall of the Cowboy Painting

  With "the big die up” in ’88  Some said the west was done.  And for a fact it forced a change in way a ranch was run.  They had to fence the open range  So cattle wouldn't stray.  They put in fields and water works  To winter cows on hay  With “the big die up” in 88  Some said the west was done.  But the days of cattle ranching The Big Die Up By Mike Puhallo

  Had really just begun.  Ranches keep on changing  More modern every day!  But there’s still a place, for a good cowhand  To ride and earn his pay.  With “the big die up” in 88  Some said the west was done.  Bit if heart and spirit count at all  Hey, folks we’ve just BEGUN!!!!