The Cattle Drive Get A Job!!!

After the Civil War, when soldiers came home to Texas they found the place swarming with longhorn cattle. After the Civil War, when soldiers came home to Texas they found the place swarming with longhorn cattle.

Longhorns are a tough breed and walk great distances. And, if there is grass to chew, they can even fatten up on the journey. Longhorns are a tough breed and walk great distances. And, if there is grass to chew, they can even fatten up on the journey.

The Texas longhorn were descended from cattle brought to America by Columbus and the Spaniards who followed him. The Texas longhorn were descended from cattle brought to America by Columbus and the Spaniards who followed him.

The longhorns were running loose on the range. They bred and multiplied and were so numerous that people were killing them for their hides and throwing away the meat. The longhorns were running loose on the range. They bred and multiplied and were so numerous that people were killing them for their hides and throwing away the meat.

The ex-soldiers knew beef was expensive back east. Now, if they could find a way to get those cattle east, there was money to be made. The ex-soldiers knew beef was expensive back east. Now, if they could find a way to get those cattle east, there was money to be made.

About this time, Jesse Chisolm, drove a herd of cattle north from Texas to Kansas and made a map of his route. About this time, Jesse Chisolm, drove a herd of cattle north from Texas to Kansas and made a map of his route.

That route had plenty of grass for grazing and enough water and it led to Abilene, Kansas. In Abilene, cattle were selling for $40 a head. Forty dollars was a lot of money in those days, especially since you could get longhorn in Texas for about $5. That route had plenty of grass for grazing and enough water and it led to Abilene, Kansas. In Abilene, cattle were selling for $40 a head. Forty dollars was a lot of money in those days, especially since you could get longhorn in Texas for about $5.

The Kansas Pacific Railroad reached Abilene in 1867, cattle could be shipped east in railroad cattle cars. Most cows got shipped to Chicago, Illinois. The Kansas Pacific Railroad reached Abilene in 1867, cattle could be shipped east in railroad cattle cars. Most cows got shipped to Chicago, Illinois.

When refrigerated railroad cars were developed, Chicago became the meatpacking capital of the country. Most of the cattle that traveled the Chisolm Trail got turned into steaks in Chicago. When refrigerated railroad cars were developed, Chicago became the meatpacking capital of the country. Most of the cattle that traveled the Chisolm Trail got turned into steaks in Chicago.

For the next 20 years, the Chisolm Trail was a ribbon of longhorn. More than a million cattle were driven north on the trail. Who drove the cattle? Why, cowboys, of course. For the next 20 years, the Chisolm Trail was a ribbon of longhorn. More than a million cattle were driven north on the trail. Who drove the cattle? Why, cowboys, of course.

Cowboys were paid about $90 for the two-to-three month journey from the Texas panhandle, across the Red River, through Indian territory, over deserts, and prairies. Cowboys were paid about $90 for the two-to-three month journey from the Texas panhandle, across the Red River, through Indian territory, over deserts, and prairies.

It was the cattlemen, who owned the cows and steers, who got rich.

Some people call cowboys “knights of the prairie.” and they were like knights, they rode with amazing skill, handled danger and bravado, and had their own code of honor.

It was not an easy life. There were killers on the Chisolm Trail, brutal heat, blizzards, hail, angry Indians, rattlesnakes, quicksand, rustlers, bandits, thirst, and…

and…most common of all, stampedes. A herd of cattle will stampede at the drop of a frying pan.

Cowboys were usually up before dawn and were often still hard at work into the night. But there was something about the life that most of them loved. As one cowhand said…..

“To ride around the big steers at night, all lying down full as a tick, chewing their cuds and blowing, with the moon shining down on their big horns, was a sight to make a man’s eyes pop.”

Pretty soon it got to be a regular thing, traveling the Chisolm Trail. Herds of two or three thousand cattle became common.

Usually a dozen cowboys were hired to handle a herd, with a trial boss and cook. The cook was important. Cowboys got ornery if the coffee wasn’t strong and the food decent.

Like other Americans, cowboys were a mixture, some white, some black, some Mexican, some, like Jesse Chisholm, part Indian.

Some were women. People were judged by what they could do, not by the color of their skin, the accent in their speech, or their sex.

Most cowhands wore tight-fitting clothes, leather chaps, floppy vests, fancy boots, and broad-brimmed hats, clothes adapted from those of the cattlemen who had come from Spain.

Much cowboy lingo was Spanish: chaps, lariat, rodeo, ranch.

It was a lonely life they led, so they livened it up by singing around the campfire, or telling tall tales.

Abilene was the first of the Wild West towns, and maybe the wildest of them all, with saloons and pistol-packing cowpunchers raring for a good time. Abilene was the first of the Wild West towns, and maybe the wildest of them all, with saloons and pistol-packing cowpunchers raring for a good time.

A town like that needed a marshal, and Abilene go the most famous one of all. James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickok. A town like that needed a marshal, and Abilene go the most famous one of all. James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickok.

Hickok had been a gambling man who had two pearl-handled pistols and was known as the “fastest draw in the West.”

Hickok could shoot the hat off a man and keep the hat in the air with his bullets and when it finally dropped it would be rimmed with a circle of bullet holes. At least that was the story he told.

Wild Bill was paid a big salary, $150 a month, for keeping law and order in Abilene. He did a fair job for a while, although most of the time his office was at a gambling table.

After a while, Abilene settled down and became respectable. After that the cowboys and their longhorns headed for the new towns of Wichita and Dodge City.

About 1875, Dodge City became the main railhead for shipping cattle eastward. Most say it was an even wilder place than Abilene. About 1875, Dodge City became the main railhead for shipping cattle eastward. Most say it was an even wilder place than Abilene. Dodge City, 1874

But by the end of the century, when railroads crisscrossed the land, and barbed wire fenced it in, the heyday of the wild cow towns was over.