1. Life on the Trail Cattle Drives began with a roundup
Cowboys branded unmarked cattle
could take weeks
Scouts rode in front of the herd to select the best route
Usually north
would depend on availability of water and grass
alert the trail boss of dangers
The Trail boss had complete authority over all the cowhands

2. Cowboys had specific duties:
Pointers – directed the cattle
Flankers – rode on the side to kept the cattle from straying
Drag Position – rode in the rear to keep the cows from straying behind
Wranglers took care of the extra horses called the remuda
Cowboys switched horses two to three times a day

4. The camp cook rode ahead in a chuck wagon to have dinner ready for the trail riders when they arrived.
Chuck wagon – a wagon that carries cooking equipment and food for the cowhands

5. Driving cattle was hard and dangerous work.
Some of the dangers included:
-Bad weather or predators could cause the herd to stampede
-Indians would occasionally attack
- Lightning from thunderstorms due to lack of shelter

6. Famous Ranches King Ranch JA Ranch XIT Ranch
614,000 acres (near Kingsville)
Established by Richard King
JA Ranch
100,000 cattle and million acres
Established by Charles Goodnight
XIT Ranch
(stands for “ten in Texas” because it spreads out over 10 counties)
Over 3 million acres
Land was sold in exchange for a new capital building for the Texas Government in Austin.

7. Barbed Wire
Ranchers tried to keep track of their livestock, but it was difficult.
Cattle owners started open-range methods of ranching because wooden rails and rocks were not easy to find for fences.
In 1873 Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire.
Barbed wire worked great and was inexpensive.

8. The Cowboy Movies portray them as gunslingers and outlaws
This is mostly fiction as most cowboys were men working for a living.
People in the East loved stories of gunfighters so writers invented the western genre.

9. There were some famous Texan outlaws however.
Sam Bass
Train and Bank robber killed near Round Rock, Texas
John Wesley Hardin
In the history of the West, John Wesley Hardin ranks as one of the worst killers of all. By the time he went to prison in 1878, he claimed to have killed 44 men.
Sam Bass (supposedly)
John Wesley Hardin

10. Rustlers were cattle or horse thieves
Many brands were made with straight lines (like the XIT) so it was more difficult for rustlers to change or brand over them.