1. Cattle Drives and Trail rides
Al reese, jr.
Houston livestock show and rodeo
Speakers committee

2. Both abundance and lack of resources led to the cattle drives
End of the Civil War, North and East had factories, employment, money. They lacked meat.
South was 60% rural poverty, no money, freed slaves with uncertain future, few employment opportunities
Texas had over 6 million free-roaming Longhorns
Cattle sold for $ $4.00 head in Texas; $ $50.00 in Kansas. What stood in the way was almost a miles of dirt.

3. The typical cattle drive
Around 3,000 Longhorns
11 – 15 cowboys called “Drovers”
Trail Boss, Cook and Wrangler
Lead, Outriders and Drags
3 – 4 months from Texas to Kansas. Spring was the best time to start.
Averaged miles each day. Drive would be 500 – 800 miles (with no detours)

4. The typical drover Independent and lover of the outdoors
Always carried a gun. The Colt 45 was the gun of choice. Cost about ½ months pay and he could afford the bullets.
About 1/3 were blacks or Hispanic
Wages ~$1.00/day, paid at the end of the drive.
Around 35,000 cowboys participated in the cattle drives

5. What made the cattle drives successful
An abundance of cattle in the wrong place. The cattle were in Texas, the railroads in Kansas and the people in the East
The Longhorn was a sturdy breed. Roots were in the Spanish cattle from the late 1400’s breeding with the English and domestic cattle that roamed Texas in the 1700’s and 1800’s
During the Civil War, many of the farms and ranches in Texas were destroyed allowing the cattle to roam free

6. Other factors that led to the success of the cattle drives
The “Cowboy”. His independence. The opportunity to see places that he might never be able to see.
The history of the Mexican/Spanish cowboys joining the drives
No fences
Unsettled countryside. Vast, wild and lawless

7. The economics of the cattle drive
3,000 cattle at $40 head is $120,000.
11 – 15 men per day for 120 days at ~$1.00 day is $1,500 - $2,000. Say $5,000 total counting provisions and other costs
Profit $115,000. Value in Texas $3,000 - $12,000 ($ $4.00/head)

8. The Chisholm trail Ran from Brownsville, Texas to Abilene, Kansas
1000 miles of open territory

9. The Chisholm Trail Founded in 1864 by Jesse Chisholm and Joseph McCoy
Used in the latter part of the Civil War for trade with the US Army and the Native American tribes
After the war, extended to Abilene, and deeper into Texas.
In 1867, the first year as a Cattle Trail, 35,000 cattle made it from Texas to Abilene. By 1872, the number topped 3,000,000

10. Other trails begin to arrive
Newton and Wichita, Kansas, both on the Chisolm Trail, built railroad terminals and took business away from Abilene.
Dodge City was the terminus for the Western Trail a.k.a. the Texas Trail and was the primary terminus during the late 1870’s and early 1880’s

11. Just the numbers
By the end of the Cattle Drives over 5,000,000 cattle walked from Texas to Kansas.
The largest migration of livestock in the history of the United States
At roughly $40 a head, over $200 million of cattle were sold

12. By the late 1890’s the cattle drives came to an end
What killed the cattle drives? Progress!
Arrival of the railroads to Texas and points West.
Settlers, Oklahoma land rush of 1889
Barbed wire
Law and order
Other opportunities

13. HLS&R doesn’t have cattle drives, but we do have trail rides!
First one was in Four guys from Brenham rode horses to Houston for the rodeo.
In 1953, 80 people joined and by 1954, over 800 joined in the Salt Grass Trail Ride, the oldest trail ride in our history

14. Trails rides today
Today, more than 3,000 riders saddle up from all directions, including Louisiana.
11 Trail Rides participate in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Downtown Rodeo Parade.
Over 1,300 miles are covered by all 11 Trial Rides.
Longest Distance = 239 miles: Mission Trail Ride begins in San Antonio, TX
Shortest Distance = 71.5 miles: Valley Lodge Trail Ride begins in Brookshire, Texas.

15. Trail rides today
All Trail Rides are led by Trail Bosses, who a responsible for ensuring safety. 
Many of the horses on the ride are rescued animals. The Texas Independence Trail Ride has such animals, as well as three century-old wagons.
Many of the trail rides include family members and generations of all ages.
Some trail rides distribute scholarships to area students and visit schools to share the history of the Show and trail rides.

16. Saddle Up!
11 Trail Rides
Mission Trail Ride starts in San Antonio, longest at 239 miles
Old Spanish Trail starts in Louisiana
Valley Lodge starts in Brookshire and is the shortest at 71 miles
All trail rides end in downtown Houston in the parade on Saturday, February 23

17. Thanks!
Any Questions?