Settling the West

1
Settling the West

• Technology that changed out lives

2
Innovations

• Barbed Wire
• Why was it invented?
• Who is accredited with its creation
• What was the impact on the Western Frontier?

• Rail Road
• How did it impact the Settling of the West?
• Who built it?

3
Barbed Wire

• Since the beginning of time, man has constructed
  his barriers from natural materials
• Mostly wood, stone, thorny brush, and mud
• When settlers arrived on the Great Plains of
  America, they found these materials in short
  supply
• In 1867, two inventors tried adding points to
  smooth wire in an effort to make a more effective
  deterrent
• One was not practical to manufacture
• The other inventor experienced financial problems
• In 1868, Michael Kelly invented a practical wire
  with points which was used in quantity until 1874

4
Joseph F. Glidden

• Inspired at a county fair
• He would use two smooth wires, wrapped around
  barbs from a coffee grinder
• His invention would spark over 570 barbed wire
  patents and a three year legal battle over the
  rights to these patents.
• Glidden would emerge the winner of these legal
  battles and become the Father of Barbed Wire

5
The Devil Ropes the West

• When livestock encountered barbed wire for the
  first time, it invoked injuries that caused the
  public to protest its use.
• Religious Groups called it the Devils Rope
• Free range grazers became alarmed the economical
  new barrier would mean the end of their
  livelihood
• Trail Drivers were concerned their herds would be
  blocked from the Kansas markets by this
  economical fence

6
The Fence Cutter Wars

• Landowners built fences out of Barbed Wire to
  protect their crops and livestock.
• Free Grazing and Trail Drivers cattle men began
  fighting for their livelihood.
• In Texas today it is illegal to carry a pair of
  wire cutters
• A direct result of this conflict
• Soon many large Texas Ranches began fencing in
  their land
• XIT, JA Ranch, and The Frying Pan Ranch were
  among the largest

7
Innovations

• Barbed Wire
• Why was it invented?
• Who is accredited with its creation
• What was the impact on the Western Frontier?

• Rail Road
• How did it get started?
• How did it impact the Settling of the West?
• Who built it?

8
A Slow Start

• Got off to a slow start due to the Civil War
• Bad Weather, granite, heat of the desert, lack of
  supplies and Indians all plagued the construction
  of the railroad.
• Finally on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit in
  Utah territory the first of five transcontinental
  railroads were complete
• The last spike used to complete the track was
  golden.
• The Golden Spike symbolized the nation was now
  joined with 3500 miles in between New York to
  California.