Ranching and Farming

1
Ranching and Farming

• Origins of the Cattle Kingdom
• p. 412 - 417

2
The Spanish Introduce Cattle

• The cattle first brought to America arrived on
  the ships of Spanish explorers in the 1500s.
• The first Spanish cattle were tall, rangy, hardy
  animals that survived and multiplied in the brush
  country.
• They had horns that grew six feet or more across.
• In time, ranchers bred these cattle with other
  types, giving rise to the famous Texas longhorns.
  

3
The Spanish Introduce Cattle

• Raising cattle began on the open range, public
  land that could be used by anyone.
• Vaqueros, or cowhands, herded and drove cattle
  into pens they called corrales.
• Cattle were branded with hot iron to show
  ownership.
• The brands of early Spanish rancheros were of
  large designs, but Anglo American brands were
  simpler and often were developed from the
  initials of the rancher or the name of the ranch.

4
Early Ranchers Use the Open Range

• Ranchers who moved into Texas before the Civil
  War already were accustomed to many practices of
  the open range.
• However, they had not relied on horsed, developed
  roping skills, worn chaps, or used saddles
  equipped with horns.
• They quickly adopted these ways and often used
  Spanish terms for equipment and practices.
• The ranching industry in South Texas flourished
  between the Nueces and Colorado Rivers.

5
Early Ranchers Use the Open Range

• Although the cattle continued to multiply, early
  Anglo ranchers still faced many challenges.
• The major problem was the lack of markets.
• Texas knew a product without a market is of
  little value.
• Most cattle were slaughtered for their hides and
  tallow, or fat, which could be shipped easily.
• Some cattle were driven to Louisiana, Missouri,
  Ohio, and California in the 1840s and 1850s to
  find better markets.

6
Trail Driving Opens the Cattle Market

• The expansion of the railroads after the Civil
  War played a major role in Texass cattle
  industry.
• Texas ranchers needed to get their cattle to
  Chicago and St. Louis stockyards.
• When the railroads expanded westward, ranchers
  saw their opportunity to drive the cattle in
  large herds to the railroad towns, which
  connected to the stockyards by rail.
• Trail driving was very economical.
• The longhorns were driven north in the spring,
  when grass was plentiful, so the animals could
  feed off the natural vegetation.

7
Drovers Follow Major Cattle Trails

• In 1866, about 260,000 head of cattle were
  rounded up in Texas and driven north, many to
  Sedalia, Missouri, where the railroad ended.
• The cattle path became known as the Sedalia or
  Shawnee Trail.
• Missouri farmers complained herds destroyed
  their crops.
• Farmers were afraid Texas cattle had a disease
  known as Texas Fever carried by ticks.
• Angry farmers blocked the trails by building
  fences and barricades.

8
Drovers Follow Major Cattle Trails

• Joseph McCoy persuaded the railroads moving
  westward to build towns with everything necessary
  to house drovers and their cattle.
• He then persuaded Texas drovers to turn their
  cattle drives farther west to avoid Missouri.
• This trail became known as Chisholm Trail named
  after a Native American trader Jesse Chisholm.
• Other Trails used by drovers were the Great
  Western Trail, Matamoras Trail and the
  Goodnight-Loving Trail.

9
Life Along the Trail Drives

• Cattle drives began at sunup.
• Two cowhands rode in front of the herd to lead
  the cattle, while two or three had the dusty drag
  position behind the herd.
• The distance traveled each day was about 12
  miles.
• Sizes of herds varied they ranged from a few
  hundred to 3,000.
• Larger herds had 8-12 cowhands, a trail boss, a
  cook and an wrangler.

10
Life Along the Trail Drives

• Trail driving ended shortly after 1885 when the
  supply of cattle became greater than the demand
  for them.
• By the late 1800s, railroads were built in Texas,
  eliminating the need for long cattle drives.