chapter 17 ranching in texas 1850-1890. beginning in the spanish era of texas, cattle were raised on...

Chapter 17

Ranching in Texas1850-1890

Beginning in the Spanish era of Texas, cattle were raised on the grassy prairies of the

state. These roaming herds were the beginning of the cattle kingdom.

Section 1The Beginning of the Cattle Kingdom

The Cattle Industry

• The Texas climate and geographic features were perfect for raising cattle– Cattle could graze on the grass of the prairies

• Cattle industry grew rapidly in late 1800s

• When Native Americans were forced onto reservations, settlers began to move into West Texas…cattle industry grew also

Spanish Origins• When Spanish explorers and priests came from

Mexico into Texas, they brought cattle with them

• In 1700s, Spanish explorer, Jose de Escandon, set aside land for people

– Started a charro culture (kind of a cattle culture)

– Charros = Mexican cowhands who used horses and ropes to round up cattle

– They would brand the cattle• Brand = a mark burned on the hide of cattle to show

ownership

Cattle Brands

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See Page 363 for Cattle Brand Info

Longhorns• Spaniards brought cattle with them

• Some of this cattle roamed wild in Texas and multiplied

• A new breed was formed—the Texas Longhorn

• Longhorns had– Huge horns (used horns to protect themselves)– Could easily adapt to environment

• Little water and food and could handle hot and cold weather

Longhorn Cattle

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Westward Expansion for Students: Old Texas and the Trail Drivers.CLEARVUE & SVE, 1997. Full Video.

7 April 2011. <http://www.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Texas Longhorn Cattle Video

Early Ranchers• When Mexico controlled Texas, Mexican

government would give settlers land if they would raise cattle

• Cowhands developed own way of working with cattle

• James Taylor White = first cattle baron in Texas

Early Ranchers, cont

• By 1850s, cattle was “driven” to railroads to be shipped to market

• On path of cattle drives, farmers were mad…cows ruined crops, etc

• Cattle carried disease called Texas Fever…caused by ticks

• Ranchers learned to “dip” cattle in chemicals to kill ticks

• Because it was expensive to transport cattle to markets, ranchers started having cattle killed for the cattle hide (for leather) and for fat from meat to make soap and candles

Texas Herds During the Civil War• Texas cattle should have been used for food for

Confederate soldiers

• But, Union controlled the Mississippi River so cattle couldn’t cross river to get to soldiers

• Cattle industry declined in Texas during Civil War– Ranchers fighting in war– Cattle roamed free and numbers multiplied– Cattle wasn’t worth much because people couldn’t

afford to buy them…value of cattle decreased

As railroads expanded westward across the United States, markets for beef opened.

Texas cattle owners drove their herds along cattle trails to the railroads.

Section 2The Cattle Trails

A Market for Beef • Demand for beef increased after Civil War

• Beef was shipped to markets in North & East

• Stockyards: a pen where livestock is

kept before being butchered or shipped to market

• Packinghouses: a warehouse where beef is prepared for shipment

A Market for Beef, con’t• Ranchers made a lot of money selling the cattle.

Needed a way to get cattle to stockyards

• Joseph McCoy built first cowtown in Abilene, Kansas– Cowtown: a town that serves as market or

shipping point for cattle

– Let ranchers know that they could drive cattle through Indian territory to Abilene, Kansas

– Cattle would be put in holding pens there till the herds could get on trains for north and east

The Development of Cattle Trails

• See map on page 367

• First great cattle trail = Chisholm Trail

– Started in 1867 by Cherokee trader named Jesse Chisholm– Between 1867-1887 about 6 million herd of cattle were driven from

Texas to Abilene, KS

• More trails developed as more railroads were built– Western Trail (aka Dodge City Trail)

• San Antonio across the Red River to Dodge City, Kansas– Pecos Trail (aka Goodnight Loving Trail)

• Followed the Pecos River into New Mexico and then went into Wyoming

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Cattle Trails, 1867-1890

Cattle Trails Video

Life on the Trail • Trail Drive

1. Began with a Roundup: the process of herding together cattle that are scattered• Cattle rounded up and branded (took several weeks)

2. Scouts rode ahead to find best route and to alert trail boss of dangers, etc

3. Trail Boss —in charge of everything

4. Cowhand Duties• Pointers: rode at side of lead cattle to direct herd• Flankers: rode beside herd to keep cattle from straying• Other cowhands rode in rear of herd to keep cattle from

falling behind

Life on the Trail, con’tCowhand duties, con’t

• Wranglers: took care of the extra saddle horses– Each cowboy had several horses; they would switch out

horses several times/day to keep horses rested

• Camp Cook: cooked all meals– Sourdough biscuits, beef, beans and coffee– After a meal, he would take Chuck Wagon: a wagon

that carries cooking equipment and food for the cowhands

– At night, the cowhands would gather around campfire and sing

» Read A Real Life Story on page 366

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Cattle Drives Video

After the Cattle Drive Video

An Expanding Cattle Range• Usually cattle were driven each spring to railroad

and sold

• The ones that got there earliest got the most money for their cattle

• So, they started having cattle drives in the fall and staying through winter to spring to be first to sell cattle– These winter herds expanded cattle kingdom out of

Texas into other parts of US…usually Wyoming and Montana

Video Bibliography

• Westward Expansion for Students: Old Texas and the Trail Drivers.CLEARVUE & SVE, 1997. Full Video.

7 April 2011. <http://www.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Read Old Yeller excerptPage 370-371

The expansion of large ranches multiplying herds of livestock, and barbed wire all

served to close the open range in Texas.

Section 3The End of the Open Range

The Great Spreads

4 Large Ranches1. King Ranch

– Founded by Richard King and Mifflin Kennedy– In South Texas– They split up the ranch and King, his wife and his son-in-law

expanded the ranch to over a million acres in size

2. JA Ranch– Founded by Charles Goodnight and John Adair– In Palo Duro Canyon– Used canyon walls as part of ranch and got water from Red

River– One million acres and 100,000 head of cattle– Charles Goodnight’s wife, Moll’, was first white woman to

live on the Texas Plains

The Great Spreads, con’tLarge Ranches, con’t

3. Matador Ranch• Founded by A.M. Britton and H. H. Campbell• In Motley County (in Panhandle)• Scottish company, Matador Land and Cattle Company,

bought it and expanded it

4. XIT Ranch• Largest ranch in Texas• In Panhandle, along New Mexico border• Over 3 million acres”, covered ten counties• XIT stands for “Ten in Texas” or just straight lines made it

hard for cattle rustlers to change brand– Cattle Rustler: a cattle thief

Sheep and Goat Ranching

• Sheep and goats were also raised on ranches– Sheep brought by Spanish explorers

– Rancher, George Wilkins Kendall, started raising sheep for wool

– After Civil War, big demand for wool…more sheep ranches started

Sheep and Goat Ranches, con’t

• Goats– Ranchers started raising goats for mohair…

from silky coats of Angora goats

– Mohair used for yarn for clothes

– Goat ranching mostly on Edwards Plateau…still producing mohair today

Barbed Wire and Windmills• As more Texans were raising cattle, the

grass supply diminished

• Also, ranchers couldn’t keep their cattle separated

• And, farmers started farming land the ranchers needed

• Result: conflicts over land

Barbed Wire & Windmills, con’t

• Open Range Ranching: no fences• But, there was a growing need for fences• In 1873, Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire• So, ranchers started using barbed wire for

fences– FYI: XIT Ranch used 6000 miles of barbed wire for

fences• Many people were against fences and started

wire cutting…eventually became illegal to cut fences

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Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire & Windmills, con’t• Windmills

– With invention of windmills, ranchers could pump water from underground…used this water for animals

• By 1890s…old ways of cattle industry were going away– Too many cattle and not enough grass– Cattle industry became way to make money rather

than a way of life

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Windmills

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Charles Goodnight

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Map of XIT Ranch

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Joseph Glidden

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Angora Goats

The Myth and Reality of the Cowhand

• Myth: it was glamorous and exciting…Wild West Shows exaggerated how it really was to be a cowboy

• Reality: very different– Not glamorous but a hard way of life– Many cowhands were African Americans,

Tejanos, and even women….they were ignored

American Cowboys Video

Range of Cultures Many cultures contributed to ranching industry

1. African Americans• Daniel Webster Wallace

• former slave• former trail boss• Owned ranch

• Bose Ikard• Worked as JA Ranch for Charles Goodnight

2. Vaqueros• Tejano cowhands (1 out of 10 cowhands was a vaquero)• Many vaqueros also owned ranches in South Texas

3. Women• Some worked ranches alongside husbands• Some became independent ranchers *Margaret Borland: had 10,000 acre ranch near Victoria *Lizzie Johnson Williams: owned ranch and well respected for ranching

knowledge (see page 376) *Both of these women rode on cattle drives

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Lizzie Johnson Williams

Read Bill Pickett, Bulldogger (page 377)

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Margaret Borland

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Daniel Webster Wallace