RANCHERS AND THE CATTLE INDUSTRY

Texas and the Longhorn Texas had ideal conditions for cattle

Warm climate year round Water sources Wide open range land

Longhorn- sturdy, short-tempered breed originally from southern Spain

Cattle Business

Buffalo and Indians gone from the plainsEstimate: 5 million cows in Texas 1865

Buy for $4 in TexasSell for $40 in East

Getting Cattle to market Cattle drive north

from Texas Chicago stock yard

Hub for railroads Railroads provided

Quick and easy shipping to Eastern markets

Cattle Drives1 Cowboy for every 200 – 300 cowsDrawback to life as a cowboy

Low wagesLoneliness

Occupational hazardsSicknessWeatherStampedes

The End of Big Cattle

Barbed Wire and land ownership

OvergrazingOverproduction = low

beef pricesNatural Disasters

1883 Drought1887 Blizzard and “Big Die-up”Cattle Diseases