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