The Cattle industry Flashcards
When did the cattle industry start to occur?
Grew after Civil War as cattle was worth a lot more in north.
How many cows were in the South by 1865?
5 million cows in the south by 1865.
Where was beef in the most demand?
The northern cities
Who set up the first ‘Cow Town’?
Joseph McCoy sets up first Cow town in Abilene (railroad arrived there)
What was the name of the route that lead to the ‘Cow Town’?
The Chisholm Trail.
What was built in the ‘Cow Towns’?
hotels/stockyards
What happened in the 1870s?
The Beef Bonanza - huge profits were made
What did the Beef Bonanza lead to?
The Rise of Cattle Barons - McCoy, Iliff and Goodnight.
What was the Goodnight-Loving trail?
It supplied new settlements in the west, Indian reservations, Mining towns & Union Pacific Railroad
Where/who did John Iliff sell cattle to?
John Iliff sold cattle to mining towns in Colorado, Indian reservations & railroad gangs.
Who were the Cowboys?
They were young single men, black, Spanish, Mexican, white American, ex-soldiers or criminals
What were the jobs of the Cowboys?
Their job was to look after the cattle. They drove the cattle from Texas in the south to northern markets.
How did the Cowboys’ jobs change from Long-Drive?
Changed from going hundreds of miles with dangers, stampedes, wild animals, crossing rivers, rustlers, Indian attacks, weather extremes, out in the open air, campfires, saloons, brothels in cowtowns
Changed to-working on ranches, checking/mending fences, fewer dangers, still thefts/attacks.
What did the overinvestments in the cattle industry cause?
Lots of investment in this industry in 1870s led to it becoming overstocked.
What were the consequences of the overinvestments?
Too many cattle, little grass left, the price of beef dropped, fewer profits, bad winter from in1886 to 1887 killed cattle and led to cattlemen going bankrupt. After the bad winter cattlemen moved from the Open Range onto small ranches which were fenced. Cowboys led less adventurous lives on ranches.
