Texas Cattle Trail Map Shawnee Trail Chisholm Trail Western Trail Goodnight-Loving Trail St. Louis Brownsville Abilene Dodge City Denver Kansas City Sedalia San Antonio Dallas

In the spring, cattle were brought into a central camp to be branded. Herd sizes varied, the average herd size was around 3,000 head. Managers (AKA trail bosses) planned and managed the drive. The number of men on a drive ranged from Cowboys needed good horses, called a remuda. Managers earn $100/m Cooks earn $75/m Wranglers earned $50/m Trail Hands earn $25-$40/m Wore a wide brim hat, bandanas, boots with spurs, gauntlets, vests with several pockets, and chaps. Goat ranching and Mustang ranching engulfed the cattle drive tradition, causing a stop of drives in the 1880s. Railroads expanded west into Texas and made it less essential to have drives.

Range Wars Sheep at the grass almost to the roots which destroyed the grazing for cattle Sheepherders often needed to drive their flocks over ranchers’ land in order to move from pasture to another. As ranchers began fencing their land in 1880’s conflicts worsened. Some public roads and water supply were cut off by fences, so small farmers fought back by cutting fences By 1883 a “range war” had begun, finally legislature made it illegal to cut fences. People who fenced across public roads or water supply had to provide a gate.

Before the Civil War there were very few railroads in Texas. Railroads were first successfully completed in 1851 In 1853 the first trains rolled across Texas on 20 miles of track By 1861, nine sets of railroads were in Texas By 1900 over 10,000 miles of railroad tracks expanded across Texas.

Modern Ranching Begins Big Die UP This was the beginning of modern ranching in Texas A lot of cattle roam the range It was the harsh winter of There was a mild winter the year before and extreme drought in the summer left prairie grasses stunted and sparse. Mid November the winter storm hit and temperatures dropped below minus 20 degrees with inches of snow and temp. did not rise till mid February.

Fall of the Cowboy Painting

Modern Ranching Hundreds of thousands of herds of cattle drifted with the blizzard many of the weaker animals died along with cowboys. Cattleman that were able to stay in business, fenced off pasture of each group of cattle required Constructed barns to store hay for winter feeding, they cross bred Angus, and Herefords, several new breeds resulted which produced more meat, resisted heat and Texas Fever.

Poem The Big Die Up By Mike Puhallo With "the big die up” in ’88 Some said the west was done. And for a fact it forced a change in way a ranch was run. They had to fence the open range So cattle wouldn't stray. They put in fields and water works To winter cows on hay

With “the big die up” in 88 Some said the west was done. But the days of cattle ranching Had really just begun. Ranches keep on changing More modern every day! But there’s still a place, for a good cowhand To ride and earn his pay. With “the big die up” in 88 Some said the west was done.

Bit if heart and spirit count at all Hey, folks we’ve just BEGUN!!!!

Laredo Houston Dallas Fort Worth Austin San Antonio El Paso Texas and Pacific Southern Pacific Houston & Texas Central International Great Northern