1. By Mrs. Villanueva CATTLE DRIVES ON TEXAS TRAILS UNIT 9, LESSON 3

2. As people were settling on Texas land and working with cattle, the ranchers began making money from the cattle business. Since ranchers knew they could make more money on their cattle in the East than in Texas, the ranchers needed to find a way to get the cattle to the East for business. This was a problem because there were not many railroads in Texas at this time.

3. CATTLE DRIVES ON TEXAS TRAILS UNIT 9, LESSON 3 In order to move the cattle to towns with railroads (so the ranchers could get their cattle East), ranchers hired cowhands to tend their cattle and make the move happen. These moves were called “cattle drives”. When the cattle reached the railroad towns, the cattle were then sold to buyers, who would ship the cattle East via the railroads.

4. CATTLE DRIVES ON TEXAS TRAILS UNIT 9, LESSON 3 There were many struggles the cowhands might have faced during the cattle drives… Illness Severe weather Cattle thieves Stampedes A stampede is when a herd of cattle becomes frightened and runs wild.

5. CATTLE DRIVES ON TEXAS TRAILS UNIT 9, LESSON 3 The Texans learned about cattle drives from Spanish and Mexican ranchers; therefore, many words used in the cattle business came from the Spanish language. Here are some examples: RodeoCorral Rancho (ranch)Vaqueros (cowboy) chaparreras (chaps) La reata (later changed to lariat)

6. CATTLE DRIVES ON TEXAS TRAILS UNIT 9, LESSON 3 In 1874, some ranchers decided they wanted to protect their cattle with fences. This would better able them to keep track of their cattle and the cows would not be able to stray from the herd. Joseph Farwell Glidden invented barbed wire for this purpose. Barbed wire is twisted wire with very sharp points, or barbs. Some farmers also used barbed wire to keep cattle from eating their crops.

7. CATTLE DRIVES ON TEXAS TRAILS UNIT 9, LESSON 3 By the 1900s, the business of farming began to become more of a priority to Texans than cattle. Cattle drives were no longer needed and Texas farmers were finding new ways to bring water to their crops. In the near future, farmers would begin using windmills to irrigate their crops.