So they could sell it to the city folk
So they could sell it to the city folk
After the Civil War Texas ranchers drove cattle in herds to Kansas because that is where the big stockyards were at the time. It was also a place for the Texas ranchers to use the railroad for shipping cattle elsewhere.
Before railroads were built in Texas, cattle had to be herded on cattle drives to the nearest railroad. The first railroads in the United States ran from east to west. After the railroads were built that ran north and south, the Texas cattle ranchers had less distance to cover to reach a railroad for transport.
Texas ranchers grouped their cattle into herds and marched them across the countryside to get to the railroad to be shipped east or west. This was called a cattle drive and needed about 4 or more people on horseback to control where the cattle went.
Before railroads were built in Texas, cattle had to be herded on cattle drives to the nearest railroad. The first railroads in the United States ran from east to west. After the railroads were built that ran north and south, the Texas cattle ranchers had less distance to cover to reach a railroad for transport.
The herding of cattle from Texas to railroad centers to the north was called a cattle drive. Cattle drives took many months to complete. Some of the cowboys would drive the cattle to Kansas and not want to go back to the ranch after being paid. Then ranchers would have to hire more hands the next cattle drive season.
The westward expansion of the railroad in Texas significantly transformed ranching by facilitating faster transportation of cattle to markets, particularly in the East. This connectivity allowed ranchers to access broader markets, leading to increased demand and higher cattle prices. Additionally, it enabled the establishment of cattle drives, as ranchers could more efficiently move large herds to railheads for shipping. Consequently, ranching became more commercially viable and contributed to the growth of the cattle industry in Texas.
The Chisholm Trail was important because it is how cattle were driven from Texas to Kansas before the railroad expanded. It was the main route ranchers used and it allowed them to get beef to the Northeast and the sale of cattle helped Texas get out of the poverty left over from the Civil War.
Texas Ranchers sent their longhorns on cattle drives because the demand of the cattle in Texas was low. But high in the north and east. Demand and supply affect the price of nearly everything that was bought and sold - not just the cattle.
The Chisholm Trail was important because it is how cattle were driven from Texas to Kansas before the railroad expanded. It was the main route ranchers used and it allowed them to get beef to the Northeast and the sale of cattle helped Texas get out of the poverty left over from the Civil War.
The solution to transport Texas cattle to cities was the development of cattle drives, where cowboys herded cattle over long distances to railheads, where they could be loaded onto trains. The expansion of the railroad system in the late 19th century made it possible to transport large numbers of cattle quickly and efficiently to urban markets. This allowed ranchers to sell their cattle in cities far from their grazing lands, significantly boosting the cattle industry.
The railroads significantly opened the cattle industry to sales and sales meant ranchers could expand their lands and herds. Ranchers from even Texas could drive herds north to meet the railroad, and both factors helped develop towns in the Great Plains.