The big cattle drives in the United States primarily took place from the late 1860s to the early 1890s, lasting about 20 to 25 years. These drives were driven by the demand for beef following the Civil War and the expansion of railroads into cattle-rich areas. The era of the cattle drives effectively ended with the advent of barbed wire and changes in ranching practices.
Cattle drives in the United States primarily took place from the mid-1860s to the late 1890s, lasting approximately 30 years. This period was marked by the movement of large herds of cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas and other locations, driven by the demand for beef in the Eastern markets. The rise of railroads and changes in cattle ranching practices eventually led to the decline of traditional cattle drives.
Many cattle drives ended in Kansas due to its strategic location along the railroads, particularly the Kansas Pacific Railway, which facilitated the transportation of cattle to markets in the East. Additionally, Kansas offered open grazing lands and was part of the cattle trails like the Chisholm Trail, making it an ideal destination for herders. The demand for beef during the post-Civil War era further incentivized drives to this region, as it became a key hub for cattle shipping.
They began where the cattle were bred and raised and were moved to the nearest town on the rail lines. Many cattlemen lived in the states of Texas and Oklahoma and for a time the nearest rail stop was Abeliene, Kansas.
It was a 1,000 years long.
Many would brand their cattle with branding-irons which would identify the cattle by brand .
Hard drives last for many years
An average of 14 to 18 miles per day were made on cattle drives.
As cattle drives
to herd and tend cattle. Also used for cattle drives from one point to another for many miles and many days.
Just about every ethnicity was involved in cattle drives except Indian (and I'm not referring to Native Americans) and Middle East ethnicities. Many African-Americans were involved in cattle drives as much as Caucasians, Mexicans and Europeans were.
I must assume you are asking about cattle drives since you don't ask it in your question. Kansas was the nearest rail line for the cattle drives. Kansas City had the largest stockyards for the trains going east.
Many cattle drives ended in Kansas due to its strategic location along the railroads, particularly the Kansas Pacific Railway, which facilitated the transportation of cattle to markets in the East. Additionally, Kansas offered open grazing lands and was part of the cattle trails like the Chisholm Trail, making it an ideal destination for herders. The demand for beef during the post-Civil War era further incentivized drives to this region, as it became a key hub for cattle shipping.
The JA Ranch, established in 1876 in Texas, was known for its large cattle drives. During its peak, the ranch drove thousands of cattle, often over 5,000 head at a time, to support its operations. The exact number varied depending on the year and market demands, but the scale of these drives was significant, reflecting the ranch's prominence in the cattle industry.
Cattle drives still exist as they did in the late 1800s, but not over the same extensive distances. The growth of towns and farms and extensive use of barbed wire blocked many of the traditional routes, and much of the open grazing land became private property. The advent of the railroads meant that it became cheaper in many cases to ship cattle by rail, so the drives were from the ranches to the local stockyards, where the cattle cars would be loaded.
Many of the large cattle barons lived in the south, many in the state of Texas. The railroads did not go that far south for many years so the cattle had to be driven north the 'old fashion way', by horse and rider. Once at their destination the cattle were sold and loaded into rail cars to be taken to other cities, usually in the east.
A wandering calf that is separated from the herd was called a doggie. While on cattle drives many calves and other cattle were lost on the trail due to getting lost or injured.
The railroads meant the rancher had a shorter journey to cattle markets. Instead of a cattle drive having to go a long distance, taking many days, the cattle were driven to the nearest railhead or cattle yard and loaded onto cattle trucks.