they used the railroads
I believe they first they got onto the Santa Fe R.R./Kansas Pacifc and went east.After they hit the Union Pacific R.R. they would head North East on their way to Chicago or at least that's one way I think they did it.
Key cow towns that served as shipping points for cattle sent to packing houses in Chicago included Abilene, Dodge City, and Wichita in Kansas. These towns emerged during the late 19th century as crucial hubs in the cattle drive era, facilitating the transport of livestock via railroads to major markets. The expansion of the railroad network allowed ranchers to ship their cattle efficiently, significantly impacting the beef industry and contributing to the growth of Chicago as a meatpacking center.
The cattle trails and railroads intersected in towns such as Abilene, Kansas; Dodge City, Kansas; and Cheyenne, Wyoming to form cattle shipping centers during the late 19th century. These towns became significant hubs for the cattle industry due to their accessible transportation networks for moving cattle to markets in the East.
The development of the railroad made it profitable to raise cattle on the Great Plains. In 1860, some five-million longhorn cattle grazed in the Lone Star state. Cattle that could be bought for $3 to $5 a head in Texas could be sold for $30 to $50 at railroad shipping points in Abilene or Dodge City in Kansas.
cowboy dustbowl rawhide
kansas
· Abilene, Kansas · Abilene, Texas
"The Long Drive" is generally associated with the cattle drives from various places in Texas to the Kansas Railroads in towns like Abilene and Dodge City for rail shipment to the eastern population centers. In 1861 thirty-five thousand head of beef passed through Abilene on their way to the dinner table in large eastern cities. Ten years later the number had grown to 1.5 million.
Established in 1881 by cattlemen, Abilene, Texas was named after Abilene, Kansas, which was the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail.
By car, Salt Lake City, Utah, is about 1100 miles from Abilene, Texas.
I was watching a talk show when writer Gibson state he wrote it for Abilene, KS
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