Survivor of the Past – Bright Promise for the Future–Texas Longhorns
As we Decide on our Trail
You can buy one:
Texas Longhorn Bull
I thought today we’re look some place that we haven’t spent much time in—-Texas—–BUT WHERE—–So I said Cowboys hey that’s a great take on Texas and then I thought—Cattle Drives—a bit above and beyond just the regular ranch routine and something that might well have left some memories that are there for those of us who look to find and share—and maybe even enjoy them—who knows.
Then I remembered one—possibly the most famous of all those trails where cattle were driven from Texas up to the rail head where they were put on trains and shipped all over the country to feed the need for beef.
So I looked through some stuff I had kept from my trips to Texas where my friend had moved (I knew her from Michigan—then she went to Az. for her husband’s job and when they retired she followed her grandchildren (and her daughter and husband) to Texas and there her and her hubby retired.
Did you know that the Texas Longhorns (like early US wild horse breeds) are descendents from animals that the Spanish brought here in the 16th century. The early cattle breeders were often the Monks in the various missions they had founded around the area, but eventually it became a more secular activity.
Spanish Legacy in the United States of America
Songs and Tales of the Old Chisholm Trail – YouTube
But let’s get back to that cow drive and the trail well I know from my reading that it had several names—but the one I know it by is the Chisholm Trail and it ran thru the middle of Texas from bottom to top eventually ending in Kansas.
And what surprised me in my reading is that they drove millons of longhorns—those horns are enough to keep me away from them……and there were actually millions of them—at least 6 million from what I’d read….most of this was a large part in Texas recovery after the Civil War and did much to improve their economy, seriously helped with their recovery and was the foundation for their still strong cattle industry—though they haven’t done these major cow drives were for many, many years.
The spirit of the Old West lives on in cattle towns
I also found that there were many other cattle trails during this time—-so if you’re interested you might pick some place closer to your own home—-or pick several places that you can drive to and really see the west and maybe even experience some of the real feelings and places of that era that we have long kept alive in books, TV and movies.
For Example:
Found this saying about Texas I
hadn’t heard before:
“Other states were carved or born, Texas grew from hide and horn.”
TEXAS STATE SYMBOLS
The End of Spanish Texas-Texas History #18
Did you know that Texas first pulled away from Mexico (1835-36) and stayed independent of every one for about 9 years when it was claimed by the US and annexed as the 28 th State.
Dec 29, 1845 CE: Texas Becomes a State
How did that work out? Well not really great and by 1861 (to ’65) Texas had become part of the South—that had suceeded and formed the Confederate States and spent most of its freedom fighting Yankees.
Texas Civil War Museum
Oh by the way did you know the last battle of that war was May 12, 1865 and that the final battle of the Civil War took place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It was a Confederate victory.
Palmito Ranch Battlefield State Historic Site
There were even some women who rode the trail—-several were disquised as men and you saw it in other places—like woman who fought for both sides in the Civil War. There were also woman who owned the ranch and went along to supervise her economic investments—ahuuuh cows (Duh).
So the war was over and a couple of years later in Abelene, Kansas a cattle terminal was set up as a point that cattlemen in Texas and the like could bring their cattle to the town and from there the railroad would take them to states interested in getting the beef.
And it wasn’t too long before the Texas Cowboys headed north herding their cattle to the terminal which was in full operating mode by 1871 with 700,000 cattle having reached the terminal and the drives continued on into the 1880’s when the use began to decrease and was at an end by about 1889.
There were multiple reasons for the trail(s) demise: New rail road lines and spurs were moving into more states, including Texas which would prove so much more profitiable than the long drives that they had been doing. Barb wire and home steads were doing away with the open plans which the cattle were driven through and an over-abundance of Texas Castle.
Like a cowboy’s therapy: The Green River Drift’s 70-mile cattle drive
As you probably figured out without me telling you there were many dangers on the trail–stampedes which could be caused by a storm—both thunder and lightening being frightening to the stock being driven. There are accounts of stampedes being caused by one of the cowboys sneezing and we haven’t mentioned the various carnivors that roamed these lands and who wouldn’t mind adding an extremely rare steak to their diet—oh and brush fires, especially in the drier years—presented a real danger to both man and beast on the drives.
Cattle Queen of Montana | Old Cowboy Movie | WESTERN | Action | Full Length Movie Free again
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The 8 Best Cattle Drive Vacations to Take in the US
OK next week we’ll take you to a major Texas city that was on the Chisholm back in the day—-hint there’s even a hotel here built by the proceeds of the trail which is still there and has been converted back to a lush place to stay….we’ll find you spots that are related to the trail and the drives—–but we’ll also find all manners of other stuff today so you have a well rounded vacation which should have something for the whole family or if it’s just you a wider variety to keep you open to all manner of what the world has to offer—or at least we’ll try.
The Top Wild West Towns You Can Visit Today
