What is the Great Western Cattle Trail?
Great Western Cattle Trail. The trail was also known as the Western Trail, Fort Griffin Trail, Dodge City Trail, Northern Trail and Texas Trail. It replaced the Chisholm trail when it closed. While it wasn't as well known, it was greater in length, reaching rail-heads up in Kansas and Nebraska and carried longhorns and horses to stock open-range...
What was the first cattle trail in the United States?
The Great Western Cattle Trail was first traveled by Captain John T. Lytle in 1874 when he was transporting 3,500 longhorn cattle up from Southern Texas into Nebraska. In five short years, it became one of the most traveled and famous cattle trails in U.S. history.
What are the cattle trails in San Antonio TX?
Ackerman, San Antonio Cowboy. Great Western Cattle Trail. Also known as the Western Trail, Fort Griffin Trail, Dodge City Trail, Northern Trail, and Texas Trail, this path wasn’t as well known as some of the other cattle trails, but it was longer in length and carried cattle for two years longer than did the Chisholm Trail.
Why did cattle drives from Texas to North America continue?
Although rail lines were built in Texas, the cattle drives north continued because Texas rail prices made it more profitable to trail them north. The Great Western Cattle Trail was first traveled by Captain John T. Lytle in 1874 when he was transporting 3,500 longhorn cattle up from Southern Texas into Nebraska.
When did the cattle trails start and end?
The great Texas cattle drives started in the 1860's because we had lots of longhorn and the rest of the country wanted beef. (We get beef from cattle.) From about 1865 to the mid-1890's, our vaqueros and cowboys herded about 5 million cattle to markets up north while also becoming famous legends that made Texas proud.
Where did the cattle trails begin?
cattle drovers' trail in the western United States. Although its exact route is uncertain, it originated south of San Antonio, Texas, ran north across Oklahoma, and ended at Abilene, Kansas. Little is known of its early history.
When did the Great Western Trail end?
The last known drive on the Western occurred in 1893, and while a number of contributing factors—such as barbed wire fencing and the settled frontier—led to the end of the Western cattle drives, the demise was primarily due to Texas fever, a disease carried by our longhorns and deadly to northern herds.
Where did most cattle trails used by cowboys start?
As early as 1836, ranchers in Texas began to drive cattle along a "Beef Trail" to New Orleans. In the 1840s, cattle drives expanded northward into Missouri. The towns of Sedalia, Baxter Springs, Springfield, and St. Louis became principal markets.
What were the 4 major cattle trails?
The Great Western Cattle Trail was used during the late 19th century for movement of cattle and horses to markets in eastern and northern states. It is also known as the Western Trail, Fort Griffin Trail, Dodge City Trail, Northern Trail and Texas Trail.
How long did it take to drive cattle from Texas to Montana?
about three monthsA typical drive, beginning sometime in the spring, often involved running 2,000 two-year-old steers, and would take about three months to get from Texas to Montana while covering 10 to 15 miles a day.
What was the end of the Great Western Trail?
It was conceived as a 4,500-mile long network of preexisting trails that would traverse central Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming, and end at the Idaho-Montana border with Canada.
Which cattle trail ended at Dodge City?
The Great Western Cattle Trail - also known as the Dodge City Trail and the Old Texas Trail - was utilized from 1874 for the movement of cattle to markets East. The trail began at Bandera, Texas and ended, most often, in Dodge City, Kansas. The entire trail extended from southern Texas to the Canadian border.
How long was the Great Western Trail?
The Great Western Trail is a 3,100-mile-long trail that extends across the United States from Canada to Mexico. It passes through the states of Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona.
When was the last cattle drive in Texas?
A month before the kickoff date of July 1, 1972, with the equipment and personnel gathering at the Bluebonnet Ranch near San Antonio to prepare for the cattle drive, Tandy and Dooley still needed history on the hoof — Texas longhorns.
What direction did most cattle trails go from Texas?
By about 1876 most northern cattle drives shifted westward from the Texas Road (or Chisholm Trail) to the Western (Dodge City or Ogallala) Trail. By then much of the eastern trail in Texas traversed settled country, and farmers strenuously objected to cattle being driven through their fields.
Why did the great Texas cattle drives end?
The last years of the cattle drive brought low prices for cattle ranchers. Low prices led to little or no profit and contributed to the end of the cattle driving era.
Where did the Chisholm Trail start and end?
Chisholm Trail, 19th-century cattle drovers' trail in the western United States. Although its exact route is uncertain, it originated south of San Antonio, Texas, ran north across Oklahoma, and ended at Abilene, Kansas.
Why did the cattle trails develop?
Ranchers used specific routes, known as cattle trails, to move their animals from grazing lands to market. The most famous trails of the Great Plains ran from Texas northward to Kansas cow towns or railheads.
What direction did most cattle trails go from Texas?
By about 1876 most northern cattle drives shifted westward from the Texas Road (or Chisholm Trail) to the Western (Dodge City or Ogallala) Trail. By then much of the eastern trail in Texas traversed settled country, and farmers strenuously objected to cattle being driven through their fields.
What was the importance of cattle trails in Texas?
In the 1860s, the great Texas cattle drives started because Texas had an over population of longhorn cattle and the rest of the country wanted beef. With such a long distance to cover with so many cattle, the cowboys had to perfect the trail routes and the techniques to increase their success.
What is the Great Western cattle trail?
The Great Western Cattle Trail, also known as the Western Trail, Fort Griffin Trail, Dodge City Trail, Northern Trail, and Texas Trail, wasn’t as well known as some of the other cattle trails, but it was longer in length and carried cattle for two years longer than did the Chisholm Trail.
When was the last time the Great Western Trail was walked?
The last reported drive on the Great Western Trail was made in 1893 by John Rufus Blocker who drove his herd from West Texas to Deadwood, South Dakota . By then, as many as six million cattle and one million horses had been driven to northern pastures and markets along the route. Along this trek, Dodge City, Kansas boasted ...
Why did the Texas cattle trail decline?
Despite its popularity, traffic along the trail began to decline in 1885 due to the spreading use of barbed wire fences, the introduction of beefier cattle breeds, and the settlement of the frontier. But the biggest contributor to the trail’s demise were quarantines of Texas cattle due to the “Texas Fever” – a disease spread by a parasitic tick.
Why did the men work in shifts to watch the cattle 24 hours a day?
These men worked in shifts to watch the cattle 24 hours a day, herding them in the daytime and watching them at night to prevent stampedes and prevent theft. The crew also included a trail boss, a cook, who drove a chuck wagon; and a horse wrangler to take charge of the spare horses. The wrangler was often a very young cowboy or one ...
What railroad opened the West?
Following the Civil War, construction of the Transcontinental Railroad opened the West at the same time that Texas cattlemen were desperately seeking opportunities to sell their cattle. Early trails included the Shawnee Trail and the Chisholm Trail, which would go out of use as the railroad moved westward.
What states were part of the cattle trade?
Communities in other states, including Ogallala, Nebraska; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Miles City, Montana; and Medora, North Dakota, served the trade as well. Amarillo, Fort Worth, Buffalo Gap, Abilene, Doan’s Crossing, and Seymour, all in Texas, ...
How far can cattle be driven in a day?
Though the cattle could be driven as far as 25 miles in a single day, they would lose too much weight and be hard to sell when they reached the end of the trail. In fact, if the cattle were skillfully managed, they could actually gain weight along the trail.
