Cattle Industry

Texas Cattle Industry 1860s – 1870s

Beginnings in Texas

Cattle, just like horses, were first brought to America by the European invaders. By the 1850s, southern Texas was the major centre for cattle farming. The Texas longhorns were a breed that had developed from the original Spanish imports. They were very hardy and could survive on the open range in Texas. Their one drawback was the relatively poor quality of their meat. In the 1850s beef became a popular food, and the Texan cattle ranchers became prosperous. Then came the American Civil War. Texas fought on the losing Confederate side. At the end of the war the Texans returned to their ranches to find their cattle herds had grown dramatically. It is estimated that in 1865 there were roughly five million cattle in Texas. Therefore, supply was totally outstripping demand in Texas and beef prices fell dramatically.

The need for cattle drives:

Cattle were not worth much unless they could be sold. The only way to do this was to drive them to the markets in the eastern states. (The Eastern states had the biggest populations – here a cow could be sold for $40+, back in Texas they were only worth $5). In this regard, the Texans faced a major problem. Their Texas longhorns carried a disease called Texas fever, which was spread by the ticks that lived on cattle. Whenever they came into contact with other cattle, those cattle sickened and died. So if the Texans tried to drive their cattle north, they would be turned back by homesteaders afraid of the disease spreading to their animals.

Solution 1 – Charles Goodnight

One solution to this problem was pioneered by Charles Goodnight. In 1860 he had a herd of 180 cattle based in Texas. In 1865, when he returned from the Civil War, his herd had grown to 5000 cattle. In 1866 he and his partner, Oliver Loving, drive a herd to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. There the cattle were sold to feed the army in their forts and the Indians on their reservations. They could sell the cattle for four times as much as they would get in Texas. This began Goodnight’s profitable career in the cattle industry. He establishes a trail to herd the cattle along. It later extends to meet up with the Union Pacific railway line.

Solution 1 - Charles Goodnight

Therefore, the West rather than the East with the US army, the Indians on the reservations, and groups like the miners and the railroad builders, provided a good market for cattle. By 1870 the US government was buying 50-60,000 head of cattle a year to distribute as rations on the various Indian reservations.

Open Ended

Explain why after the Civil War the Texas cattle farmers (ranchers) needed to find new markets (customers) for their animals.

Open Ended

Why were the homesteaders on the Plains hostile to Texas Cattle being moved to market near their farms?

Open Ended

What solution did Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving find to the problem of selling their cattle? Give a detailed answer to this question.