john iliff

• who was John iliff?

  cattle rancher in Colorado and was the first person to farm on the great plains instead of relying on long drives from texas
• what did John iliff do In 1861?

  bought a herd of exhausted cattle for $500
• what opportunity had Iliff spotted?

  he could make a significant change in the cattle industry as Denver city grew rapidly
• why didnt the railroad supply Denver city with beef directly?

  no railroad
• what did iliff realise about the cattle?

  he could fatten them and be able to sell them as beef
• how could iliff fatten the cattle?

  by feeding them grass from the great plains
• how was iliff able to expand his ranch?

  using the homestead act to build a patchwork of claims
• how many cattle did iliff have on his ranch?

  26,000
• who did iliff sell his beef to?

  • government for the indigenous peoples
  • mining towns
  • people building union pacific
• consequences of iliffs ranching?

  • raised herd on the grass of the Great Plains without driving them to Texas
  • ranching on the open range of the great plains