Rise of Cattle Industry

• The rise of the cattle industry before the American Civil War involved cowboys driving cattle from Texas across the south to be sold
• During the Civil War, many cowboys left to fight, leading to unsupervised cattle multiplying
• By 1866, surviving cowboys returned to enormous herds that could only be sold for five dollars down south, while a cow could be sold for 40 in Chicago
• The need for beef in big cities like Chicago was high
• Joseph McCoy and Abilene played a significant role in the expansion of the cattle industry
• In 1867, a branch line of the Kansas Pacific Railroad reached Abilene, Kansas, making it practical to drive cattle from Texas up to Abilene
• Joseph McCoy bought 450 acres of land in Abilene for only five dollars an acre and built stockyards to load the cattle
• The Kansas Pacific Railroad agreed to favorable rates for transporting cattle
• A hotel for businessmen was built in Abilene, and the cow town was born
• Cowboys could drive the cattle along the Chisholm Trail, marked out by McCoy, to Abilene where they could be loaded directly into cattle box cars
• Joseph McCoy's idea of using Abilene as a loading point for cattle to northern cities was successful, with thousands of cattle being driven there
• Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving established the Goodnight Loving Trail to supply beef to new populations in the west
• In 1866, they drove 2,000 cattle north, selling 800 cattle for 12,000, four times what they would have got in Texas
• Oliver Loving was killed in 1867 by a Comanche attack, but Charles Goodnight continued the cattle business
• John Iliff recognized the demand for beef in Colorado's gold prospecting and mining settlements and built up a huge herd of 26,000 cattle on 16,000 acres by 1870
• John Iliff's ranching business was successful as he fattened his cows on grasslands and drove them short distances to mining towns where they fetched full price
• John Iliff bought land for a ranch near Denver, Colorado by 1870
• John Iliff had built up a huge herd of 26,000 cattle on 16,000 acres using the Homestead Act
• John Iliff sold cattle to mining towns, Union Pacific Railroad builders, and the government for Indian reservations
• John Iliff became the first millionaire in Denver and the first cattle baron by the 1870s
• By the 1870s, there was a beef bonanza in the West with ranching seeing big profits
• Investors poured money into the cattle industry looking for big profits
• The biggest ranches were the most efficient businesses and made the most money
• Cattle barons dominated the cattle industry with their wealth and influence
• Cattle barons frequently came into conflict with smaller ranchers and homesteaders
• The main themes of growth in the cattle industry included developments like cattle trails, cow towns, ranching, and the open range
• Transportation improvements, especially railroads and rail towns like Abilene, contributed to the growth of the cattle industry
• Markets for beef expanded to include miners, industrial cities, and railroad builders
• Key individuals like Goodnight, Loving, Iliff, McCoy, and the cattle barons played significant roles in developing the cattle industry
• Challenges faced by the cattle industry included the Civil War, Plains Indians attacks, rustling, conflicts with settlers and farmers, and cattle diseases like Texas fever
• Unsupervised cattle like the Texas Longhorn multiplied during the Civil War, affecting beef prices
• Joseph McCoy established the first cow town, Abilene
• New trails like the Goodnight-Loving Trail opened up new markets
• John Iliff pioneered cattle ranching, leading to others investing in ranches during the 1870s beef bonanza