Cowboys and Cattle Drives

​Cattle ranching has been part of Texas history for over three centuries. Spanish settlers brought the first cattle to the area in the late 1600s. Ranchers began raising larger herds of cattle in the 1700s. By the late 1800s, cattle ranching flourished.

​The growth of this industry was a major development in the era of Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads within Texas. This era lasted from 1865 to 1900 and was marked by the return to prominence of cotton growing after the Civil War, the growth of the cattle industry, and the expansion of railroads in Texas. The growth of these three industries had a major impact on each other and on life in Texas.

​In the first decades after the Civil War, cattle and cotton dominated much of the Texas landscape. This was the age of the cattle drive, when a team of cowhands drove a thousand head of cattle north to be taken by train to market. It was also the period when Texas became the nation's chief producer of cotton.

​While the cattle drive faded into history after just a couple of decades, the cowhand became a legendary part of Texas culture. Much of the open range was replaced by fenced ranch lands and spreading cotton fields. Still, cattle and cotton remained as vital parts of the Texas economy.

​The glory days of the Texas cowboy took place during the 25 years that followed the
Civil War. This was the era of the long drive, when cattle were rounded up in south and central
Texas and herded north to the rail towns of Kansas or to the grasslands of Wyoming and Montana.
There was excitement, but there were also long hours and, sometimes, real trouble.

​What do you think?

How would you describe the life of a cowboy on a cattle drive?

What might be concerns you would have while on the cattle drive?

​A typical cattle drive might have 2,000 longhorns and 12 cowboys. Except for the boss, the cook, and the wrangler, the cowboys rotated their riding positions during the day.

​A  Trail boss: No-nonsense leader of the drive. Often rode a few miles ahead to scout out the trail.

B  Remuda: Extra horses (often 50 to 100) for cowboys to ride. Horses got tired and needed rest.

C  Wrangler: Took care of the remuda. Lowest paid man on the drive.

D  Point: Rode in front and helped guide the herd.

E  Drag: Kept stragglers from falling behind. Ate a lot of dust. Hence the phrase, “It’s a drag.”

F  Cook: Next to boss, the cook was the highest paid man on the drive.

G  Swing: Kept cattle from straying.

H  Flank: Behind swing men. Same job

​ https://www.dbqonline.com/page/691/EV/7/en/

​Three major cattle drive routes in Texas:

1. Chisholm Trail

2. Western Trail

3. Goodnight-Loving Trail

A typical cattle drive covered about 15 miles per day.

About how many weeks did it take to go from Brownsville to Abilene?

​Share your thoughts:

Based on this data, what might encourage a Texas cowboy to sign-up for a cattle drive?

What might discourage them from joining a cattle drive?

​Baylis Fletcher was born on July 4, 1859, and grew up in the ranch country around Lexington,
Texas. He was 19 when he signed on to this cattle drive from the Corpus Christi area through
Dodge City to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

​Baylis John Fletcher, Up the Trail in ’79.

​Cattle can smell water up to ten miles away. For cowboys in charge of the cattle, is this a good thing or bad thing?

Explain your reasoning.