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Map of major cattle trails between 1866-1890. The first large-scale effort to drive cattle from Texas to the nearest railhead for shipment to Chicago occurred in 1866, when many Texas ranchers banded together to drive their cattle to the closest point that railroad tracks reached, which at that time was Sedalia, Missouri.
The cattle drives died out in the 1880s, as quarantines were imposed to stop the tick disease some herds carried. Furthermore cattle ranches in Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas grew rapidly in size, and produced better quality beef cattle which could be shipped east on the other land grant railroads.
The sheep wars, [1] [2] or the sheep and cattle wars, [3] [4] were a series of armed conflicts in the Western United States fought between sheepmen and cattlemen over grazing rights. Sheep wars occurred in many western states, though they were most common in Texas , Arizona , and the border region of Wyoming and Colorado .
From then on, ranchers generally raised feed to ensure they could keep their cattle alive over winter. [49] When there was too little rain for row crop farming, but enough grass for grazing, cattle ranching became dominant. Before the railroads arrived in Texas the 1870s cattle drives took large herds from Texas to the railheads in Kansas.
Farmers and ranchers depended on general stores that had a limited stock and slow turnover; they made enough profit to stay in operation by selling at high prices. Often farmers would barter butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables or meat which the merchant would resell. Prices were not marked on each item; instead the customer negotiated a price.
A major problem for Montford during the 1870s and 1880s was the threat posed by Texas cattle being driven north to the Kansas railroads. The Texas Longhorns brought ticks that carried [Texas cattle fever] to Montford's herds. While the Longhorns were immune, Montford's cattle were not, and he had difficulty keeping his herds separated from the ...
1873 Map of Chisholm Trail with Subsidiary Trails in Texas (from Kansas Historical Society). The Chisholm Trail (/ˈt͡ʃɪzəm/ CHIZ-əm) was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in southern Texas, crossed the Red River into Indian Territory, and ended at Kansas rail stops.
In 1868 a great number of cattle arrived in Kansas and the mid-west from Texas; appx. 40,000. With them came a tick born disease called "Spanish Fever". The local shorthorn breeds were seriously affected and in some towns the loss of the cattle was almost 100%. The result was a great predice against Texas cattle in Eastern Kansas and Missouri. [4]