Third Grade
Worksheets
The Cattle Industry Grows
During the 1870s and early 1880s, cattle ranching went through a boom. This was a period where ranching grew more than normal. The land in the Midwest was not widely settled yet. There were vast areas of open land that cost very little money. This attracted many people. At the same time, the population was growing quickly in the eastern part of the country. This growth led to more people wanting beef. Beef was selling at a high price in markets in the East. The flat land in the Midwest was a great place to raise cattle. As more people moved west, the cattle industry began to grow.
Many ranchers learned about the industry from Mexican ranchers that lived in or near Texas. Americans applied many of the ideas and used the same equipment as the Mexican ranchers. They also used the same type of cattle. The Texas longhorn did well when raised on the plains.
It was not easy to get cattle to the East where they could be sold. Ranchers had to get their cows from the ranch to a railroad line. From there, the cows could be loaded on the train and shipped to many different markets.
One of the most famous trails was the Chisholm Trail. It started near San Antonio, Texas, and ended at Abilene. Abilene was in the Kansas Territory. The trail was over two hundred miles along.
The trail was not clearly marked. The cattle did not follow a certain path except when they crossed rivers. When there were a lot of cattle traveling together, cowboys had to spread them apart. They had to do this so that there was enough grass for all of the cattle.
