Show:
Rise in the Cattle Industry
Life on the Trail
The Wild West
Boom and Bust in Cattle Kingdom
The Boom Ends
100
What cattle is known for its 6 foot or longer horns?
Texas Longhorns
100
What were some dangers of bringing cattle to markets?
The cattle could be scared by lightning, go blind by thirst, or swift moving rivers could carry them away.
100
Where was the first cowtown?
Abilene, Kansas
100
How long did the cattle boom last?
1860's to the 1880's
100
When did the boom end?
The mid 1880's
200
Why did the settlers not round up stray cattle or herds?
They had no means of bringing them to distant markets
200
Where does cattle herding come from?
The Spanish and Mexican vaqueros
200
Why were their being cities built so serve cowboys?
So that while the cattle waits to be shipped off, the cowboys could sit at a saloon or at a restaurant.
200
Why was this such a big part of history?
It was when buying a calf was $5 and a mature steer for $60
200
What made the boom stop completely and the price go back down?
7 million cattle were roaming around open range until 1886 and 1887
300
In the 1860's, the settlers started to gather the herds. Why is that?
The railroads were being built to bring the cattle to the markets
300
How did the settlers learn to herd cattle?
Spanish vaqueros had showed the herders how to rope, ride and brand
300
Why was carrying a pistol in Abilene, Kansas banned?
Although gunshots were rare, they were still common enough to be able to be banned
300
What is a cattle kingdom?
It was just a name for all of the ranches, trails, and cow towns
300
What happened to the cattle?
Freezing winters and scorching summers killed millions of cattle
400
Why did the ranchers want to bring cattle to markets?
The meat was in high demand in the bigger cities
400
How did the Wild West get its name?
The Easterners called it the Wild West due to myths about violence, adventure and endless opportunities
400
What made the price of the cattle keep growing?
The introduction of new breeds of cattle, which caught fewer diseases and had more meat
400
What happened to the big cattle ranches?
The ranches slowly gave away to smaller spreads that grew food
500
Who did the cattle meat feed once it was brought to the markets?
It was fed to soldiers and city dwellers
500
Where did cowboys get all their gear from?
The cowboys looked at the vaqueros' spurs, leather chaps to protect their legs from bushes, their hats and lasso's
500
What were some businesses that thrived in the West?
Cattle trading, herding, mining and ranching
500
Who all bought the cattle?
Settlers, the East and Europe
500
What happened to the railroads?
The large roundups vanished and the railroads kept expanding