WU 6-1 (B) 1/30/09 (S) 2/2/09
According to the textbook, what is a
strong economy based on? What does
this have to do with cattle and railroads?
Unit 6: Cattle and Railroads
(B) 1/30/09
(S) 2/2/09
"Get Along Little Dogies"
As I was a walkin' one morning for pleasure,
I spied a cow puncher a riding along.
His hat was thrown back and his spurs was a jinglin',
And as he approached he was singing this song
» REFRAIN
Whopee tie yi yo, git along little dogies.
It's my misfortune and none of your own.
Whopee tie yi yo, git along little dogies.
For you know Wyoming will be your new home.
It's early in spring time that we round up the dogies.
We mark 'em and brand 'em and bob off their tails.
We round up the horses, load up the chuck wagon,
And then drive the dogies out on the long trail.
Cowboy
Boots
Spurs
Chaps
Gloves
Wipe (bandanna)
Hat
What
was the
job of the
cowboy?
The Real
American
Cowboy
WU 6-2 (B) 2/3/09 (S) 2/4/09
• Name two reasons why cattle were
brought to Kansas from Texas.
Cattle Drives
1867 to mid-1880s
Longhorns driven to Kansas
from Texas.
Open range
Three Major Trails
– Shawnee
– Chisholm
Longhorn
• San Antonio, TX to Abilene, KS
• Kansas Pacific Railroad
– Western
• Bandera TX to Dodge City, KS
What was the purpose of cattle drives?
Jesse Chisholm
Purpose of Cattle Drives
Shortage of beef in the eastern United
States, yet the demand was high.
Cattle herds had expanded rapidly due
to them running wild.
People began rounding up wild Texas
cattle and taking them east to sell.
Purpose (continued)
Cattle were worth more
in the east than in Texas.
Cattle had to be moved
to where the people lived
so the meat would
remain fresh.
Video
Cattle Trails Video
Video
Attracting Cattle Trade
Make money from the cattle drives.
Cowboys paid at the end of the trail
Local businessmen bought and sold
cattle for a profit.
Towns wanted to prove they were the
best site for selling and shipping cattle.
Why did towns want to attract cattle trade?
Cattle Towns
Located on a railroad
line
The point where the
cattle were shipped
east.
Why did a town need to
become a cattle town?
What Ended The Cattle Drives?
•Settlers built fences
•Barbed wire first
used on open range
in 1874.
End of Cattle Trails
from Texas to Kansas
•Diseases from Texas cattle
•Kansas Legislatures passed law
prohibiting infected cattle in Kansas.
•Quarantine line restricted cattle
Railroads into Texas
Kansas Legislature End Cattle Drives
Legislatures passed laws to keep cattle
drives did
out of
Kansas.
Why
the
Kansas Legislature
One law prohibited infected cattle from
put
a
stop
to
the
cattle
drives?
entering the state.
Quarantine Line
– Law amended to restrict all Texas cattle to
land west of McPherson.
– Moved to southwest border of KS
The Last Cowboy Song
Class Activity:
Mapping the Cowtowns and Railroads in Kansas
At one time, railroads and cattle trails crisscrossed the state of Kansas
To give you some idea of how extensive the rails and cowtowns were, map the
routes of several railroads through Kansas and locations of cattle trade..
A list of Kansas railroads with information on their routes can be found at:
http://www.ku.edu/heritage/research/rr/railroads.html
To do this mapping exercise, you will need…
– Blank map of Kansas
– Map of Kansas that locates cities and towns
– List of towns
Directions:
– Label the towns on the map
– Draw and label the railroads and trails through Kansas
Railroad Land Grants
Federal government gave public lands
to railroad companies in exchange for
building tracks in specific locations.
U.S. government surveyed the public
lands and divided them into one-mile
square sections.
Railroads received every other section.
Railroad Land Grants (cont.)
Grants controversial
– Had monopoly in specific regions.
– Make a profit shipping goods to and from
communities in these areas.
– Receiving too much of a subsidy.
Railroads Sell Land
Growth of towns along the rail lines
resulted in profits for the railroad.
The closer people lived to a railroad
line, the more they would use the
railroads services.
The railroads also could make money
selling their land grants so they
competed for business.
Town Site Association
Surveyed the lands
Planned the selected town sites
Sold shares in the town sites to pay for
land surveys
Railroads Bring Businesses
More profitable to encourage several
smaller specialized stores in a central
location rather than one general store
More business lots could be sold
“The Rain Follows the Plow”
Cultivation of the land could and would
change the climate.
As the plow broke the sod, the rainfall
would increase.
Crops in Kansas
Corn
Oats
Cotton
Tobacco
Rye
Barley
flax
Castor beans
Hemp
Broomcorn
Grapes
Fruit orchards
Wheat
Farming
Subsistence
– provided food for the farmer’s family
Commercial
– Having surplus products to sell
By late 1800s, most farmers grew crops
to sell, while at the same time growing
gardens to feed their family.
Mechanization
Saved time
Need for less hired help
Grain-drilling machines helped farmers
to plant seeds.
Mechanical reaper was pulled through
the field cutting the stalks of grain.
Mechanical threshing helped farmers
separate the grain from the straw.
Grange Movement
National organization that brought farmers
together.
Started for social and cultural reasons.
Promoted education among farmers
Offered the chance for farmers to associate
with other farmers who might share common
concerns.
Started to represent the political needs of the
farmer.
Job of the Cowboy
Age: Early 20s
Made $24-$40 a month
Took care of the cattle, driving them
north to the railroad lines in Kansas.
Traveled 750 miles on the trail for more
than 30-40 days.
Spent 18 hours a day on a horse.