Butterfield Trail Apartments

Our Vanishing West, Post #6: Trail Drives

During the early days of the western homesteads and ranches, cattle were driven on trails throughout the West to railheads, at first located primarily in Kansas and Nebraska. Two of the most well-known trails were the Chisholm Trail and the Goodnight-Loving Trail, both of which originated in Texas and ended in Kansas.

Texas Longhorns – A Breed Apart

The cattle were Texas Longhorns, a breed that traces its origins to cattle brought to the Americas by the Spanish in the 15th Century. Over the course of nearly four hundred years, natural selection and adaptation resulted in a breed that became known as the Texas Longhorn. These cattle were notoriously lean, disease resistant, and hearty – able to withstand the extreme weather conditions of the Texas plains and the Southwest. The signature horns of the cattle were effective weapons used to defend themselves and their young against predators.

Drives of Endurance: Cowboys and Cattle Faced the Challenge of Distance, Weather, Predators and Injury

At first, the trails ended in Kansas, with railheads in Abilene, Wichita, and most famous of all, Dodge City. Later, the trails extended as far north as Miles City, Montana, which was also on the railroad line. Cattle were then shipped to stockyards, to be butchered and prepared for market.

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