The Western Trail

The Western Trail was the most famous cattle drive of all time. During the years 1866 to 1884 millions of head of livestock traveled this route to northern stockyards and markets. The cattle were driven on long drives across hundreds of miles of open range – in some cases, going as far north as Montana and Canada. The journey was a tough one for the cattle and their herdsmen. The drive was supervised by a trail boss, and aided by 10 or so cowboys, the “trail hands.” Their duties were to keep herds moving in the same direction, weed out strays, and get the cattle where they needed to go.

The herds were driven by ranchers and businessmen seeking to profit from the growing demand for beef. Among the richest were the “cattle barons,” as they were called, from Britain and Europe who established themselves in western towns catering to the cattle drives. Despite these financial incentives, the drovers faced many dangers including harsh weather conditions, Indian attacks and hostile townfolks. The cowboys were not only exposed to these natural hazards but also had to contend with rustlers and sometimes with the law enforcement officials who patrolled the trails.

In a time when the word “cowboy” was a synonym for outlaw, many cowboys became famous for their skill in herding cattle and fighting off thieves. The trail was lined with sandstone bluffs and rock outcroppings that served as shelters for the cattlemen. These bluffs were often etched with the names of the trail bosses, herdsmen and their horses. One such landmark was known as Soldier’s Spring, a huge red sandstone bluff with a stream of spring water flowing from it.

When the western trail reached the Kansas border, it branched off into several different paths. One of these, blazed by John Lytle, ran west of and parallel to the Chisholm Trail into Kansas. In eastern Kansas the trail fanned out into grassy prairies, passing through the present-day sites of Waldrip and Coleman before crossing the Colorado River at Buffalo Gap. At this point the Western Trail merged with a feeder trail from Trickham and one of two trails from Tom Green County.

By the time the cattle reached Deadwood, South Dakota, there were many different routes to the railheads of the Northern Plains. Some of these had been influenced by developments such as barbed wire and the advent of beefier breeds of cattle. But, the principal factor was Texas fever, a tick-borne disease that decimated the northern herds and led to quarantines in many states and territories. This episode ended the popularity of the long trail.