End of the Open Range in Texas

I. Barbed Wire 1. Success of the cattle industry = the decline of the cattle industry.

2. The ranch areas were overcrowded!

3. Ranchers needed a new way to keep their herds separated from farms.

4. Joseph Glidden – a. 1873, invented barbed wireb. Inexpensive and effectivec. Used to fence off individual farms and

ranchesd. XIT Ranch used 6,000 miles!

5. Fence cutting was a new crime.a. State legislature outlawed fence cutting and

made it a major crime6. Cattle drives were now a thing of the past. Why?

a. Barbed wire stood in their way!

End of the Open Range in Texas

II. Windmills 1. Barbed wire helped ranchers to fence in their property

2. West Texas was dry with few areas of water

3. Windmills bring water from underground to the surface

4. Cattle did not have to roam to find water anymorea. Result = ranchers could contain

their cattle in one area

End of the Open Range in Texas

III. Industry Problems 1. Too many cattle to feed = a. Depleted food supplyb. Droughtsc. Severe winters

2. Corporations bought ranches in West TXa. Owners did not live on the

ranchesb. Relied on others to carry out the

jobs

3. By 1890, the old cattle kingdom of TX was gone

4. The cattle industry continued but it was a business, not a way of life.

Examples of Barbed Wire