History of Texas Range Cattle and the American Cattle Trade

Origins of Beef Cattle and the Texas Longhorn

History of Beef Cattle

Today there are numerous breeds of cattle all over the world, but all of these breeds share one single ancestor: the auroch. There is a widespread belief that cattle were first tamed and domesticated during the Stone Age, in Europe and in Asia. Remains of domesticated cattle dating back to 6,500 BC have been found in places such as Turkey and other areas of the Eastern world. In 55 BC, Romans recorded spotting "red cattle" in southwestern England, and even today those red cattle — now known as Devon Cattle — are considered to be the oldest beef breed still in existence. In the year 1623, two Devon heifers and a Devon bull were sent from England to Plymouth, and these were most probably the first purebred cattle to reach the shores of North America. The Texas Longhorn cattle breed is said to have sprung from those ancestors brought into America by the early explorers of that era.

The Texas Longhorn is a breed that survived as primitive cattle and thereafter occupied the Great Plains after the buffalo herds were destroyed. A few other breeds imported into America at that time include the Angus, the Shorthorn, and the Hereford. The history of beef cattle and beef cattle farming dates back several thousands of years; even in Neolithic caves there are depictions of cattle that lived in those times. It is worth noting that it was not until about two hundred years ago that cattle were reared specifically to provide beef. Prior to that, cattle were primarily used as draught animals to pull carts and ploughs, and were slaughtered only at the very end of their working lives. As a result, the beef produced was of extremely poor quality.

Emergence of the Texas Longhorn

The rearing of cattle as open-range livestock functioned as an industry only as long as there was sufficient grass for the numbers of cattle involved. When the ranges became crowded with increasing numbers of cattle, the need for fencing arose, and this altered the very nature of cattle raising. Long drives, general roundups, a series of other techniques, and the Longhorn itself were all gradually eliminated as a consequence of fencing.

The origins of the entire cattle industry can be traced to the state of Texas, where the Texas Longhorn breed came to prominence. It was the Spanish who brought the first Longhorn cattle to America in 1493, and it was the descendants of this breed that formed the Longhorns of America in later years. The very first Anglo-American settlers of Texas, although they concentrated their efforts on raising cotton crops, also possessed a few cattle. When these cattle mixed with the cattle already present in Texas, there was a proliferation of cattle in that area, and in fact most of the cattle used for the first stocking of the central and northern plains are thought to have come from these herds.

In Texas, both climate and range conditions were ideal for raising cattle, and perhaps this is why Texas became so successful in cattle rearing and farming. In addition, there was a liberal land system in Texas at the time, which made it easy to acquire land. Soon, small acreage owners began to let their cattle graze on unoccupied lands, and others who had invested most of their money in cattle came to depend on the open ranges for pasture. Even though some cattle were used to feed the soldiers of the Confederate troops during the Civil War, for the most part the cattle were left alone, and they grew in numbers as well as in size. According to estimates, there were about five million Longhorns at the end of the Civil War.

The Longhorns had long legs and lanky bodies that seemed designed for speed. Because these cattle had been allowed to run wild for centuries, they had developed into creatures that could withstand droughts, blizzards, and other adversities with ease. They required very little water to survive and possessed strong horizontal horns capable of inflicting serious harm when provoked. A keen sense of smell added further to their capabilities, helping a cow find and defend her calf and protect herself from enemies. As for the bulls, it was often said that "there was probably no meaner creature in Texas than a Longhorn Bull," and at the slightest provocation it could turn into a vicious animal that would attack and kill aggressively. Texas cowman Charles Goodnight said of the Longhorns, "Their equal has never been known." Although they harbored certain diseases, they were the most prominent creatures in Texas for a long time. Sadly, cross-breeding, culling, and castration served to drastically reduce the numbers of pure Longhorns, and today Longhorns are bred and maintained only in certain selected state parks in Texas.

The Cattle Trade and Texas Ranching

Cattle ranching has been a very important industry in Texas for many centuries, most probably developing into a full-fledged industry during the early years of the 1690s, when the Spaniards brought cattle into America. Ranching as such dates back to the 1730s, when cattle were let loose along the San Antonio River to feed missionaries, soldiers, and others in that area. Ranching soon shifted to private raisers such as Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera y Garza, Antonio Gil Ibarvo, and Martín De León, among others. Researchers have stated that the Texas ranching industry likely started in the southeast Texas–southwestern Louisiana area, from where herds were generally driven to cattle markets in New Orleans.

The Spanish government is known to have encouraged the growth of the cattle industry, especially along the famous Coastal Bend, where liberal land grants appeared to develop into feudal estates in later years, and huge tracts of land were granted to cattle raisers such as Tomás Sánchez at Laredo. When barriers to trade with Spain were relaxed during the period from 1763 to 1803, Texas ranchers took advantage and began moving east in search of better outlets for their cattle. However, Indian raids drove many Texas ranchers from their lands to other settlements for protection. American colonists began crowding into Texas, and when they saw the vast opportunities for cattle rearing and ranching — where herds could be raised with relatively little expense or trouble — they began to settle in those areas. Men who had come to Texas with no purpose other than to plow and plant became cattle raisers. Cattle raising remained a large industry throughout the republic period, into early statehood, and during the Civil War, when Texas produced beef for the Confederacy.