The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Industry

1. The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Industry Goodnight Loving and Iliff were important because they tried a new trail and found new markets. Iliff sold his beef to the cattle industry to the rail companies where as Goodnight sold his cattle to the US government. Joseph Mc Coy was important because started the beef bonanza. He wanted to make Chicago the centre of the meat trade The Railway was important because cattlemen realised that they could get their cattle to railways then they could reach markets in the North. Ranchers rounded up cowboys to take them to the long trail to the railhead. Civil War 1861-65 helped cattle trade grow because many cattle ranchers had left and their cattle had run wild. When they returned their cattle had survived and multiplied.

2. The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Industry 1880s Too many Longhorns grazing caused the grass would not grow. There was not enough grass to feed the cattle. Falling demand for the beef meant that fewer people wanted beef. So the price fell. The weather helped to end the boom because cattle and cowboys died in the freezing temperatures End of the open range because with this came smaller fenced ranches. There were no long drives because many ranches were on the Plains and were nearer the railway. Cowboys became part of the legend of the past