Texas Cattle, Rail Roads and Oil

1. Texas Cattle, Rail Roads and Oil Fourth grade Social Studies Review

2. Why were longhorn cattle raised in Texas? • Longhorn cattle are strong. • They have long legs that allowed them to walk over Texas scrub and brush. • They can travel many miles without water. • They were brave. “They could horn off the fiercest wolf, smell out a panther, and did not back away from bears.” – J. Frank Dobie

3. What is the open range? • The open range was grassy plains where cattle were allowed to roam freely. Some of the range belonged to ranchers. Some belonged to the state.

4. Why did ranchers brand their cattle? • Ranchers branded their cattle because it was difficult to tell one rancher’s cattle from the other in the open range. Ranchers started to burn a symbol for their ranches into the hide of their cattle. All the same brand belonged together. Ranchers hired cow hands to tend and brand their cattle.

5. What is a stampede? • A stampede occurs when a herd of cattle becomes frightened and runs wild. Some of cattle often become lost or injured.

6. Where did cattle drives start and end? • Cattle drives in Texas started in towns like Fort Worth or San Angelo. • The drives ended far down the trail in towns like, Sedalia, MO and Dodge City, KS.

7. How did rail roads change Texas? • Texans could use trains to travel around their state. Before they had to travel by horse and buggy. • Texans could even travel to other countries by train. • Railroads brought many new people to Texas that came from other states or countries. • Railroads help Texas have a time of rapid growth in population and in the economy.

8. What is Spindletop? • Spindletop was a hill near Beaumont, Texas where oil was discovered. • Higgins visited the hill often and noticed that he smelled a gas smell near the hill. • He convinced a miner (Anthony Lucas) to drill. • On January 10, 1901 the two men struck oil!

9. Why was Spindletop important? • Spindletop was the beginning of the many more oil fields that would be discovered in Texas. • Texas prospered greatly because of the oil discoveries.

10. What is an oil refinery? • It is a factory where crude oil straight from the ground is cleaned, processed and turned into useful products. • Some products made from oil are: lotion, plastic, paint, gasoline, motor oil, and pavement.

11. Where are most refineries in Texas located? • Most refineries in Texas are located along the Gulf Coast.