By Breanna Fanta, Editorial Assistant
Waves of Texas longhorns were driven to northern beef markets in Nebraska and Kansas in the latter nineteenth century. Following the Big Blue and Little Blue rivers, cowboys drove the herds to northern railheads to be sold or transported. For some cattlemen it led to big profits; for others it was a gamble from which they’d never recover. Gary and Margaret Kraisinger and Dwaine Fosler detail the history and struggles of the cattle drivers in their article, “The Blue River Cattle Trail: Two Extensions of the Cattle Trail in Kansas North from Abilene into Nebraska, 1868 – 1871,” in the Winter 2020 issue of Nebraska History Magazine.
The United States looked forward to economic recovery at the end of the Civil War. Cut off from outside markets by the war, Texans had an overabundance of cattle. Demand for beef was strong in northern states, but the nearest railroads were far from Texas. The nearest railheads were in Kansas and Nebraska. Hoping for large profits, Texas cattlemen took the risk of trailing their herds of longhorns north in great cattle drives.
During the early drives, it was discovered that the Texas cattle, though healthy, were spreading a disease fatal to local domestic cattle. Ranchers and farmers lost large portions of their herds to “Texas Fever.” After declaring statehood in 1861, Kansas drew a quarantine zone from which Texas cattle were excluded. Texas drovers were unaware of this and were surprised to be confronted by border patrols. Trespassers faced “hefty fines” or jail time, and some patrols beat or killed drovers and stampeded the herds.
Nebraska experienced its own phase of the Texas Fever in 1867 and implemented a quarantine law in May of that year. While quarantine zones impeded routes north, new western settlers also posed a threat. Lacking sufficient fencing to keep cattle off their fields (barbed wire didn’t yet exist) many settlers enforced boundaries by arming themselves. These obstacles made it difficult for drovers to find an efficient trail north to market and railway destinations.
To resolve this, a young Joseph G. McCoy founded the small town of Abilene along the Kansas Pacific Railroad beyond the western border of the Kansas quarantine zone. It was a “safe and convenient rail terminal” that included the Great Western Stock Yards, but competition appeared when a new branch of the Union Pacific advanced 100 miles farther west. William Osburn, chief engineer of the railroad, established Waterville, Kansas, which sat in “bluegrass stem country” and provided lower freight rates. The anxiously awaited spring drive of 1868 proved Waterville to be the preferred destination amongst the drovers, but the town’s success was short-lived.
That summer Texas Fever struck again. Recognizing its prevalence during the summer months, Nebraska and Kansas implemented quarantine laws during July and August. Texas cattleman grazed their cattle in nearby counties outside the quarantine zone until September.
But eventually the cattlemen were driven away by westward settlers, and Waterville ceased to be a major rail terminal for cattle drives.
Abilene prospered, but soon faced a different problem. The Kansas Pacific Railroad charged astronomical prices to ship cattle from Abilene to Chicago and provided poor service. Unsatisfied, cattle shippers reached a local judge, William N. Fant, to represent them in negotiations with the Kansas Pacific in hopes of receiving “relief in rail prices and to negotiate fewer delays over the route.” When the Kansas Pacific refused, Fant began negotiating with the Union Pacific in Omaha.
The Union Pacific provided this relief in 1870. With the idea that as many as 100,000 head of cattle would enter Nebraska, the railway charged a per-car rate that was 25 percent less than Kansas Pacific’s. Schuyler, Nebrsaka, was chosen as the railroad’s “Bull Head” and became a destination for cattle drives. Business boomed during the town’s first year in service. While it was a farther drive up the Blue River, Schuyler’s high sale prices and improved service made the extra travel worthwhile.
Unfortunately for Schuyler, the following year was less profitable. The railroad “rate war” of 1870 ended and railroads increased their rates. Everything that boosted business in the previous year came crashing down: sale prices declined, people were unable to sell their low-grade cattle, new settlers closed in on the trail, and severe weather hurt the business. Heavy rainstorms spoiled the prairie grasses and thunderstorms created stampedes that made cattle lose valuable market weight. The final straw for many of the Texas hopefuls was the severe winter conditions.
With hopes of the following spring resulting in better sales, many cattlemen attempted to keep their herds in the area during the winter. As the bitter weather rolled in, it became clear how unaccustomed they were to the conditions. Cattle died by the thousands. Many cattleman lost almost all of their investment and headed home empty handed. Others either sold what could and didn’t return or managed enough to recover from their losses.
Despite the tragedy, Schuyler grew in size, but this too was a problem for drovers. Since the population grew so large, a new law was instituted allowing stray cattle to be confiscated and fines to be imposed on trail bosses. When locals began taking violent measures to enforce this, cattlemen decided Schuyler was too dangerous. After two driving seasons, the town met the end of its cattle business.
Drives continued advancing farther west (North Platte became a major cattle-drive town for a few years, and then Ogallala for several more), but for towns like Abilene, Waterville, and Schuyler, the Texas cattle business ceased when the trails became too challenging to travel. As for the Texas cowboys, some returned home, but others stayed to work on newly established ranches in Nebraska, where a homegrown cattle industry was beginning to emerge.
The entire article can be found in the Winter 2020 edition of the Nebraska History Magazine. Members receive four issues per year.
Longhorns, Cattle Drives, Cowboys, Railroads
Wanyama wa Texas Longhorns walipelekwa kwenye masoko ya ng'ombe ya kaskazini huko Nebraska na Kansas mwishoni mwa karne ya kumi na tisa. Kufuatia mito ya Big Blue na Little Blue, ng'ombe-dume waliendesha makundi hayo hadi kwenye reli za kaskazini ili yauzwa au kusafirishwa. Kwa baadhi ya wafugaji wa mifugo ilisababisha faida kubwa; kwa wengine ilikuwa ni kamari ambayo hawangeweza kamwe kupona. Gary na Margaret Krausinger na Dwayne Fossler waliandika juu ya historia na mapambano ya madereva wa ng'ombe katika makala yao, The Blue River Cattle Trail: Two Extensions of the Cattle Trail in Kansas North from Abilene to Nebraska (1868-1871) katika toleo la msimu wa baridi la Nebraska History Magazine. Marekani ilitazamia kurudishwa kwa uchumi mwishoni mwa Vita vya Wenyewe kwa Wenyewe. Wakiwa wameachwa na masoko ya nje kwa sababu ya vita, Watexani walikuwa na mifugo mingi sana. Mahitaji ya nyama ya ng'ombe yalikuwa makubwa katika majimbo ya kaskazini, lakini reli zilizo karibu zilikuwa mbali na Texas. Vituo vya reli vilivyo karibu zaidi vilikuwa Kansas na Nebraska. Kwa matumaini ya kupata faida kubwa, wafugaji wa ng'ombe wa Texas walihatarisha maisha yao kwa kuongoza makundi yao ya ng'ombe wenye pembe ndefu kuelekea kaskazini. Wakati wa safari za mapema, iligunduliwa kwamba ng'ombe wa Texas, ingawa walikuwa na afya nzuri, walikuwa wakisambaza ugonjwa wenye kuua ng'ombe wa nyumbani wa eneo hilo. Baada ya kuanzisha jimbo la Kansas mwaka 1861, Kansas ilianzisha eneo la karantini ambalo ng'ombe wa Texas hawakuweza kuingia. Wakulima wa Texas hawakujua jambo hilo na walishangaa kukabiliwa na walinzi wa mpaka. Wale waliovunja sheria walipata <unk>fidia kubwa<unk> au kufungwa gerezani, na baadhi ya doria waliwapiga au kuwaua wachungaji na kukandamiza makundi. Nebraska ilipata ugonjwa wa Texas Fever mwaka 1867 na ilianzisha sheria ya kuondoa watu wote. Ingawa maeneo ya karantini yalizuia njia za kwenda kaskazini, wahamiaji wapya wa magharibi pia walileta tisho. Kwa kukosa uzio wa kutosha ili kuzuia ng'ombe wasiingie mashambani mwao (ufumo wa waya wenye miiba haukuwapo bado) wahamiaji wengi waliweka mipaka kwa kujiandaa. Vizuizi hivyo viliwafanya wafugaji wa ng'ombe wawe na ugumu wa kupata njia nzuri ya kwenda kaskazini hadi sokoni na kwenye reli. Ili kutatua tatizo hilo, kijana Joseph G. McCoy alianzisha mji mdogo wa Abilene kando ya Reli ya Pasifiki ya Kansas, ng'ambo ya mpaka wa magharibi wa eneo la Kansas lililokuwa limepigwa marufuku. "Hiyo ilikuwa ""safari salama na rahisi ya reli"" ambayo ilijumuisha Great Western Stock Yards, lakini ushindani ulionekana wakati tawi jipya la Union Pacific lilipopanda maili 100 magharibi zaidi." William Osburn, mhandisi mkuu wa reli hiyo, alianzisha Waterville, Kansas, ambayo ilikuwa katika "nchi ya shina la bluegrass" na kutoa viwango vya chini vya usafirishaji. Mwaka 1868 mji wa Waterville ulipata mafanikio makubwa kwa sababu ya kufanikiwa kwa magari ya kukokotwa na farasi, lakini mafanikio ya mji huo hayakuendelea kwa muda mrefu. Katika majira hayo ya kiangazi, homa ya Texas ilipiga tena. Kwa kutambua kuenea kwake wakati wa miezi ya kiangazi, Nebraska na Kansas zilianzisha sheria za kujitenga wakati wa Julai na Agosti. Wanyama wa Texas walifuga ng'ombe zao katika kaunti za karibu nje ya eneo la karantini hadi Septemba. Lakini hatimaye wakulima hao walifukuzwa na wahamiaji waliokuwa wakielekea magharibi, na Waterville ikaacha kuwa kituo kikuu cha reli cha kusafirisha ng'ombe. Jiji la Abilene lilifanikiwa, lakini punde si punde lilikabili tatizo jingine. Reli ya Kansas Pacific ilitoza bei ya juu sana kusafirisha ng'ombe kutoka Abilene hadi Chicago na kutoa huduma duni. Wakiwa hawajafurahishwa, wauzaji wa ng'ombe waliwasiliana na hakimu wa eneo hilo, William N. Fant, ili kuwawakilisha katika mazungumzo na Kansas Pacific kwa matumaini ya kupokea "msaada katika bei za reli na kujadili ucheleweshaji mdogo kwenye njia". Union Pacific ilitoa msaada huo mwaka wa 1870. Kwa kuwa ilidhaniwa kwamba ng'ombe 100,000 wangekuja Nebraska, kampuni hiyo ilitoza ushuru wa gari moja kwa gari, ambao ulikuwa chini ya ushuru wa Kansas Pacific. Schuyler, Nebrsaka, alichaguliwa kama reli ya <unk>Bull Head<unk> na akawa marudio kwa ajili ya madereva ng'ombe. Biashara iliongezeka sana katika mwaka wa kwanza wa mji huo kutumika. Ingawa ilikuwa safari ya mbali zaidi juu ya Mto Blue, bei za juu za kuuza za Schuyler na huduma iliyoimarishwa zilifanya safari ya ziada iwe na thamani. Kwa bahati mbaya kwa Schuyler, mwaka uliofuata haukuwa na faida sana. "Mashindano ya reli ya ""hatua ya vita"" ya 1870 yalimalizika na reli ziliongeza viwango vyao." Vitu vyote vilivyomsaidia biashara mwaka uliopita vilipungua: bei za kuuza zilipungua, watu hawakuweza kuuza ng'ombe wao wa hali ya chini, wahamiaji wapya walifunga njia, na hali mbaya ya hewa iliharibu biashara. Vimbunga vikali viliharibu nyasi za nyanda na dhoruba za radi zilifanya watu waogope na hivyo kuharibu mifugo yenye thamani. Jambo la mwisho ambalo liliwaangamiza wengi wa wale waliokuwa na matumaini ya kupata kazi huko Texas lilikuwa hali mbaya ya majira ya baridi kali. Kwa matumaini ya kwamba masika iliyofuata ingefanya mauzo yawe mazuri zaidi, wafugaji wengi wa mifugo walijaribu kuweka makundi yao katika eneo hilo wakati wa majira ya baridi kali. Hali ya hewa ilipozidi kuwa mbaya, ikawa wazi kwamba hawakuwa wamezoea hali hizo. Makundi ya ng'ombe yalifa kwa maelfu. Wanyama wengi walipoteza karibu uwekezaji wao wote na kurudi nyumbani wakiwa hawana chochote. Wengine ama waliuza kile walichoweza na hawakurudi au walifanikiwa kutosha kupona kutokana na hasara zao. Licha ya msiba huo, Schuyler alikua kwa ukubwa, lakini hilo pia lilikuwa tatizo kwa wafugaji. Kwa kuwa idadi ya watu iliongezeka sana, sheria mpya ilianzishwa ikiruhusu ng'ombe waliopotea wachukuliwe na faini zitolewe kwa wakuu wa njia. Wakati wenyeji walipoanza kuchukua hatua za jeuri ili kutekeleza hili, wafugaji wa mifugo waliamua Schuyler alikuwa hatari sana. Baada ya majira mawili ya kuendesha gari, biashara ya ng'ombe ya mji huo ilikoma. Mzunguko wa ng'ombe uliendelea kusonga kuelekea magharibi (North Platte ikawa mji mkubwa wa ng'ombe kwa miaka michache, na kisha Ogallala kwa miaka kadhaa zaidi), lakini kwa miji kama vile Abilene, Waterville, na Schuyler, biashara ya ng'ombe ya Texas ilikoma wakati njia zilipokuwa ngumu sana kusafiri. Baadhi ya wafugaji wa Texas walirudi nyumbani, lakini wengine walibaki kufanya kazi katika mashamba mapya ya Nebraska, ambapo biashara ya mifugo ya nyumbani ilikuwa ikianza kutokea. Makala hii ya mwisho imechapishwa katika toleo la msimu wa baridi la Nebraska History Magazine. Washiriki hupokea matoleo manne kwa mwaka. Longhorns, Cattle Drives, Cowboys, Reli