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In Lecture 6, "Ways and Habits of the West," Mr. Isern touched base on the different transitions and highlights of the Cattle Kingdom. I'd just like to start off by saying that I thought it was interesting when Mr. Isern mentioned that the beginning railroads of the Plains mostly ran east and west, similar to today's highway system. The lecture went on to talk about the Spanish roots of the open-range cattle industry and people like Joseph McCoy, who were a part of supply and demand. During the civil war, cows roamed away from ranches. I was shocked when I heard that there were wild cattle roaming that had never seen a human being during this time. It seems like a concept that reflects man's temporary loss of power over the Cattle Kingdom. We also talked about Texas fever and how cattle diseases spread through ticks, killing many short-horns. I was baffled by the idea that this disease could have been carried for centuries, if not a millennium before it emerged.
When talking about the expansion of the cattle kingdom, Mr. Isern paused at a slide and quoted, "This former Great American Desert is the largest and richest grass and pasture region in the world, and it will probably soon become the most important beef-producing country of the globe." This was a good prediction because today's Plains ranching consists of feedlot development and consumer taste for marbled beef (with companies like IBP leading the industry). When the lecture shifted towards Canadian ranching, Mr. Isern expressed the idea that Canada doesn't want to be like the U.S. They want to maintain their own identity.
Under the title, "End of an Era," we discovered that events like the Blue Winder of 1881 and the Hard Winter of 1907 were the cause a major "bump in the road" for the Cattle Kingdom. Although it was later understood that the Plains weren't Overstocked, Mr. Isern brought forth a unique view of the situation. He said, "Overstocking the range isn't smart. Nature got back at us."
According to Mr. Isern, the transition to family ranching resulted from a slacking cattle market after 1885. The elements of this transition included barbed wire and herd laws. Plus, the concept of family ranching helps us remember certain "pastimes," such as singing to sooth the cattle and cowboy poetry. - Dain Sullivan