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Lecture #6 (Ways and habits of the West) was primarily about cattle ranching and its impacts on the Plains and how it affected settlement. Professor Isern spoke of the three main cattle drive trails of the time; the Chisholm Trail, Western Trail, and the Goodnight-loving trail. He also mentioned how there was a cattle surplus in the Texas after the Civil-War and how cattle towns became farm towns after the Quarantine lines and herd law were established. The Quarantine lines were established by the Legislature and they were lines that cattle were not allowed (or at least supposed) to cross.
It was of particular interest to me, that cattle were the big money maker of the day, it was a booming investment. The "free-air" concept is also interesting, in that cattle would graze on open land that was owned by the government. How they kept the cattle from wondering away and from being stolen, seems impossible. Also it was quite fascinating to hear of Canadian Ranching and how it was based on a political, economic, and social framework as compared to the American cultural and technological framework. Ultimately barbed wire came into the mix and in combination with herd laws, changed the ranching lifestyle to that of a family ranching lifestyle.
We probably discussed this in class, but I didn't quite catch, how ranchers kept their cattle from being stolen? I'm sure it had to do with the Pool and branding, but it seems like it would be almost impossible to not loose cattle along the way. Also I'm wondering, if Canadian cowboys/cattle drivers were held to such high levels of esteem as American cowboys? You never really hear about any Canadian cowboys or cattle drivers.

Fred Lassonde