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In lecture 6 we talked about the ways and habits of the west. This lecture focused on ranching and how it factored into the plains life. We started with how the cattle industry came to the plains. It started with Spanish roots of the open range cattle industry. There then was a cattle surplus in Texas after the civil war. This would make it an easy business to get started because the cattle were just roaming the plains waiting to be rounded up. This would be profitable for someone who was willing to put in the work.

We also looked at herd laws and quarantines put into affect by towns that didn't want the cattle industry nearby. They didn't want the bad image and the wild people that the industry brought so they would enact herd laws that would make it almost impossible for cattle to be herded in the town. Quarantines were also put into affect because the longhorn cattle carried a disease that killed the cattle of local farmers.

Dr. Isern also talked about why he believes the open range cattle kingdom ended. He points to several factors including the herd laws and the transition to family farming and the synthesis of livestock and cropping.

The next part was talking about some of the developments that came from the cattle industry. One of these was the increasing use of feedlots. This would make it easier and more profitable than allowing the cattle to roam on the prairie. The feedlots could be supplied by ground water, so they could be placed in different areas and not right on a river or lake. The meatpacking industry also made a move. The plants started moving closer to the cattle so they could package the beef and then ship the packages to the stores. This was an interesting lecture because it talked about the cattle kingdom and how it developed and changed over time.

Mitch Tommerdahl