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What was the Goodnight Loving Trail used for?

4 min read

Asked by: Angie Randol

The Goodnight–Loving Trail was a trail used in the cattle drivescattle drivesCattle drives were a major economic activity in the 19th and early 20th century American West, particularly between 1850s and 1910s. In this period, 27 million cattle were driven from Texas to railheads in Kansas, for shipment to stockyards in Louisiana and points east.

In what Wyoming City did the Goodnight-Loving Trail come to an end?

The trail runs from Young County, Texas, southwest to Horsehead Crossing on the Pecos River, then northwards to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, through Colorado and ends in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

When was the Goodnight-Loving Trail?

1866

The trail was established in 1866 by cattlemen Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving, who followed a route of the Butterfield Overland Mail, joining their herds to that of John S. Chisum in New Mexico.

What states did the Goodnight-Loving Trail go through?

Sometimes just called the Goodnight Trail, the cattle-driving route known throughout cowboy culture mythology as the Goodnight-Loving Trail ran from Young County, Texas, across the Pecos River, through New Mexico, and on to parts north in Colorado.

How did Charles Goodnight help the Texas cattle industry grow?

Goodnight and Loving drove thousands of cattle north to the reservation to sell cattle to the starving Indians for a huge profit. This was the beginning of Goodnight’s incredibly profitable cattle career. The Goodnight-Loving Trail was a cattle trail from Texas to the new populations in the West.

Why did Goodnight and Loving blaze a cattle trail?

Spanning from Texas to Wyoming, the Goodnight-Loving Trail was first blazed by Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving in 1866 to sell cattle to the U.S. Government at Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

What is driving a herd of cows called?

A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of cattle from one place to another, usually moved and herded by cowboys on horses.

When did the Goodnight-Loving Trail start and end?

With 18 cowhands and 2,000 head of wild longhorn cattle, Goodnight and Loving set out on June 6, 1866, to blaze the trail along the former route of the Butterfield Overland Mail (1858-1861) through west Texas on to the Pecos River and then north to New Mexico.

Who was the Goodnight-Loving Trail named after?

Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving

The Goodnight–Loving Trail was a trail used in the cattle drives of the late 1860s for the large-scale movement of Texas Longhorns. It is named after cattlemen Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving.

Why was the Great Western Cattle Trail important?

The Great Western Cattle Trail was used during the late 19th century for movement of cattle and horses to markets in eastern and northern states. It is also known as the Western Trail, Fort Griffin Trail, Dodge City Trail, Northern Trail and Texas Trail. It replaced the Chisholm trail when that closed.

What did Charles Goodnight do in the cattle industry?

He helped organize the first Panhandle stockman’s association (1880), which introduced purebred cattle, policed trails, and fought cattle thieves and outlaws.

Why was cattle so important in Texas?

After the Civil War, the economies of the former Confederate states were destroyed. The Spanish cattle were the natural resource that helped the Texas economy recover faster than the rest of the South, ushering in the Texas cattle drive era.

What is the purpose of a cattle drive?

The historical era of the cattle drive lasted about 20 years. It began shortly after the Civil War and ended once the railroads reached Texas. This transportation system provided a route for beef to travel safely from the farms and ranches where it was produced to the markets where it was sold.

Why did cowboys go on cattle drives?

The great Texas cattle drives started in the 1860’s because we had lots of longhorn and the rest of the country wanted beef. (We get beef from cattle.) From about 1865 to the mid-1890’s, our vaqueros and cowboys herded about 5 million cattle to markets up north while also becoming famous legends that made Texas proud.

How much did cowboys make on a cattle drive?

about $25 to $40 a month

The average cowboy in the West made about $25 to $40 a month. In addition to herding cattle, they also helped care for horses, repaired fences and buildings, worked cattle drives and in some cases helped establish frontier towns.