Welcome to the next edition of Plaines and Prominence as we discover the Longhorn cattle that covered the Texas-Panhandle Plains and their importance. I'm Dr. Jerry Lane chair of the Carson County Historical Commission,  and also at this time I want to thank the Carson County Square House Museum and the Time to Purpose for the information provided. 

Prior to 1880, the long horn, that noble, lean beef critter that gave Texas it start as a beef cattle state had complete run of the Panhandle. Only four years earlier, Col. Charles Goodnight had trailed the cattle into this virgin country to establish the first cow ranch in the whole area. He branded the hides of thousands of wild cattle grazing on nearly 1 million acres of free ranges. He established with the financial aid of an Irish gentleman named John Adair one of the largest tracks of free holdings in the west-- known as the J A Ranch. 

The Panhandle was Texas' last frontier occupied then only by Buffalo, antelope, wolves and Indians. Hence Colonel Goodnight is known today is the founder of the Panhandle cattle industry-- first of a dynasty of cattle barons who were in time to make the Panhandle famous throughout the world. 

Soon after Colonel Goodnight's entry into the Panhandle and others followed. The railroad had pushed west to Dodge City, Kansas not only bringing settlers, but also establishing an outlet for western beef to the eastern markets. With this two developments began to take shape, the railroad was drawing near and nearer to Texas bringing with it, bag and baggage, the civilization of the East; and the day of the long trail, to Dodge City. Abilene and beyond was swiftly drawing to a close. 

The easy-handling, early-maturing Whiteface with its productivity for putting on weight and doing it quickly,  caught the imagination of the cow man. 

A new era of range, cattle feeding was now at hand.