I didn't make blog entries for a couple of months over the holidays. In January, I enrolled in college and am taking natural resource classes. Since I have to study course materials, I am using this empty blog space for review.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Timeline - Range History

1515    Cortez brings first livestock to Mexico
1540    Coronado brings livestock to what would become U.S. From Mexico
1590s   Don Juan de Onate brings sheep, goats, and cattle from South Texas to New Mexico
1600s   Missions established in NM, AZ, and TX
1836    Marcus Whitman brings cattle to the Northwest
1849    California's Gold Rush creates huge demand for cattle products
1850s   Gold Rush in Kamloops, British Columbia
1862    Homestead Act
1862    Transcontinental Railroad Act
1866    Railroads come to Kansas, Texas to Kansas cattle drives continue until 1872
1870    About 4.6 million head of cattle in 17 western states
1879    John Wesley Powell's Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States
1880    Cattle drives nearly end when railroads reach Texas
1884    High cattle prices in east lead to huge investments from Europe and eastern U.S., 30 to 40 million head of cattle in 17 western states
1885,6   Cattle numbers decimated during severe winter of 1885 - 1886
1891,2   Heavy range deterioration due to drought in Southwest
1890    27 million head of cattle in 17 western states
1891    Forest Reserves Act