Cattle drives of the late 19th century provide inspiration for movies and page-turning novels filled with drama, tragedy and romance. The cattle trails of the American West, however, were more than the romanticized version on the big screen; rather they were the economic drivers of the time offering market opportunities for the expanding cattle industry.

Following the Civil War, cattle were abundant and roamed freely in Texas, but the demand for beef and higher prices lay hundreds of miles away. Animals worth $ 2- $ 4 / head in Texas were worth $ 40 / head in the East. As the expanding network of railroads connected the coasts, opportunity developed to move cattle from Texas to northern railheads in Abilene, Kansas City and Dodge City. From there, cattle hit the rails to lucrative markets across the country.

Although relatively short-lived, cattle drives motivated entrepreneurs, branded their mark on communities, and were vital to cowboys and to the development of the U. S. cattle industry. They laid the foundation for expansion and prosperity for the nation.

Of the many cattle trails, the Goodnight-Loving Trail and Chisholm Trail are two famous routes that left a legacy. Many ranches along these historic trails flourish today, bringing the next generation of cattle producers into the fold.

Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving were visionaries whose partnership brought cattle to growing new markets. Goodnight was a businessman, cattleman and ranch owner and Loving was a Kentucky farmer before moving to Texas and raising cattle. While each was successful in his own right, their partnership revolutionized the cattle industry.

In 1866, their first drive took cattle from Fort Belknap, Texas, into New Mexico. " Necessity is the mother of invention," and that was evident during their first expedition. In order to feed hungry cowboys along the trail, Goodnight converted a surplus military wagon into the first known chuckwagon. The iconic chuckwagon is synonymous with cattle drives and this simple and essential tool continues to play a starring role in sharing western history.

Later drives traversed north into Colorado and as far as Wyoming, supplying cattle to the U. S. Army and mining camps along the way. Access to water was essential in establishing the route along the Pecos River. Although poor in quality and brackish in some areas, the Pecos was the lifeblood for both people and animals.

In a remote part of southeastern New Mexico lies the town of Loving, named for Oliver Loving who was shot in the area in 1867. Loving’ s refusal to have his arm amputated resulted in gangrene and his death soon after. Even after Loving’ s passing and Goodnight’ s completion of subsequent drives, many cowboys continued using the route until the early 1880s. The partners’ names are etched into the annals of history for their contributions not only to the cattle industry, but also to the expansion of the West.

Thanks to Goodnight and Loving, cattle remain an important part of this region. Alisa Ogden’ s great-greatgrandfather John D. Forehand homesteaded southwest of Loving in 1890, even before New Mexico became a state. Originally a trail driver in South Texas, Forehand brought his wife and four children to New Mexico looking for a new place to live. Although the ranch was established after the height of the Goodnight-Loving Trail’ s success, stories have been passed down through five generations about the trail’ s impact.

“ Growing up, everyone who could remember, talked about trail drives,” Ogden said.

Today, Ogden and her brother manage the cow-calf operation with a herd of crossbred Angus-Hereford running on state, federal and private land. Like the trailblazers of the past, water remains a challenge.

“ We are in the fifth year of drought,” Ogden reflected.“ When you ' ve been in a drought as long as we have, you know it will take years to recover.”

But recover, they will, as generations of land stewards have before. Ogden’ s father was a conservationist ahead of his time who always looked for ways to improve desert ground, forage quality and rangeland. His forethought, proactive efforts and partnerships created a landscape that can sustain cattle even in the driest times.

“ If you are looking and innovative, you can improve what you have,” Ogden said.“ Successful ranchers are innovative and have a conservation mindset.”

Ogden’ s first love is farming and ranching, and her passion keeps her going.“ It’ s in my body, my bones and my heart,” she said. Her conservation efforts, resilience and adaptability, along with those of generations before, have kept the ranch thriving, even through years of drought.

A couple hundred miles east another historic trail trekked across the American landscape to tell its own story.

24 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN DIRECTIONS 2026