The invention of barbed wire in the late 1800s had a profound impact on the lives of cowboys in the American West. As homesteaders and ranchers began dividing up the open prairie with barbed wire fences, the traditional cowboy way of life began to disappear. No longer could cowboys freely drive cattle across vast open ranges. Fences blocked access to water sources, cut off cattle drives, and brought an end to the long outlaw trails used by rustlers. The ability to easily string up barbed wire allowed ranchers to claim private land and protect their cattle. This privatization of the Western frontier greatly restricted the mobility of cowboys and led to significant changes in how they worked.
What is Barbed Wire?
Barbed wire, sometimes called barb wire, is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. The barbs are made by attaching short wires to a standard smooth wire fence wire. When the barbed wire is stretched between fence posts, the barbs point outward. They discourage animals and humans from passing through the fence where it is placed.
The concept of wire fences with protective barbs dates back to at least the 15th century. However, practical manufactured barbed wire fencing was developed in the United States in the 1860s and 1870s as the settlement of the American West increased demand for fencing to protect crops and cattle. Joseph F. Glidden patented the first commercially successful barbed wire in 1874. His design, marketed by the Barb Fence Company, became the predominant type used in the West.
Why Was Barbed Wire Developed?
Barbed wire fencing emerged as a cost-effective alternative to wooden fencing and methods like ditching and hedge trimming used to protect crops and livestock. The ability to mass produce steel wire and barbed wire allowed for fencing off large areas of land at a fraction of the cost and effort of other methods. As American settlers moved west across the prairies, there was increased conflict between the new farms and the traditional practice of open-range grazing by ranchers. Barbed wire allowed settlers to protect their lands from free-grazing cattle. For the ranchers, barbed wire served the purpose of enclosing their cattle within certain bounds.
How Does Barbed Wire Work?
Barbed wire fencing consists of fairly plain and simple materials – standard metal wire with sharpened barbs welded or clipped directly onto it at regular intervals. Despite the simplicity of construction, barbed wire proved very effective in the American West. The barbs point outward from the wire and end in sharp tips. If pressed against, the barbs puncture skin and pull fur or wool off animals, making it almost impossible for cattle or sheep to push through. The pain caused by the barbs deters livestock and humans from trying to cross through barbed wire fencing.
The Fencing of the West
Closing the Open Range
In the early days of Western expansion, cattle grazed freely across the prairies and plains. Cowboys managed vast cattle herds that roamed extensive open ranges spanning thousands of acres. Cattle drives covering hundreds of miles helped transport cows to railheads where they were shipped eastward to markets. This system of open-range grazing and long cattle drives meant cowboys and cattle had few restrictions on their movements.
The invention of barbed wire abruptly changed this status quo. As homesteaders moved into the frontier regions, they began fencing off their farms and lands with barbed wire. Large-scale ranchers soon followed suit, using barbed wire to demarcate the limits of their grazing pastures and keep cattle from wandering. In this way, barbed wire partitioned the previously open ranges, blocking traditional cattle trails and rendering impassable much of the public domain lands. Within just a few decades of its invention, hundreds of thousands of miles of barbed wire fencing stretched across the American West. The open range was gone.
Homesteaders vs Cattlemen
The divide between open range cattlemen and settled homesteaders led to Range Wars in some areas as disputes arose over fence-building and land rights. Many cattlemen snipped and destroyed homesteader’s barbed wire fences to keep access to water sources and grazing paths. Homesteaders retaliated by installing fences illegally across cattle trails. Some fence-cutting raids evolved into armed conflicts between the two groups. The mass fencing of the West with barbed wire was largely advocated by the homesteaders and farmers who benefited from protected lands. Many cattlemen initially resisted the fencing but eventually came to utilize barbed wire themselves to demarcate the boundaries of their own ranches.
Effects of Barbed Wire Fencing on Cowboys
Restricted Open Range
One of the most direct effects barbed wire fencing had on cowboys was the simple loss of access to vast amounts of public rangeland. The open range essentially disappeared in the span of a few decades in the late 1800s. Ranchers lost free rein to graze their cattle freely across public lands. Cowboys could no longer drive cattle across hundreds of miles of open terrain unimpeded. The fences cut off cattle trails and graze lands, posing physical barriers to cowboys moving livestock through areas now claimed as private property by homesteaders and ranchers.
End of Long Cattle Drives
Long cattle drives were an iconic aspect of cowboy life on the open ranges. Before barbed wire fencing, it was common practice to herd cattle for hundreds of miles over open terrain from the ranges to railroad junctions. The Chisholm, Goodnight-Loving, Western, and Shawnee trails were famous pre-barbed wire cattle trails running from Texas to railheads in Kansas, Wyoming, and elsewhere. Cattle might be driven over 600 miles and several months on journeys along these outlaw trails. The cattle drive era ended practically overnight with the stretch of barbed wire fencing across the West. Within just a few years, most of the major cattle trails were fenced off in many places, cutting them to pieces and putting an end to long cattle drives. Cowboys still went on shorter drives within fenced ranch lands but the epic journey of cowboy lore were gone.
Rise of “Farm” Cowboys
With the closing of the open range, many cowboys adapted by hiring on at established ranches surrounding by barbed wire fencing. Instead of roaming across thousands of acres, these cowboys worked cattle within the confined boundaries of a ranch. Their work involved duties like feeding, branding, repairing fences, and handling cattle. Whereas before cowboys lived semi-nomadic existences drifting across the open West, wire fencing tied them down to a fixed plot of land and predictable routine – not much different from the life of a farmer. Some historians delineate between the earlier “range cowboys” who worked cattle drives across open terrain versus “farm cowboys” who stayed in one place year-round after the spread of barbed wire fencing.
Decline in Cattle Rustling
Cattle rustling – the theft of livestock – had been a significant issue facing cattlemen on the open range. Large-scale rustling operations took advantage of the lack of fencing and what was essentially free-range cattle grazing across public lands to steal herd animals. It took advantage of the open range. Branding allowed cattlemen to identify their cattle, but did not prevent rustling. Barbed wire fencing made it much more difficult for rustlers to access and drive off cattle belonging to established ranches. So fencing greatly reduced theft problems for ranchers. And for cowboys, this meant they spent less time on patrolling and roundups related to cattle rustling.
More Work Maintaining Fences
Maintaining and repairing many miles of barbed wire fencing became a new, year-round job for cowboys on fenced-in ranches. Fences had to be checked regularly and fixed where damaged by weather or cattle. Stretching and stapling barbed wire was hard physical labor. Digging postholes and installing fenceposts took time and effort. Cowboys had to string and repair fences across challenging Western terrain, which proved difficult and labor-intensive. So fence work became one of the most common chores on a ranch cowboy’s routine.
Improved Working Conditions
While some aspects were challenging, working within fenced ranches generally meant improved conditions for cowboys compared to life out on the open range. Better access to fresh water and not having to travel constantly reduced hazards faced by cowboys. Ranch facilities provided shelter from the elements. Ranch cowboys could often return to accommodations like bunkhouses instead of camping outside each night on the range. Overall, barbed wire fences created a lifestyle for cowboys that was less hazardous with more creature comforts and stability.
Impact on Cattle Ranching
Barbed wire brought revolutionary changes to ranching and livestock handling methods in the American West.
Allowed Private Land Claims
Ranchers could not claim areas of the open range as their own property. There was constant competition for grazing land and water sources. Barbed wire enabled ranchers to mark off permanent boundaries and assert private ownership over portions of the public domain. This privatization and division of the West caused conflicts but also stimulated growth as ranches transitioned from open range to enclosed operations.
Better Cattle Management
On the open range, cattle intermixed freely. There were few means to control herd movements or separate cattle in a designated area. Barbed wire gave ranchers the ability to confine cattle within pastures for grazing. Different types of cattle could be separated. Improved control over herd distribution prevented overgrazing in vulnerable areas. Cattle could be moved between confined pastures to utilize grasslands more efficiently. The overall result was better management of range cattle.
Made Ranches More Profitable
For cattle ranchers, barbed wire brought advantages that improved profitability. Ranchers had stronger property rights and reduced land disputes. Fences protected cattle from poaching, reducing loss. Investments in developments like wells and dams on the ranch were secured. Managed rotational grazing increased the stocking capacity – the number of cattle that could be supported. By claiming and fencing property, cattle ranchers transitioned from open range operations to privatized businesses with capital assets and improved productivity.
History of Barbed Wire Improvements
The history of barbed wire saw constant improvements to its structure for reduced cost and improved effectiveness as fencing:
Early Handmade Barbed Wire – 1860s-1870s
The first forms of primitive barbed wire were handmade at home by farmers using common wire and iron scraps. Hand-twisted short pieces of wire were attached at intervals. Water-hardened coffee grounds or glue held the barbs in place initially. Earlier designs were dangerous to handle during installation and unstable.
Glidden’s Patented Design – 1874
Joseph F. Glidden’s 1874 patented design created an easy to produce and install barbed wire. Glidden’s wire had factory-formed rigid barbs spaced evenly along the wire, which was galvanized for corrosion resistance. The success of this early mass-produced wire led to the rapid spread of barbed wire sales and implementation for fencing over the 1870s.
Improvements in Barbed Wire Production
Subsequent barbed wire improvement focused on easier and cheaper manufacturing. Initially, barbs were created by attaching a second piece of wire. Later wiredrawing processes allowed barbs to be cut from one continuous piece of wire. Automated machinery led to large-scale factory production of barbed wire.
Four-Point Barbed Wire – 1880s
Early barbed wire had two strands of plain wire twisted together with two-point barbs. Four-point barbed wire patented in the mid-1880s added two more sharp points for better entangling and injury. The harsher four-point barbs increased effectiveness for securely dividing open range livestock.
Steel Alloys – 1890s
Stronger steel alloys replaced iron wire in the 1890s. High carbon steel wire held barbs tightly and resisted rusting. Alloys like galvanized steel provided corrosion resistance. The use of steel wire over iron reduced stretching and breakage issues.
Smooth Wire Fencing – 1900s
Later improvements led to combinations like barbed wire topped with smooth wire. The bottom strands with sharp barbs deterred animals while smooth wire along the top could be seen and avoided by livestock, reducing injuries. Complete smooth wire fences also became common where a barrier was needed but barbed wire was unnecessary.
Electric Fencing – 1930s
Electric fencing charging the fence wires with electricity further reduced the need for barbs. A shock deters animals without sharp points digging into skin. Electrified wire carried current, needing few physical barbs. By the mid-1900s, charged smooth wire fences gained popularity. They continue to replace barbed wire in many areas today.
Decline of Barbed Wire Usage
Though it rapidly fenced in the American West, barbed wire has significantly declined in usage since its peak in the late 1800s. Reasons include:
- Concerns over safety and injuries caused to livestock
- Ranchers’ preferences for less labor-intensive fencing options
- The lower cost and improved technology of electric fencing
- An overall reduction in small cattle ranching operations
Electric fencing provides containment at lower costs compared to grading, building, and constantly maintaining barbed wire fencing over vast areas. Harsher four-point barbed wire has been outlawed in many states. Ranchers have increasingly replaced dilapidated old barbed wire pasture fencing with smooth electric wire.
However, barbed wire continues to see some ongoing usage for permanent perimeter fencing, confinement pens, security applications, and in lower income regions. It remains a visible legacy dividing much of the American West.
Conclusion
The introduction and mass spread of barbed wire in the late 1800s fundamentally reshaped the American frontier. Its effects in closing the open range had wide-ranging impacts felt by homesteaders, ranchers, cowboys, and others. For the traditional cowboy, the loss of the open range and long cattle drives ended a way of life. Barbed wire fencing brought improved security for ranchers but also created conflicts over land ownership. Overall, barbed wire enabled the privatization and economic development of the West. But this came at the cost of ending the freedom of the open frontier that defined the cowboy era. The intense period of barbed wire expansion brought rapid social, economic, and agricultural changes that made permanent marks on the western lands and the country overall.
