Title

Movin' out -- Cattle drive

Subject

Ranching

Cattle drive

Description

The photo was taken by Sterling photographer H.L. Truesdell, who had a studio at Seventh and Adams. Local cattleman agree that the location appears to be a "marsh." A companion photo in the archives of the Kansas Historical Society is inscribed, "Cattle from New Mexico being driven to Sterling in 1898." This much is known: In 1897, twelve men from the area drove 5,000 head of cattle from Rio Grande to the Richardson ranch southwest of Raymond. The drive took the entire summer. Whether the stock was loaded at Raymond or Sterling is not known. Several "cowboys" with Sterling connections made the long trek, including the late Harry Hawkins, who was a horse wrangler, and Frank Belden, the cook. Sterling itself missed out on the earlier cattle trails. The storied Chisholm Trail to Abilene on the Kansas and Pacific, went east of Sterling. When the quarantine line was moved west to Ellsworth, the herd followed the Ninnescah to Salt Creek in the Marsh, crossed the Arkansas at Ellinwood and thence northeast to Ellsworth.

Written by Max Moxley for his "Images of the Past" column for the "Sterling Bulletin."

Creator

H.L. Truesdall

Source

Sterling Free Public Library, Sterling, Kansas

Publisher

Sterling Free Public Library, Sterling, Kansas

Date

1897

Contributor

H.L. Truesdall

Rights

Reproduced with permission from the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

In Copyright

Format

image/jpeg

Language

English

Type

Photographs

Identifier

MM_cattledrive299.jpg
MM_cattledrive.299b.jpg