The Western Life of the Past

When someone mentions the western lifestyle, the first thing you think of is cowboys an wagon trains.

Cowboys did have the main type of work. They had two main cattle drives, in the spring and the fall. On a long drive, they would have one cowboy for every 250 heads of cattle. They would work for 14 hours and sleep just 6 hours a day. This made the physical and mental aspects of the work very strenuous. All this hard labor made them between $30-$40 a month. Most cowboys did not last more than 7 years on the range. In the winter,they would have to hire themselves out to local ranchers to repair and maintain the buildings. In 1880, the cowboy life died out due to the use of fences.

The other type of work was mining. This also took a very physical and emotional toll on men. The pay was not as steady as a cowboy due to the infrequency of the gold. Most of these men ended up poor and bankrupt.

In the late 1800s, the train found its way into the west. Before this, the only way to get around was by wagon or boat. Both were very long and tedious. The train also brought vital economic attractions to the west. Not only did it bring new jobs, but it made mail more accessible. Instead of having to make clothing out of old sacks or wool from sheep, people were able to order items made of cotton.