The Western Life

Western life has been a way of life for many people since the days of boomtowns and gold rushes. When the western states settled in after the gold rush in 1849, even though not many people got rich off the situation, most people stayed. They ran out of money working their claims, and had no way back to their original homes. Western life today is much different than back then. Though cowboys still exist, their purpose is no longer the same. There are cowboys that still fit the function of ranch hands on western farms, but there is not as much wide open space for cattle drives, other livestock moves and activities. Many cowboys and cowgirls write poetry and cowboy songs about the western way of life old and new.

Those who choose to still be cowboys and cowgirls are still able to work on farms and take care of animals and other day to day operations of farms. The western life has been glamorized over the years, by writing stories and songs about the cowboy that made them seem larger than life, as tall, strong figures that could take care of their farms and horses single-handedly. This was not the case in the days of the Wild West. Most of the community actually worked together for the entire community to run smoothly. As boomtowns grew larger and larger, more and more people came to try their hand at gold mining, and that is pretty much how the west was won.