Discover The Goodnight Loving Cattle Drive, Texas To Cheyenne [VIDEO]

It was way back in June 1866, when Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving decided to partner and drive cattle across Texas and up to Wyoming. Their plan was to meet the demand for beef from settlers and soldiers stationed at military outposts across New Mexico. There was also the problem of starving Navajos who had recently been relocated to reservations near Fort Sumner.

Maps show the trail pushing the cattle West, across Texas, then up to Cheyenne Wyoming.

It was Loving who continued north towards the railhead in Denver, Colorado with what was left of the cows and calves and continued North to Wyoming with what was left.

There was danger ever step of the way. Weather, to be sure, from too much rain to too little, and fire. Some times all of this hit at once. It was during the drive of 1867, at Horsehead Crossing, during a heavy storm, the herd was attacked by a party of Comanches, leaving it divided and scattered.

It was February 1868, when Loving began to drive slaughter herds to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Cheyenne was able to butcher and market locally. The rest was shipped by railroad to markets in Chicago.

It was the Goodnight Loving trail that inspired the Lonesome Dove Novel and TV series.