Large cattle muster

An 1898 photo of a round-up in Colorado

Colorado. "Round up" on the Cimarron, a photochrom print from c. 1898, showing one of the large musters of cattle done in the days before barbed wire, fences, and easy access to transport ended the necessity for the practice. This is almost certainly in the town of Cimarron and the river on the left is the Cimarron River.

 

The roundup is an iconic image of the Old West: the gathering of cattle in the open range, followed by them being driven vast distances from ranches to distant railheads over a period of several weeks. Due to the time and distance involved, not only did livestock and cowboys have to endure rough terrain and extreme weather, herds were also at risk from theft, hunger and disease.

In the 1830s cattle driving became a steady occupation.

In 1867 the Goodnight–Loving Trail opened markets for Texas cattle in Colorado and New Mexico.

 

A photochrom is a colorized image produced from black-and-white photographic negatives.

 

SOURCE: Wikipedia