Texas During The Wild West Era 1874-1901

The period from 1874 to 1901 in Texas is often called the "Age of Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads." This era saw the final "closing" of the frontier and the dramatic shift from a war-torn state to an economic powerhouse.

1874

The Red River War: The U.S. Army launches a massive campaign to push Native Nations like the Comanche and Kiowa onto reservations. The decisive Battle of Palo Duro Canyon effectively ends the era of Indigenous dominance on the Texas plains, opening millions of acres for Anglo-Texan ranching.

1875

The Constitutional Convention: Delegates meet to replace the Reconstruction-era constitution. The "Grange" (a farmers' organization) dominates the meeting, aiming to limit government power and protect Anglo-Texan agricultural interests from the growing influence of railroads.

1876

The Constitution of 1876: Texas adopts its current state constitution. It severely restricts the governor's power and mandates a balanced budget. Meanwhile, Spanish-Texan families in South Texas continue to struggle with a legal system that often favors new Anglo land claimants over old Spanish grants.

1877

The El Paso Salt War: A violent dispute breaks out over the ownership of salt deposits. Local Spanish-Texan residents (salineros) fight to keep the salt a communal resource against Anglo-Texan entrepreneurs who attempt to privatize and tax it.

1878

The Rise of the Cattle Kingdom: Following the removal of Native Nations, the cattle industry booms. Large-scale ranching takes over West Texas. The "Western Trail" becomes a primary route for Anglo-Texan cattlemen moving herds north, utilizing the expertise of Spanish-Texan vaqueros.

1879

The Capitol Fire: The old state capitol building in Austin is destroyed by fire. Plans begin immediately for a massive new structure. To fund it, the state trades 3 million acres of Panhandle land—formerly Comanche territory—to a Chicago syndicate to build the XIT Ranch.

1880

Railroad Expansion: The Texas and Pacific Railway begins laying tracks across the state. This infrastructure allows Anglo-Texan farmers to ship cotton more efficiently but begins to render the traditional Spanish-Texan freight-hauling cart industry obsolete.

1881

Pecos River Bridge: The completion of the "High Bridge" connects San Antonio to El Paso by rail. This physically ties the far western reaches of the state to the central government in Austin, further ending the isolation of the frontier.

1882

The XIT Ranch and Corporate Ranching: Large corporate ranches begin to dominate the Panhandle. These massive operations often come into conflict with smaller Anglo-Texan and Spanish-Texan ranchers over water rights and access to the "open range."

1883

The University of Texas Opens: UT Austin opens its doors. While it marks a peak of Anglo-Texan cultural and educational progress, the school remains segregated, excluding Black Texans from the new opportunities it provides.

1884

The Fence Cutting War: As the open range is fenced off with barbed wire, landless Anglo-Texan and Spanish-Texan cattlemen fight back by cutting the fences of large landowners. Governor John Ireland calls a special session to make fence cutting a felony.

1885

The King Ranch Grows: Under Robert J. Kleberg, the King Ranch becomes a global power. It employs hundreds of Kineños (Spanish-Texan ranch hands), creating a unique, paternalistic culture that blends old Spanish ranching traditions with modern American business.

1886

The Great Die-Up: Brutal blizzards decimate cattle herds. This disaster marks the end of the "Open Range" era, forcing Anglo-Texan ranchers to adopt smaller, fenced-in operations and more scientific breeding practices.

1887

Prohibition Vote: Texas holds its first statewide vote on alcohol. The "Wet" forces—supported by many Spanish-Texans and German immigrants who view it as a cultural attack—defeat the "Dry" forces led by Anglo-Texan Protestants..

1888

The New Capitol Dedicated: The current Texas State Capitol is completed. It is a symbol of Anglo-Texan pride and the state's recovery from Reconstruction, standing as one of the largest buildings in the world at the time.

1889

The Anti-Trust Act: Texas passes one of the first anti-trust laws in the U.S. to prevent railroads from forming monopolies. This is a major victory for the Farmers' Alliance, a populist movement of Anglo-Texan small farmers.

1890

James Stephen Hogg Elected: The first native-born Anglo-Texan governor is elected. He campaigns on a platform of "Texas for Texans," promising to regulate the powerful out-of-state railroad corporations that many Anglo-Texans believe are strangling the state's economy.

1891

The Texas Railroad Commission: Governor Hogg establishes the Commission to regulate freight rates. While popular with farmers, it is viewed with suspicion by the Spanish-Texan elite in the Rio Grande Valley, who fear increased state interference in their regional trade.

1892

The Populist Party Rise: The "People's Party" gains support among struggling Anglo-Texan farmers and some Black Texans, challenging the Democratic establishment and demanding government ownership of essential infrastructure.

1893

Economic Panic: A national financial panic hits. Cotton prices plummet, and many Anglo-Texan farmers fall into a cycle of debt and tenant farming, increasing social tensions across the rural parts of the state.

1894

The Corsicana Oil Discovery: While drilling for water, oil is struck in Corsicana. This is the first significant oil field in Texas, a precursor to the massive industrial shift that will soon marginalize the traditional Spanish-Texan and Anglo-Texan agricultural economies.

1895

John Wesley Hardin Killed: The death of the notorious outlaw in El Paso symbolizes the "civilizing" of Texas. The era of the "Old West" lawman and gunman is being replaced by the era of the lawyer and the corporate executive.

1896

The Crash at Crush: To promote the railroad, a massive staged train wreck is held near Waco. Over 40,000 people attend, but a boiler explosion turns the publicity stunt into a tragedy.
It reflects the Anglo-Texan obsession with the power of the steam engine and the theatricality of the Gilded Age.

1897

The Trans-Mississippi Exposition: Texas showcases its agricultural wealth, emphasizing its transition from a dangerous frontier to a modern commercial state ready for the 20th century.

1898

The Spanish-American War: Theodore Roosevelt recruits his "Rough Riders" in San Antonio. Thousands of Anglo-Texans volunteer, viewing the war as a way to prove their patriotism to the U.S. after the lingering bitterness of the Civil War.

1899

Brazos River Flood: A massive flood ravages the valley. The destruction leads to a push for state-funded levee systems, favoring large-scale Anglo-Texan plantations over smaller holdings.

1900

The Galveston Hurricane: A Category 4 hurricane kills over 6,000 people. The disaster leads to the creation of the commission form of city government, a "Progressive" Anglo-Texan invention designed for efficient, business-like urban management.

1901

Spindletop: On January 10, a massive oil gusher erupts near Beaumont. This event changes Texas forever, launching the Petroleum Age and beginning the slow decline of the Cotton and Cattle kingdoms.

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