Joseph
Glidden invented barbed wire fencing in
1874.
If you watch much Gunsmoke on television, and I do, you know that fences caused a lot of problems back in the fictional wild west, at least around Dodge City, Kansas.
Over the 20-year series, there were several episodes where fences put up by big cattle ranch owners cause a kerfuffle. This meant work for Marshall Matt Dillon – and resulted in a lot of beer quaffing at the Longbranch, with Miss Kitty there in support.
Back then, in real life, smaller cattle ranchers depended upon access to water and pasture in order to make their living; so did homesteaders and farmers – referred to often as “sodbusters” – who needed land on which to plant their crops and run their livestock.
Big ranchers decided they needed to stake their claim to keep others off what they saw as their land. At one time, common lands known as Open Range were accessible by all. When barbed wire was invented in 1874 by a guy named Joseph Glidden (this was mentioned in Gunsmoke), fences started going up.
Soon though, larger populations of folks began crowding each other, and then there was a drought that brought on scarcity of water, and this is when the problem started.
Historians call this considerable kerfuffle “The Fence Cutting Wars”. It started in 1883, and this nasty war between farmers, landless cattlemen, and landowner cattlemen was waged across Wyoming, New Mexico, and was especially salty in Texas.
Sometimes it was just the fence cutting, but led all too often to direct conflict and bloodshed. Sadly, many died in The Fence Cutting Wars as men faced off in hand-to-hand combat and classic shoot outs.
When all the dust settled, and all the dead were buried, The Fence Cutting Wars ended the era of the Open Range. Barbed wire fencing became commonplace all over the West as property owners began defining their boundaries.
It is probably accurate to imagine Glidden reclining in a plush mansion, sipping fine American sour mash whiskey. At the time of his death, Glidden was one of the richest men in America. Those types have the best whiskey.
Fortunately, The Fence Cutting Wars are over, though Fence Wars With Neighbors still rage on. As folks in fencing, we hear these stories! You don’t want to be in one of those -they are a difficult thing to endure.
So, as you make decisions about your new fence, consider a couple of actions.
First, talk to your neighbors about your fencing plans and needs – DuraBond’s fencing is neighbor friendly – so no one gets the ugly side – our fencing is beautiful on both sides!
Also talk to us at DuraBond Steel Privacy Fencing – while good fences don’t necessarily make good neighbors, our fencing makes a great privacy barrier, which can improve the relationship. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Call us with any of your fencing questions – we would love to be part of your fencing solution!
Reference:
https://www.ancestry.com/historicalinsights/barbed-wire-the-fence-cutting-wars
