Commerce in Oklahoma
The Civil War and the Cattle Industry
The Civil War brought devastation to Indian Territory. Small-scale guerilla warfare, thievery, and the flight of refugees destroyed crops and livestock. The Civil War ultimately divided and weakened Indian Territory, both physically and economically. The emancipation of enslaved people removed a source of labor. Cattle trails and railroads quickly cut through Indian Territory in the late 1860s and early 1870s, using the resources of the land but offering the tribal nations little benefit. Further conflict occurred as additional tribes were forced into the area, white settlers expanded, and Freedmen were granted land.
Battle of Honey Springs, from Harper’s Weekly (20655.63.364, Harper’s Weekly and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Collection, OHS).
Cattle brought even more people through present-day Oklahoma. While herds in Indian Territory suffered during the Civil War, Texas ranchers saw a major increase in their livestock and began pushing herds from Texas to Kansas. Cowboys purchased supplies like clothing, medicine, and tobacco at trading posts and stores. By taking advantage of railroads and wagon trade routes, the stores could keep a stock of useful items, guaranteeing their profit. The herds of cattle moved at a leisurely pace and stopped often, providing ample opportunities for trade and sales. Where there are people, especially travelers, without a place to produce or make their own items nearby, there is a market. The cattle trails and development along them impacted the Indian Territory economy for 20 years, operating at their peak from 1866 to 1886.
Oklahoma cowboys (16566, Frederick S. Barde Collection, OHS).
