Trails, Rails and Cowtown Tales Vocabulary
Barbed Wire
A metal fence that is used to keep cattle from wandering out of a ranch area.
Bill Picket
The famous African American cowboy who invented bulldogging.
Branding
The act of marking an animal’s hide for identification.
Chisholm Trail
The trail that moved cattle between Abilene, Kansas and Fort Worth, Texas.
Chuck Wagon
A wagon that carried food, supplies, and cooking equipment on the trails.
Drag Rider
A cowboy who rides at the rear of the herd to keep it moving.
Drover
One who drives cattle or sheep.
Flank Rider
A cowboy who rides to the side of the herd.
Fort Worth
The city with the only registered cattle brand.
Frederic Remington
The artist whose sculptures depict the “wild rides” of cowboys.
Justin Boots
A famous company that makes boots in Fort Worth.
Longhorn
Long-horned cattle of Spanish derivation formerly common in southwestern U.S.
Point Rider
A cowboy who rides at the front of the herd on a cattle drive.
Railhead
A railroad at which traffic may start or stop.
Remuda
The name of a group of horses that are used as reserve on the cattle drive.
Spain
The country where longhorns originated.
Spurs
Used to pierce the side of a horse to get them to move faster.
Stockyards
A place where livestock are penned before they are slaughtered or shipped.
Swift and Armour
The meat packing company that was housed in the Stockyards.
Texas Pacific Railroad
The name of the railroad that caused Fort Worth to grow at a fast rate.
Texas Tick Fever
The disease that caused the cattle drive era to end in the Stockyards.
Trail Boss
The cowboy in charge of all other cowboys and cattle on the trail drive.
Turnstiles
Used to keep cattle from wandering out of cattle pens at the Stockyards.
William Jenkins Worth
Considered to be the “Father of Fort Worth”.
Wrangler
The cowboy in charge of the remuda.