George West in Live Oak County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Texas Tough

Photographed by James Hulse, April 16, 2023

1. Texas Tough Marker

Inscription. Brought by early settlers and shaped by the wild Texas landscape, the tough longhorn is a Texas original
A True Texan Spanish explorers introduced cattle to the new world. These long-horned ancestors of Geronimo roamed over the Texas landscape for 500 years. This clever and independent breed developed a toughness that helped it survive and adapt to marginal food sources in the Wild Horse Desert's harsh environment. Large Spanish ranches, haciendas, stretched across the lower Rio Grande region, and vaqueros tended cattle from horseback. These animals' tenacity, longevity, sturdy hooves, and ability to travel long distances made them the perfect breed to endure the epic cattle drives of the late 1800s.

An Open-Range Opportunity During the Civil War, longhorn herds roamed and thrived on the open range. By the war's end, their numbers had reached in the millions. The South and Texas, in particular, found themselves with financial hardships at war's end but saw opportunity in the wild longhorn herds. High demand for beef and stocker cattle to replace the buffalo on the Midwestern prairies opened the door for entrepreneurs creating a giant new industry with money flowing from northern bankers and British financiers. Texas owned the most abundant new commodity not paralleled until the oil boom of the 20th century.

Going Up the Trails Texas Longhorns not only shaped the early cattle industry, but the breed, developed entirely by natural selection, was the foundation of the cattle industry of the Southwestern United States. Live Oak County stood along the early famous Chisholm and Western Trails. In Texas, from Brownsville to the Oklahoma border, wild longhorns were driven to all territories of the United States. While "other states were carved or born; Texas grew from hide and horn" and Live Oak County

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stood witness to it all. From the Poem "Cattle" by Berta Hart Nance.

Captions
Upper: The Texas longhorn is a hybrid between Spanish cattle and an English breed brought by early American settlers. LOCHO
Middle: Longhorns were only worth about $4 each in Texas. However, high-demand markets to the north would pay $40 a head, making cattle drives lucrative endeavors. The Harry Ransom Center, the University of Texas at Austin.
Lower: The community of George West continues to honor its longhorn legacy by demonstrating cattle drives during special events. Friends of George West.

Erected by Live Oak County Historical Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce.

Location. 28° 20.056′ N, 98° 6.874′ W. Marker is in George West, Texas, in Live Oak County. It is at the intersection of Houston Street (Business U.S. 59) and Guadalupe Street, on the left when traveling west on Houston Street. The marker is located on the western corner of the Live Oak County Courthouse grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near

Photographed by James Hulse, April 16, 2023

2. Texas Tough Marker

The marker is located on the far left corner of the glass building containing Geronimo.

this postal address: 301 Houston Street, George West TX 78022, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Texas.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Community Effort (here, next to this marker); A Legendary Longhorn (here, next to this marker); Driven to Succeed (a few steps from this marker); Thelma Laura Pugh-Lindholm (a few steps from this marker); City of George West (a few steps from this marker); Birthplace of J. Frank Dobie (a few steps from this marker); VFW and American Legion War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Live Oak County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in George West.

Also see . . . Texas Longhorn. Wikipedia (Submitted on August 17, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Closeup of Geronimo image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, April 16, 2023

3. Closeup of Geronimo

Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 318 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 17, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.