Oxen were a common sight along the Santa Fe Trail. The depiction of these beasts trudging across the plains is synonymous with western life and our transcontinental legacy. The merits and shortcomings of oxen have been long belabored; invariably, they are compared against mules. Thomas Forsythe, writing in 1831, felt that oxen would be successful in "...drawing the wagons; 2nd, the Indians will not steal them as they would horses and mules; and 3rdly, in cases of necessity part of the oxen will answer for provisions."
The western oxen were often Texas range cattle, smaller than their northeastern brethren. Texas steers made particularly fine lead animals, often appearing "...lean, (and) wild looking..." The recollections of T.C. Hall, who had travelled the Santa Fe Trail, mentions oxen "of every character and description-some of them very small, but having horns of such immense size, that we boys used to say that the meat of the steer could be packed in his horns." There are several references to cows at Bent's Fort. Barclay mentions "...plenty of milk, as there were four cows..." at the post. Doctor Wislizenus, while at the fort said "... they (Bent. and St. Vrain) have cattle..."The early Spanish settlers of the Southwest had brought with them long horned cattle, descendants of cattle bred upon the pampas of North Africa and Andalusia. Later, the Americans would introduce northern European blood lines into these herds. A partial list of American cattle, introduced to the United States prior to or during the Bent's Fort era includes:
Dairy:
* Holstein-Friesian: Black and white with horns; 1,200-1,800 lb. cows. Imported to the U.S. by 1795.
* Guernsey: Reddish yellow to orange with white markings; 900-1,000 lb. cows. Imported to the U.S. between 1831-1833.
* Milking Red Devon: Brought in by the pilgrims in 1623. Red and sometimes white, 1500-1900 lb. steers.
Beef/Dual Purpose:
* Shorthorn cattle, Red Devon, Durham: Red, red and white, or white and roan; 1,800-2,000 pd. bulls; are often used as oxen because of strength. Imported to the U.S. in 1783.
Alexander Barclay, after leaving the employ of Bent's Fort, was instrumental in establishing agriculture and livestock production in the Arkansas Valley. He was an inhabitant at both the El Pueblo and Hardscrabble communities. In 1848, Barclay's memo of cattle included the following:
* "One big red brown white face..."
* "Brindle face heifer white back & legs and belly"
* "Black brown big cow..."
* "My black cow"
* "A red Am. heifer sans spot, keen hors"
* "...Spanish cow"
In the same year, Barclay wrote of a "Bald face cow mal pario." This may have meant that an animal was still born. On June 25th, 1848, Barclay also writes that "Simpson's black & white cow calved."
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service