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CONTACT:
Dean Dixon
Historical Resources Assistant
(941) 749-1800 ext. 4070
August 2002 Article
Introduction: The Manatee
County Historical Records Library is a wealth of information
about our local past. Documents from as early as the 1850's
describe the life and times of Manatee County residents
and weave many an interesting tale. Each month, we will
post a new story for you based on documents in our library.
We invite all of you to come to the library, located
at 1405 4th Avenue West, to see these documents for
yourself and to touch, feel and experience our heritage.
The Manatee County Cattle Trade
Click here to
see a picture of a "cattle sold" record
People are familiar with the romantic image of the 19th
century cowboy riding on the western range. Yet, on the
other side of the country in the tropical climate of Florida,
men and women were also raising and herding cattle and realizing
great profits from it. Though there are similarities between
the western cowboys and the Florida cattleman, there were
also great differences in how they performed their duties
and there is no doubt that the cattlemen played a major
role in the development of Manatee County.
The cows themselves were decedents of the cows left by the
Spanish conquistadors and many of the methods used to raise
them were also descended from that time. Most of the land
that the cattle roamed on was not owned in the frontier
days and the cows were left to range and graze without the
barriers that fences imposed. They were well suited to the
land and required very little care, which meant that they
were cheap to raise and they fetched a good price. Though
the early Manatee pioneers first grew sugarcane, they soon
found that cattle was much more profitable. By 1860, sixty
four percent of the 120 agriculturists in Manatee County
owned at least 18 head of cattle, the minimum number to
be considered a cattle rancher. Through the end of the 19th
century and the beginning of the 20th century the cowboy
was a vital part of Manatee County.
"They weren't cowboys they were cow hunters,"
Libby Warner, a retired cow hunter herself, quickly but
politely corrected me as I asked her about her old profession.
And there was in fact a difference between the western cowboy
and the Florida cow hunter. The Florida cow hunter did not
use a lasso until the 20th century and his saddle needed
no horn. His saddle was also a great deal smaller than that
of his western counterpart. He was likely to have a good
cattle dog to help herd the cows. He didn't even wear cowboy
boots, instead his boots were likely to lace up. You could
also recognize the Florida cow hunter by his whip, which
he might crack to signal the loading dock or slaughterhouse,
from miles away, that he was bringing in the herd.
Since there were no fences, cows from different owners would
often mix in the same herd. The cow hunters worked in the
wilderness in a spirit of honor and trust. One hunter would
often brand another's cattle for him when he was working
a herd. He would also sell another's animals and pay the
owners their money for the sale, minus a small fee. This
was not an easy way to do business, recognizing what animals
belonged to who was a seemingly impossible task. Yet, there
were men who had an uncanny ability to recognize the cattle
of other owners even without a brand on it. These were men
who were true experts and were given the highest title that
could be bestowed on them by their peers; "Cattleman."
In the 20th century, the cow hunters saw their world change.
Other breeds of cows were introduced into the area. They
were not used to the maladies of this land and the cow hunter
had to devote a lot more time to caring for them. Screwworms
and fever ticks ravaged the herds. Battling these pests
consumed much of the cow hunter's time. With large numbers
of individual cows needing attention they found themselves
using a lasso for the first time. Though there was a great
deal of resistance at first, they began "dipping"
the cattle, immersing it in pesticide to battle the pests.
Fences were introduced and the wide-open days of biscuits
and taters, the food the cow hunter ate while on the trail,
were coming to an end.
Modernization has reduced the need for workers in most areas
of agriculture and the days when the cow hunters roamed
the countryside are gone. Their presence is still with us
in the Historical Records Library. In the library are books
and records recording the marks and brands of the old cattle
ranches. There are also records of cattle butchered and
sold.
Dean Dixon, Historical Resources Assistant, Manatee County
Clerk of Courts
Biscuits and Taters by Joe Warner
Florida Historical Quarterly, Volume I,XIV, July 1985.
Lures of the Manatee, Libby Warner, retired cow hunter and
Manatee County Historical Commission member.
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