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By 1870 the gold rush was virtually over and the demand for beef had dwindled. However, the local beef industry had grown to the point that cattle drives were now made to the south to supply those markets. Due to severe price fluctuations, the last great drive occurred in 1876, when Thaddeus Harper drove 600 steers to Billings, Montana10
With the advent of the railway in 1885, cattle could be shipped by rail, market forces changed, and the industry began to grow, making it possible for the ranches of the Southern Interior to establish themselves on a permanent basis. |
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