Why is Open Range important?

The invention of barbed wire in the 1870s allowed cattle to be confined to designated areas to prevent overgrazing of the range. In Texas and surrounding areas, increased population required ranchers to fence off their individual lands. Hence, the age of the open range was gone and large cattle drives were over.Click to see full answer. Considering this, why did the open range close?One of the key reasons why the open range came to an end by 1895 was because the prices of cattle had fallen due to a lack of demand for beef. The Beef bonanza which had been as a result of the demand for beef from the Plains had come to an end. The prices were also falling because there was an over supply of Cattle.Subsequently, question is, how did closing the open range help the cattle industry? This allowed cattle to graze freely in large sections of land that was undeveloped, unsettled and uncultivated. When the open range closed, the cattle industry benefitted, as this allowed more effective ownership and control of cattle. Subsequently, one may also ask, what ended the open range? The Great Die Up The final blow to the open range was the winter of 1886-87. It became known as the Great Die Up. It was an incredibly harsh winter with temperatures dropping to -55 degrees. Deep snow prevented the cattle from reaching the grass and around15% of open range herds died.When did the open range start?Although most ranchers owned a base operation, some owned millions of acres. America’s open range started with the Civil War [1861-1865]. During this period, Texas herds grew. Vast herds of cattle grazed free and unbranded on unfenced public land.