There was a great demand for cattle in the east. Cowboys led large herds of cattle from ranches in Texas onto the trails that led to the railroads farther north. Most of the cowboys from Texas were white but there were also many Mexican Americans and African Americans. The dangerous and tedious drives would take about 100 days to complete.

As the cattle industry grew, many towns developed along the trails and railroad depots. Joseph McCoy built stockyards next to the railroad depots and charged cowboys to house their cattle there. From towns in Kansas, cattle was shipped to meat- packing plants in Chicago, which became the world's largest beef supplier. Eventually, there was no need for cattle drives when railroads were built south into Texas.