| . |
| . |
| . |
A Crook County Historical Moment
| The “Ill-Fated” Cattle Drive of 1880 |
Cattle drives were not
uncommon in Central Oregon
prior to the turn of the century
when the areas major industry was
stock raising. Generally The Dalles
was the shipping point for the inland
cattle and some big cattle drives
were made to the rail lines there.
But the historic cattle drive of 1880
had distant Cheyenne, Wyoming as
its destination. It would go down in
history as one of the longest of all
drives of pioneer times.
uncommon in Central Oregon
prior to the turn of the century
when the areas major industry was
stock raising. Generally The Dalles
was the shipping point for the inland
cattle and some big cattle drives
were made to the rail lines there.
But the historic cattle drive of 1880
had distant Cheyenne, Wyoming as
its destination. It would go down in
history as one of the longest of all
drives of pioneer times.
In 1880 there was a surplus of cattle in the Central Oregon area and markets were poor in the west.
Joseph Teal and his brother-in-law Henry Coleman operated a large ranch in the Trout Creek area in
what is now known as the Willowdale area. Teal decided on a big drive of cattle to distant Cheyenne and
he talked John Y. Todd, operator of the Farewell Bend Ranch, into taking the lead on driving the cattle
across the country. Teal and Todd each herded together 3,000 head of cattle that included their own and
those of other pioneer ranchers.
Todd took the lead with his 1,500 cattle and Henry Coleman followed with the Teal herd. There is no
written record of that long drive of nearly 1,200 miles or the route they traveled, but it is assumed they
made as direct a route as possible to Cheyenne avoiding main mountain ranges. Diseases struck the
moving herds and heavy losses of cattle resulted before the arrival at Cheyenne. Teal established a firm
at the Cheyenne railhead entitled the John T. & Co. to market the cattle. After arrival at the rail head
Todd turned his cattle over to Teal for marketing and returned to his Farewell Bend Ranch on the
Deschutes.
Todd failed to get any money for his herd so he returned to Cheyenne the following spring to discover
the final chapter of the ill-fated drive. He learned that the cattle had been sent to Kansas to fatten. Many
of the cattle had broken through the ice of the Missouri River and were lost. Todd received no
compensation from his 1,500 head of cattle nor did he receive any pay for the long overland drive. Teal
and Coleman also suffered heavy losses. The catastrophic trail drive resulted in Todd selling his
Farewell Bend Ranch and using much of the proceeds to pay back small ranchers that had placed their
cattle in the trail herd. Teal and Coleman also left the livestock business at Trout Creek after the
disastrous cattle drive resulted in bankruptcy.
Joseph Teal and his brother-in-law Henry Coleman operated a large ranch in the Trout Creek area in
what is now known as the Willowdale area. Teal decided on a big drive of cattle to distant Cheyenne and
he talked John Y. Todd, operator of the Farewell Bend Ranch, into taking the lead on driving the cattle
across the country. Teal and Todd each herded together 3,000 head of cattle that included their own and
those of other pioneer ranchers.
Todd took the lead with his 1,500 cattle and Henry Coleman followed with the Teal herd. There is no
written record of that long drive of nearly 1,200 miles or the route they traveled, but it is assumed they
made as direct a route as possible to Cheyenne avoiding main mountain ranges. Diseases struck the
moving herds and heavy losses of cattle resulted before the arrival at Cheyenne. Teal established a firm
at the Cheyenne railhead entitled the John T. & Co. to market the cattle. After arrival at the rail head
Todd turned his cattle over to Teal for marketing and returned to his Farewell Bend Ranch on the
Deschutes.
Todd failed to get any money for his herd so he returned to Cheyenne the following spring to discover
the final chapter of the ill-fated drive. He learned that the cattle had been sent to Kansas to fatten. Many
of the cattle had broken through the ice of the Missouri River and were lost. Todd received no
compensation from his 1,500 head of cattle nor did he receive any pay for the long overland drive. Teal
and Coleman also suffered heavy losses. The catastrophic trail drive resulted in Todd selling his
Farewell Bend Ranch and using much of the proceeds to pay back small ranchers that had placed their
cattle in the trail herd. Teal and Coleman also left the livestock business at Trout Creek after the
disastrous cattle drive resulted in bankruptcy.
| . |
A.R. Bowman Memorial Museum
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
See the drop
down menu at
the top of the
page for more
local stories
of Prineville's
colorful past.
down menu at
the top of the
page for more
local stories
of Prineville's
colorful past.
Use the drop down menu for more local stories of Prineville's colorful past.