Fence Cutting War
Encyclopedia
The Fence Cutting War occurred at the end of the 19th century and was a dispute between advocates of the open range
, and ranchers who wished to fence off their property, all taking place in Texas
.
s really, began cutting any fences they came across. A drought
early in that year brought on a desperation by non-land owning cattlemen, who due to fenced properties found it all the more difficult to find the water and grass necessary to support their herds. There were many cases when large ranch owners not only fenced property they claimed ownership over, but also property considered public land. This led to hostilities between the open range cowboys and the ranchers, with both believing themselves to be right.
By the beginning of 1884, cowboy bands calling themselves such names as the Owls, Javelinas, or Blue Devils, were cutting fences as they came to them. In many cases they would ride specifically for the purpose of finding fences to cut, while at other times they only cut fences as their herds passed through an area. By the middle of that year, ranchers were employing armed bands to battle the anti-fence cowboys. At least three men were killed in clashes during that period.
Newspaper
s generally condemned the cutters, but at times indicated that the ranchers who were fencing off their property were not entirely blameless, due to many fencing property they did not own. Little was done to mediate between the two groups, but in Clay County, Texas
, the two groups did meet, with the ranchers agreeing to remove fences built across public roads and along areas not owned by them, gates would be built to allow farmer access, and fence cutting would end.
By the fall of 1883, more than 20 million dollars in damage had been caused by the fence cutters across Texas, with 1 million dollars of the damage being in Brown County, Texas
alone. In January 1884, Governor John Ireland
called for a special assembly to resolve the issues. Property owners were ordered to remove fences placed across property they did not own, and to provide gates every three miles, and to keep the gates in repair. Fence cutting was ordered to stop completely, and for all practical purposes this stopped large scale fence cutting.
However, it did not stop completely. On February 10, 1885, Texas Ranger
Ben Warren was shot and killed in Sweetwater, Texas
while hunting fence cutters for whom he held warrant
s. Two of the three men suspected in his murder were sentenced to life in prison.
There were sporadic incidents in the years that followed, with a brief surge in 1888, mainly in Navarro County, Texas, prompting Texas Rangers to be dispatched. Texas Ranger Ira Aten
placed dynamite
at some fenced locations, rigged to explode if the fence was cut. The Adjutant General
disapproved, and ordered the charges removed, however rumors persisted that dynamite charges remained, and despite them having been removed it did prevent extensive cutting. By the end of that year, most fence cutting had ended although there were isolated incidents into the early 20th century.
Open range
Open range may refer to: vast areas of grassy land that is owned by the federal government.*Rangeland, vast natural landscapes*Open Range, the 2003 Western movie co-starring, co-produced, and directed by Kevin Costner...
, and ranchers who wished to fence off their property, all taking place in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
War
The first real incidents of the war started in 1883, when open range advocates, cowboyCowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s really, began cutting any fences they came across. A drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
early in that year brought on a desperation by non-land owning cattlemen, who due to fenced properties found it all the more difficult to find the water and grass necessary to support their herds. There were many cases when large ranch owners not only fenced property they claimed ownership over, but also property considered public land. This led to hostilities between the open range cowboys and the ranchers, with both believing themselves to be right.
By the beginning of 1884, cowboy bands calling themselves such names as the Owls, Javelinas, or Blue Devils, were cutting fences as they came to them. In many cases they would ride specifically for the purpose of finding fences to cut, while at other times they only cut fences as their herds passed through an area. By the middle of that year, ranchers were employing armed bands to battle the anti-fence cowboys. At least three men were killed in clashes during that period.
Newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s generally condemned the cutters, but at times indicated that the ranchers who were fencing off their property were not entirely blameless, due to many fencing property they did not own. Little was done to mediate between the two groups, but in Clay County, Texas
Clay County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,323 households, and 3,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,992 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
, the two groups did meet, with the ranchers agreeing to remove fences built across public roads and along areas not owned by them, gates would be built to allow farmer access, and fence cutting would end.
By the fall of 1883, more than 20 million dollars in damage had been caused by the fence cutters across Texas, with 1 million dollars of the damage being in Brown County, Texas
Brown County, Texas
Brown County is a county in West Central Texas. As of 2000, the population was 37,674. Its county seat is Brownwood. Brown is named for Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco...
alone. In January 1884, Governor John Ireland
John Ireland (politician)
John Ireland was the 18th Governor of Texas from 1883 to 1887. During Ireland's term, the University of Texas was established, and construction on the Texas State Capitol began...
called for a special assembly to resolve the issues. Property owners were ordered to remove fences placed across property they did not own, and to provide gates every three miles, and to keep the gates in repair. Fence cutting was ordered to stop completely, and for all practical purposes this stopped large scale fence cutting.
However, it did not stop completely. On February 10, 1885, Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
Ben Warren was shot and killed in Sweetwater, Texas
Sweetwater, Texas
Sweetwater is the county seat of Nolan County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,415 at the 2000 census.-History:Sweetwater received a U.S. post office in 1879. The Texas and Pacific Railway started service in 1881, with the first train arriving on March 12 of that year, beginning...
while hunting fence cutters for whom he held warrant
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
s. Two of the three men suspected in his murder were sentenced to life in prison.
There were sporadic incidents in the years that followed, with a brief surge in 1888, mainly in Navarro County, Texas, prompting Texas Rangers to be dispatched. Texas Ranger Ira Aten
Ira Aten
Ira Aten was a Texas Ranger who was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.Aten was born in Cairo, Illinois. His father Austin Aten was a Methodist circuit rider, and moved the family to Texas in 1876, settling near Round Rock, Texas. In 1878, while still a boy, Aten witnessed the death of...
placed dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
at some fenced locations, rigged to explode if the fence was cut. The Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
disapproved, and ordered the charges removed, however rumors persisted that dynamite charges remained, and despite them having been removed it did prevent extensive cutting. By the end of that year, most fence cutting had ended although there were isolated incidents into the early 20th century.