The Business of Farmers & Cowboys
In Oklahoma at the turn of the 20th century, farming and cattle ranching were the most common jobs/lifestyles that people had. The most popular crop to grow was corn because it could be sold and used as food for the farmer and his livestock. The best financial investment crop was cotton and some other crops included winter wheat, oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peanuts. Agriculture, in 1900, was the territory’s biggest economic element and leading industry and would be until the great depression and dust bowl in the 1930’s. Before farming took over, ranching was the main financial contributor to the territory’s economy. Oftentimes, cattle ranchers would rent ranching land from the Native Americans and live on the land undisturbed. When the Land Rushes of the 1890’s brought more people to the future state, its social dynamics changed, leading to tension between the cowmen and ranchers. In order for the territory to become a state, however, the two separate groups/ economies had to work together. This push towards coexisting is seen in Aunt Eller’s “The Farmer and The Cowman should be Friends.” Luckily, the groups eventually put aside their differences and the territory finally became a state in 1907. The information below explains characteristics of the lives of cowmen and farmers in the Oklahoma territory around the turn of the 20th century.
Farming life in Oklahoma at the turn of the 20th century
Ever wondered the daily life of you, as a farmer, in Oklahoma around 1900? Well, it was not the life of tea and crumpits…In fact, it was the opposite because the previously advertised “free land” from the land rushes that originally brought people to the state in the late 1880’s and 1890’s was mostly gone and yet people still poured in looking for it. These people had hopes that the land would provide a lifestyle filled with independence and fiscal prosperity. Truthfully, however, farmers generally lived in poverty as tenant or share crop farmers. This meant that they paid high rent to a landlord, gave a large portion of their harvest to that same landlord, and lived on one farm for about a year before moving on to the next one. The housing options for farmers were less than livable, as they were made out of sod or were known as “dugout houses.” (see pictures). These tiny houses for large farming families had no electricity, running water, indoor plumbing, or phone. Horse and buggy was the main transportation of Oklahoma territory as well. While this nomadic lifestyle may seem semi-doable, landlords at new farms often did not supply farming equipment, furnishings for the house, or horses so farmers had to pick up everything they owned each year, travel to an area they were unfamiliar with, hope that their farming equipment would be usable with the new farm (and possibly new crop they would harvest) and pray that their house furnishing would fit in the new dugout or sod house. With that many uncertainties and lack of prosperities, why in the world would people do it? And a better question is, “why does the musical Oklahoma glorify this lifestyle and paint a faux picture of farmer morale as life-filled, satisfied humans?” (For an answer to the second question, visit the “playwright’s contemporary page. For the answer to the first question, read on.) Yes, why, is a great question. While this lifestyle is something that we, as a modern day community think is depressing, the farmer of 1900 still saw prosperity. Oklahoma was on its way to becoming as state (granted in 1907) and people wanted to be part of that. They felt that they could shape the lifestyle they wanted, establish a government they wanted to live under, and believed they would eventually work up the ladder of society, own their own farm and satisfy their original hopes and dreams. People were proud to be part of the cusp of change and also manage their own work schedule. Farming allowed people to flexibility in the work, generally, and gave people the ability to work outside. If a person came from the city and was used to working up to 20 hours a day in a factory 7 days a week where there were no breaks, no say in scheduling, and a manager that did not care about your needs, tenant farming in Oklahoma, living in a sod house, and moving every year may seem like a dream life. Along with that, people had the opportunity to spend time with their family and live freely. For immigrants, the idea of America was a place to escape their impoverished lives and start a new one or gained more fiscal wealth and assets. Overall, life on the farm was no picnic, but it did offer people a chance to change their lives and gain more independence than they had before. For more information on farming, please click here. |
Cattle Ranching in Oklahoma at the turn of the 20th century
Early on in Oklahoma history, Cattle Ranching was a major contributor to the territory’s economic prosperity. Originating as a way to help Native Americans remain sovereign, the land of Oklahoma was perfect for raising cattle as it had nutritious grasses and successful grain farms. Often times, the American cattle rancher and his family would rent ranching land from the Native Americans to live on. The family would be more secluded from the rest of society due to the large acreage of the ranches and houses were constructed out of any available materials, including sod, stones, or logs (see pictures below.) Before the land rushes of the 1890’s, both Native Americans and American cowmen would have certain plots of lands that their cattle could live on. As a result of the 1890’s Land Rushes, the population of Oklahoma increased as well as the desire for the Oklahoma territory to transform into a state. This caused a change in the industry of the future state and ranching became more scientific and breed focus. One improvement included the ability to keep the male (bulls) and female (cows) separated, allowing ranchers to upgrade their herds. By 1900, the farming business took over the majority of the Oklahoma territory and was the main contributor to the fiscal wealth of the territory. Since farming communities were much closer together (physically and socially) than cattle ranches, people started establishing small town halls, making the territory one step closer to state. This change in social dynamics in the territory caused some tension between the farmer and the cowman because the two groups could not easily come to agreements regarding lifestyle needs. Finally in 1907, the application for statehood was approved and Oklahoma joined the union. For more information regarding Cattle ranching, please click here. |