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Show would all gather at one camp and stay there a week at a time-then move on to another spread and another extended visit. (UHQ 34:322) Toward the latter part of the nineteenth century, as Utah's ranching ventures grew and as her mountain and desert rangelands were used to provide feed and forage for the cattle of larger ranching corporations, the occupational cowboy played an even larger role. His lifestyle, although probably not quite as idyllic as that described by Bennion of the earlier cowboys, was certainly the same as his counterpart's throughout the West. The roundup of cattle from wherever they had wandered, trail-driving them to and from winter and summer range, cutting and roping, as well as branding, marking and dehorning were all part of cowboying, in Utah as elsewhere. Although today the well-known, large-scale ranching ventures with names like Nutter, Scorup, Somerville and Carlisle have not retained their nineteenth century prominence, the production of cattle still remains a significant part of Utah's economy. Breeds like the Galloway, Durham and Hereford, originally introduced into the state during the nineteenth century for the improvement of local stock, have contributed to and helped maintain the quality of Utah cattle production, insuring its place in the market. In An Overview of Utah's Cattle Industry, historian Everett Cooley suggests that despite the fact that Utah's cattle operations are relatively small when compared to some other states, they are extremely important to Utah's economy and represent a good-sized segment of the agricultural production. To elaborate, he explains that even though there are only a small number of farms or ranches with good-sized herds, there are a number of small operations with a few head. In short, Utah's historical pattern of mixed livestock and agricultural production, initiated by a Mormon hierarchy that was interested in providing space for a maximum number of individual settlers, seems to have continued to today. Similarly, another visible pattern, grounded in nineteenth century tradition and reported by Cooley, is the fact that the production of cattle is truly a state-wide activity which, to some extent, is maintained on the outskirts of nearly every Utah community. As Cooley summarizes, "the cattle industry is important to all [Utah] counties, for all counties produce some cattle." (UHQ 32:178-181, 1964) In conclusion, it seems appropriate to include a comprehensive statement, written by Don Walker, about Utah cattle and the role this industry has played throughout Utah's history. Walker states, When the first Mormon settlers established themselves in the Salt Lake Valley, they brought with them 3,100 head of cattle, 887 cows, and 2,213 working oxen. They were of course founding a religious haven, not a ranching empire. This large number of cattle thus represented the pulling power needed for the move west, not a beef-producing potential to be turned free upon the grasses of Zion. But meat demands developed; the grasslands of Cowboy Poetry From Utah |