TNT: Brand Names Multi-Cache

Now out here in the West thar had ta be a way to keep them open range cattle separated by owner and keep rustlers from a-stealin’ other folks critters even when they were on fenced land. Branding is as old as the pyramids, but the Spaniards brought it to this continent.

Texans figured it were a good idea and started using brands themselves. The recollections of some old-time cowboys are that cattle have a peculiar habit of milling more to the left than to the right; hence brands on their left sides would be more visible to cowboys inside the roundup herds and that’s whar you usually find them.

There are a lotta brands that are right famous around here. Here’s just a sample of them. I should remind you that whar that dang woman is concerned thar’s always sumpen hidden away in her scrawling and ah suspect you oughta keep that in mind when yer a-readin’ what she’s put down.

Wm. F. Niedringhaus and Frederick W. Niedringhaus, Panhandle City, Tex

P. F. Dunn, Corpus Christi, Tex

The Flying V was a brand used by the Matador Land and Cattle Company, Ltd. Dundee, Scotland and Ballard Springs, Tex, a British owned outfit, which had interests from Texas to Saskatchewan, although the brand was usually made as shown to the left. Ranches in Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming also used the Flying V. Therefore; brand books would make distinctions based on the location of the brand on the left, right, etc. Some brand books would also contain maps showing the normal range for a particular brand.

The Mill Iron was started in Texas and also had properties in Montana on the Box Elder in Carter County. Its last drive to Montana was in 1894

The "Blocker 7," pictured to the left, was a "road brand" used by John Rufus Blocker (1851-1927), a contract drover who, with his brother Abner "Ab" Pickens Blocker (1856-1943), trailed cattle for a thirty-year period, 1873-1903, to Colorado, Dakota Territory, and Wyoming. The Potter-Blocker Trail, from Albany, Texas to Cheyenne, is named after Jack Potter and Abner Blocker. Potter laid out the trail after he was diverted from crossing Charles Goodnight's J A by the imposition of the "Winchester Quarantine" by Goodnight. Abner is credited with the design of the X I T brand. The Blocker Brothers last major drive was of 9,000 head to Deadwood, S. Dak. in 1893.

The Hashknife, J. R. Couts and John N. Simpson, Abilene, Texas, started in Texas and had properties in Arizona and Montana. The "Hashknife Outfit" noted by Zane Grey was owned by the Aztec Cattle Company in Arizona. A hashknife was an implement frequently found on a chuckwagon.

J.C. Youngblood, Muleshoe, Texas. The Youngblood Cattle Company owned over one million acres throughout Texas, Arizona, Montana, and Wyoming. John Chisum drove cattle for them for a number of years.

Charles Goodnight, Palo Duro Canyon, Texas The J A bears the initials of John Adair, Charles Goodnight's financial backer in the J A. Goodnight also used a circle as a trail brand. While brands were typically placed on the hip, trail brands were often placed on the left side. Additionally, brands might be placed on the jaw. Original brands, when the animal was sold, might be vented (crossed off) and the new owner's brand placed nearby. The animal would also bear various knife cuts on ears, wattles, and dewlaps, to assist in identification. Thus, a brand book carried on a roundup would include notations both as to brands, but locations and earmarks.

The X I T was formed when the old Texas State Capitol Building burned. The estimated cost of one and half million dollars was raised by the sale of state lands in the Panhandle of Texas to a the Texas Ranch Capital Syndicate, which in turn raised money in Britain from the Capitol Freehold and Investment Company. With cost overruns the new capitol cost in excess of $3,000,000. Ultimately, the Company had over 3,000,000 acres in Texas and Montana. Over an 11 year period 12,500 cattle were trailed annually to Montana and South Dakota. After 1900 the Company began to liquidate. The last of its cattle were sold in 1912, but it took until 1963 to dispose of the last of its land holdings. Although it is a popular old wives' tale that the brand stood for "Ten in Texas" as a result of the ranch spreading over ten counties, it was probably designed for ease of application with a running iron and difficulty of modification

Half Circle J, Clay County, Texas

J.O. Kesonu outfit out of Brazoria, Texas. Named for his four sons- Brett, Benson, Bart, and Bradford. Introduced Herefords into the county and developed crossbreeds of Herefords and longhorns.