Colorado became a member union of the United States in 1876. While certainly not the largest in terms of population it does rank eight in terms of land mass. Its variety of opportunities in industry, natural resource extraction, energy and natural beauty continues to attract people as it has since the 16th century. Agricultural and tourism continue to be the main impetus for the economy in the current century. These are among the most popular reasons why people look for ranch property for sale in Colorado. They believe in the hard work behind running a ranch and the sheer beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
Ranching in Colorado: The Early Years
The Plains of Colorado fostered the growth of many ranches. Some ranchers had their homesteads in the mountains and too the cattle or sheep to lower elevations during the cold months. Some ranches grew up in response to the early mining towns after 1859. These wily ranchers and farmers saw that the profits from ranching outweighed those they could possibly get from mining.
Some ranches in southeastern Colorado, however, began appearing in the 1820s. They took over land belonging to the Natives. Formerly grazed by cattle, they now became home to cattle. This marked the days of “open grazing,” an approach that allowed cattle to graze anywhere across the area. Other sections of Colorado did not take up the practice until much later in the 1860s. It began with the founding of a ranch by cattleman Charles Goodnight and his Texas Longhorns. He established a permanent way station along his trail from New Mexico to Wyoming in 1868. This was followed two years later by founding the Rock Canyon Ranch at Pueblo on the Arkansas River.
The important aspect of cattle and sheep ranching was getting the animals to market. While locally you could sell a few animals, the big markets lay elsewhere. The result was cattle drives. The nearest railroad siding was the target. Here, they loaded the animals into cattlecars that took them east to slaughterhouses for urban markets. Another group who bought up many ranch properties in the late 1860s was the Jones Brothers – founders of JJ Ranch at Higbee.
These enterprises flourished. Both continued the practice of open grazing. Cattle Barons took over. They purchased as many cattle ranch property for sale as possible. A classic example of this practice was the Prairie Cattle Company. Sheep and cattle ranchers also clashed during the drive to control the land, the water and the use of both. Public lands became the fenced-in “property” of certain Cattle Barons, again the Prairie Cattle Company was among this group. Harsh winters, starving cattle and overgrazing resulted in the fencing off of lands. Hay was added to the diet and cattle ranches began to settle down to more sustainable practices.
Ranches and Ranch Property for Sale Today
Today, ranches serve many needs. While cattle ranching continues to provide food for the state and beyond, ranch property for sale in Colorado has metamorphosed into recreational and retirement possibilities. The result is choice. You can join the latest crop of hardy ranchers or simply come and live on a ranch in Colorado. Whatever your pleasure, make sure you choose a qualified realtor to handle the deal.
