Howdy Partner, How Many Folks Were Wranglin' Cows in West Texas in 1890?
You might be lookin' for gold under them thar dusty plains, but today we're on a quest for a different kind of nugget - a historical one! We're settin' out to reckon just how many folks, specifically white settlers, were settin' up shop in West Texas way back in 1890. Now, pinchin' down an exact number might be trickier than ridin' a bucking bronco, but we'll sift through the ol' census records and see what varmints we can unearth.
The Wild West Wasn't So Wild (For White Settlers, That Is)
Hold your horses there, partner! We gotta clarify what we mean by "West Texas" in 1890. Back then, the frontier was still a-stretchin' its dusty legs, and what we consider "West Texas" today might have been considered downright civilized back then. Think more tumbleweeds and prickly pears than saloons and shootouts.
But here's the real kicker: West Texas wasn't exactly a magnet for white settlers in 1890. The land was arid, water was scarcer than a politician's truth, and Native American tribes weren't exactly rolling out the welcome wagon.
So, How Many Folks Were There Really?
Now, the exact number is gonna be a fuzzy sum, like countin' prairie dogs in a sandstorm. But buckle up, history buffs, here's what we can glean from dusty census records:
- East Texas was Boomin': Back in 1890, most of the Texan population was huggin' the eastern border, where the land was lusher and the fightin' was less frequent.
- A Slow Start for the West: West Texas was still in its early stages of settlement in 1890. The big cattle drives were windin' down, and folks were just startin' to figure out how to tame that stubborn desert land.
educated guesstimate: Based on these tidbits, historians reckon the number of white settlers in West Texas in 1890 was likely in the low thousands. Think sparse settlements, lonely ranches, and maybe a tumbleweed or two for company.
The Moral of the Story?
Well, partner, it seems like West Texas in 1890 wasn't exactly teeming with folks. But hey, that just means there was more elbow room for those adventurous souls who weren't afraid of a little rattlesnake and a lot of sand. So next time you're cruisin' through West Texas, take a moment to appreciate the pioneers who braved the elements to carve out a life in that vast, beautiful landscape. They might not have been there in droves, but they sure had some grit!
