In 1875, the Black Hills had not been lawfully opened. The army guarded the reservation, and during 1875 arrested and turned back a large number that attempted to invade the Indian domain. However they were not able to keep out all those who had heard the stories of those who had adventured into the hills earlier.
The Union Pacific Railroad made Cheyenne, Wyoming, an outfitting point, and a first class daily stage line was put on the route from Cheyenne to Custer City. From the north at Bismarck, a route into the Black Hills had the advantage of being north of the Sioux reservation. Freighters were quick to take advantage of the new markets and immediately established new routes into the territory.
As you might imagine, the most important aspect of the freighters trade was the animals. Oxen, mules, and horses were all put in harness and each contributed their own advantages and disadvantages.
Oxen were much cheaper to buy (a pair for about $65 in the mid – 1880’s) and could pull considerable weight. They needed less water and feed and often foraged off the land. However, the oxen were much slower than the horse and mule. Travel by oxen was at an average of about two miles per hour, which was one-half to two-thirds, the speed of a horse or mule.
Big steers with horns were generally the choice for “oxen” with Texas “long horns” or big Durham’s often used. Horns helped to brace the steer on both up and down hill. The bull whacker chose his stock with care and an experienced eye, not only because of cost but his safety and livelihood often depended on it.
The immediate challenge was the terrain, and the word “path” really speaks to the early route covered by the big freight wagons more than calling them roads. Rocks, washes, drop offs, mud during rainy weather, slides, dust, steep treacherous climbs, narrow one-way paths and brake burning descents were the conditions that the driver and wagon needed to negotiate. Usually the only “road maintenance” was continued use which often rutted the trail.
Of necessity, the wagons were built for endurance, durability and carrying capacity. Under carriages were made of iron and the beds and wheels of oak or other durable wood. Dimensions varied, but empty wagons weighed from one ton up to nearly 8,000 pounds for the big 20 Mule Team Borax wagons which operated out of Death Valley.
Stream crossings, especially in the spring, were traversed with great caution as unseen rocks, deep spots or eroded soft bottom could cause problems for the animals and wagons. Likewise steep hill grades often required the unhitching of one team and using it to help the other ascend and then repeating the process for the other wagon.
It was big business and newspapers were always reporting the arrival of freight – the “West Wind” made our landing last evening, loaded to her guards with a large quantity of freight and two crushers for the mine.
The arrival of a railroad provided not only an impetus for the growth of small towns but new ones often sprang up. There were plenty of spur lines (especially to mining centers) delivering and obtaining materials. The increased need for supplies resulted in fierce competition between freight companies.
Military contracts were some of the most sought after jobs. Once forts became more numerous, and many were in isolated areas, the army needed to be regularly resupplied. This created a consistent source of work and income for the locals.
It is hard to envision the number of departures and arrivals of large freight wagons. One newspaper stated that “the large freight wagons are constantly clogging the streets and last week 110 passed through, each one carrying an average of five thousand pounds.”
Many western-bound wagons used oxen instead of horses or mules. Oxen were slower than mules or horses, but they had their advantages. They ate less, required less care, and they could pull heavier loads. And while a mule or horse could cost $90, an ox could be bought for about $50.
Over the three decades of westward emigration into the west, oxen comprised half to three-quarters of the animals that pulled the wagons. Unlike horses, they were steadier, stronger, and less likely to be stolen by the Native Americans.
The first Sunday in March of 1875 worshipers joyfully sang “How Beautiful is Spring.” Some may have thought that the singing of that hymn would some influence on their future weather. One local paper reported that “Monday morning brought such a blizzard from the north-west that their musical talent has not been exercised since.”
The Daily Press and Dakotaian on December 18, 1875 reported: “Thermometer twelve above zero at seven o’clock, and the same at noon. Winter is showing its teeth today and growling at us with the voice of an adolescent blizzard.
One old time philosopher made this comment: “A blizzard blowing at the rate of fifty miles an hour, and the thermometer down to 17o below zero at this season is wonderfully suggestive of ice bergs.”
Author Author Clarence Shoemaker, originally published in the Gregory Times-Advocate on April 2, 2025