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Barbed wire emerged in the 1870s amid the need for cheap barriers on the treeless Great Plains. Joseph Glidden patented a practical design in 1874, featuring twisted strands with sharp barbs that deterred cattle without requiring scarce wood or unreliable hedges. Over 800 U.S. patents followed, with more than 2,000 varieties identified, mass-produced and sold by traveling salesmen. It ended open-range cattle drives, sparked "range wars" between ranchers and farmers, and shifted power from large cattle operations to homesteaders.texashighways+3
The Devils Rope Barbed Wire Museum in McLean, Texas (opened 1991), houses the largest collection of barbed wire publications, plus exhibits on ranching tools, Dust Bowl history, Route 66 artifacts, and wartime uses. The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in La Crosse, Kansas ("Barbed Wire Capital of the World"), displays over 2,400 wire varieties, antique tools, dioramas, and a research library with full patent archives. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City showcases 1,300 of its 8,000+ strands, highlighting ranching evolution.wikipedia+4
Ranchers adopted barbed wire to enclose vast lands cheaply—4 miles fences a square mile—controlling herds, preventing strays, and protecting grazing rights against rivals. It displaced Longhorn cattle suited to open ranges, curbed tribal raids and cattle drives, and made year-round ranching profitable in arid regions. Despite cowboys' disdain for its injuries ("devil's rope"), it tamed the frontier by delineating property lines and enabling settled agriculture.nationalcowboymuseum+2