Cattle baron is a historic term for a local businessman and landowner who possessed great power or influence[1] through the operation of a large ranch with many beef cattle. Cattle barons in the late 19th century United States were also sometimes referred to as cowmen,[2] stockmen, or just ranchers. In Australia, similar individuals owned large cattle stations. A similar phenomenon occurred in part of Canada in the early twentieth century.

Notable examples

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In the American Old West:

In Australia:

In Canada:

In England:

  • Jonathan Wall (Cambridge) (Baron of Cambridge who held a significant amount of land on which he kept several thousand cattle)
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Cattle barons appear in numerous Western novels and films, often as villains. Such films include Broken Lance (1954), Lawman (1971) and Heaven's Gate (1980). In the Fallout video game series, Brahmin barons are exactly the same as cattle barons but herd mutated livestock instead of normal animals.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ ""baron" definition 4 Merriam-Webster online dictionary© 2010 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated". Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  2. ^ a b Deborah Hedstrom-Page (2007). From Ranch to Railhead with Charles Goodnight. B&H Publishing Group. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-8054-3272-5.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Cattle baron's death mourned". Bigpond news (source: ABC). 3 December 2005. Archived from the original on 5 December 2005.