| Revision as of 18:34, 13 May 2002 editFredbauder (talk | contribs)2,319 edits a bit more reading← Previous edit | Revision as of 16:59, 18 May 2002 edit undoFredbauder (talk | contribs)2,319 edits About doubled size or articleNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| The '''Great Plains''' or High Plains are the elevated plains which lie east of the ] in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | The '''Great Plains''' or High Plains are the elevated plains which lie east of the ] in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | ||
| They are arid and presently ] or marginal ]. Generally they lie west of the 100th meridian which roughly corresponds with the isotropic line west of which there is 20 inches of rainfall a year or less. About every 25 years the region is subject to drought and may be subject to devestating duststorms. The region roughly centered on the Oklahoma Panhandle, including southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the Texas Panhandle, and extreme northeastern New Mexico were known as the ] during the late ] and early ]. The effect of the drought combined with the effects of the ] and many farmers were forced off the land thoughout the Great Plains. Another drought appears to be in progress in ]. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| The southern portion of the Great Plains lies over the ] a vast underground pool of water dating from the last ]. ] (the round circles you see from airplains), is used extensively; but the aquifer is being rapidly depleted. | |||
| ⚫ | Historically they were the range of the ] and of the magnificent Great Plains Culture of the ] tribes of the ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | ||
| After the removal of the buffalo and the Native Americans the Great Plains were devoted to ] and were open range, that is anyone was theoretically free to run ]. In the spring and fall roundups were held and the new calves were branded and the cattle sorted out for sale. Ranching began first in Texas and gradually moved northward. Texas cattle were driven north to the railroad, especially to ] then shipped eastward. Many foreign, especially British, investors financed the great ranches of the era. Overstocking of the range and the terrible winter of eventually resulted in a disaster with many cattle starved and frozen. From then onward ranchers generally turned to raising feed in order to winter their cattle over. | |||
| The Homestead Act of 1862 provided that a settle could take up 160 acres of land provided he lived on it for a period of years and cultivated it. This was later expanded to include a homestead of an entire section. Hundreds of thousands of Americans and immigrants proved up homesteads sometimes building sod houses out the the very turf of their land. Many of them were not skilled dryland farmers and failures were frequent. | |||
| ''Further Reading'' | ''Further Reading'' | ||
| *<cite>Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains</cite>, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN: 1-55566-227-7. | *<cite>Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains</cite>, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN: 1-55566-227-7. | ||
| *<cite>The Dust Bowl: Men, Dirt, and Depression</cite>, Paul Bonnifield, University of New Mexico Press, Alquequerque, New Mexico, 1978, hardcover, ISBN: 0-8263-0485-0. | |||
| *<cite>Wolf Willow, A history, a story, and a memory of the last plains frontier</cite>, Wallace Stegner, Viking Compass Book, New York, 1966, trade paperback, ISBN: 0-670-00197-X | *<cite>Wolf Willow, A history, a story, and a memory of the last plains frontier</cite>, Wallace Stegner, Viking Compass Book, New York, 1966, trade paperback, ISBN: 0-670-00197-X | ||
Revision as of 16:59, 18 May 2002
The Great Plains or High Plains are the elevated plains which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
They are arid and presently rangeland or marginal farmland. Generally they lie west of the 100th meridian which roughly corresponds with the isotropic line west of which there is 20 inches of rainfall a year or less. About every 25 years the region is subject to drought and may be subject to devestating duststorms. The region roughly centered on the Oklahoma Panhandle, including southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the Texas Panhandle, and extreme northeastern New Mexico were known as the Dust Bowl during the late 1920s and early 1930s. The effect of the drought combined with the effects of the Great Depression and many farmers were forced off the land thoughout the Great Plains. Another drought appears to be in progress in 2002.
The southern portion of the Great Plains lies over the Oglala Aquifer a vast underground pool of water dating from the last ice age. Center pivot irrigation (the round circles you see from airplains), is used extensively; but the aquifer is being rapidly depleted.
Historically they were the range of the buffalo and of the magnificent Great Plains Culture of the Native American tribes of the Blackfeet, Crow, Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Comanche.
After the removal of the buffalo and the Native Americans the Great Plains were devoted to ranching and were open range, that is anyone was theoretically free to run cattle. In the spring and fall roundups were held and the new calves were branded and the cattle sorted out for sale. Ranching began first in Texas and gradually moved northward. Texas cattle were driven north to the railroad, especially to Dodge City, Kansas then shipped eastward. Many foreign, especially British, investors financed the great ranches of the era. Overstocking of the range and the terrible winter of eventually resulted in a disaster with many cattle starved and frozen. From then onward ranchers generally turned to raising feed in order to winter their cattle over.
The Homestead Act of 1862 provided that a settle could take up 160 acres of land provided he lived on it for a period of years and cultivated it. This was later expanded to include a homestead of an entire section. Hundreds of thousands of Americans and immigrants proved up homesteads sometimes building sod houses out the the very turf of their land. Many of them were not skilled dryland farmers and failures were frequent.
Further Reading
- Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN: 1-55566-227-7.
- The Dust Bowl: Men, Dirt, and Depression, Paul Bonnifield, University of New Mexico Press, Alquequerque, New Mexico, 1978, hardcover, ISBN: 0-8263-0485-0.
- Wolf Willow, A history, a story, and a memory of the last plains frontier, Wallace Stegner, Viking Compass Book, New York, 1966, trade paperback, ISBN: 0-670-00197-X