"Few adventures in the American West surpassed the practice, in the years soon after the Civil War, of taking herds of Longhorn cattle from Texas grasslands to Kansas. There, in towns like Abilene, Dodge City, and Wichita, buyers paid off ranchers, ranchers paid off cowboys, and railroad lines took the cattle east to the packing plants of St. Louis and Chicago. The drives covered hundreds of miles and took weeks of grueling work. They relied on extensive planning, complicated logistics, great skill, and much good luck. In Up the Trail, Tim Lehman examines this most American of industries, situating western cattle drives into the larger story of postwar economic development--the rise of national markets, large industry, and railroads--and answering questions about that most iconic of American figures--why and how the cowboy become a steadfast American hero."--Provided by publisher.

Prologue -- How cowboys and longhorns came to Texas -- How the cattle market boomed and busted -- How to organize the largest, longest cattle drive ever -- How Kansas survived the longhorn invasion -- How the trails died and the cowboy lived on.