Barbed Wire and the End of the Open Range Podcast
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A deceptively simple invention reshaped the Great Plains. In this episode, we explore how barbed wire transformed farming, ended the era of open-range cattle drives and stirred up fierce legal battles and neighbor disputes. From sod fences, osage orange hedgerows to fence-cutting wars and changing property laws, barbed wire marked a turning point in the region’s landscape and way of life.
We’ll consider the legacy it left behind and how the balance between boundaries and openness continues to affect conservation efforts on the Plains today.
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The skinny
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