August-September 2024 • Nebraskaland 47
pay more for fencing than for the land itself.
Barbed wire transformed Nebraska. Invented in Illinois
in the 1870s, it solved a huge problem for prairie farmers,
but also sparked controversy. One manufacturer tried to
establish a monopoly by claiming patent rights. Until the
courts intervened, the company threatened to sue farmers
who bought from its competitors unless they paid a license
fee.
In cattle country, some big ranchers used barbed wire to
illegally fence public land for their exclusive use. One night
in 1885, Custer County settlers cut 15 miles of barbed wire
fence around a local ranch.
Barbed wire marked the end of the free-range cattle era. Undated Solomon Butcher photo, probably Custer County.
HISTORY NEBRASKA RG2608-0-1756-B
