Seeing an increased demand for meat from growing cities in the east, settlers rounded up the cattle that roamed the unsettled west to start ranches. Life on the Ranch takes a fascinating look at a large cattle ranch describing:
• different buildings and tools
• the various jobs of the hired hands
• how cowboys dressed and how horses were tamed
• the rancher's family and the important tasks of women
• special occasions in the ranch community
• threats by wild animals, cattle rustlers, and even homesteaders who began to use up the open range