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Women of Beef

Margaret Borland: The Victoria Widow Who Drove Her Own Herd to Kansas

After three marriages, three widowhoods and a ruinous blizzard, Margaret Borland set out in spring 1873 to take 2,500 cattle to Wichita herself.

Who was Margaret Borland?

Margaret Borland was a rancher from Victoria, Texas, and she holds an unusual place in cattle history: she is described as the only woman known to have led a cattle drive. She did it in 1873, at about age 49, taking roughly 2,500 cattle north toward the Kansas markets.

Her story is also a record of loss. She was married and widowed three times and buried several of her children, and she still kept a large ranching business going. The Texas Trail of Fame page on Margaret Borland gives the outline.

Early life and three marriages

One account says Borland arrived in Texas at five years old, in 1829, on the first ship carrying Irish colonists, and that her family settled near San Patricio. The Texas Trail of Fame gives her birth as 1824 in Ireland. Her father is reported to have been killed in an attack a few years after the family arrived.

She married three times. Her first husband, Harrison Dunbar, was killed in Victoria soon after their child was born. Her second, Milton Hardy, died of cholera in 1855, leaving more children. She married Alexander Borland about 1858, and he died in 1867; one account links his death to a yellow fever epidemic, so sources differ on the cause.

Building a ranch near Victoria

After Alexander Borland's death she took responsibility for the estate. Hired hands did the physical labor while she bought and sold livestock. By 1873 she was reported to hold more than 10,000 cattle, said to be the largest herd in Victoria.

One account notes that the Borlands owned about 8,000 head in 1860 and hoped to drive herds to northern markets. Counts vary between sources, so these figures are best treated as reported rather than audited.

Why did she drive the herd north in 1873?

A harsh winter blizzard in 1871 and 1872 killed tens of thousands of Texas cattle, and her herd suffered heavy losses. In April 1873 she decided to take about 2,500 surviving cattle up the trail. One account says cattle sold for $23.80 a head on the trail against $8.00 in San Antonio, which would explain the gamble.

She left Victoria in spring 1873 with trail hands, her youngest children, a granddaughter and a young nephew. The accounts vary on the exact ages of the children, though all agree that children went along. For more on how drives worked, see the ranching section of farm.FM.

The trip to Wichita and her death

The drive took about two months, and the party reached Wichita, Kansas. She stayed at a boardinghouse called The Planter House. She fell ill before the sale was complete and died there on 5 July 1873.

The cause is described as trail fever or congestion of the brain, and one account says modern doctors think meningitis is likely. Her nephew was responsible for returning her body and the children to Victoria, where she was buried.

The Key to Her Success

Borland's record shows a rancher who ran a large business at a time when few women did. She also carried heavy risk, and the story ends in her death at the end of the trail.

One of the sources used here is itself inconsistent on dates and counts, so some details should be read as approximate.

  • She took charge of the estate after 1867 and handled buying and selling of livestock herself.
  • She built the herd into one reported at more than 10,000 head, the largest in Victoria.
  • She weighed market prices, reportedly $23.80 a head on the trail against $8.00 locally, before deciding to drive.
  • She drove with family and hired hands, bringing trail help and relatives along.
  • She accepted real risk after winter losses, which is part of why the drive happened and why it ended as it did.

Honors and further reading

Borland was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame in 2017. Her story is retold in articles on women of the trail, including a Petticoats and Pistols article on her life and a feature on the cowgirls of the Chisholm Trail.

The fwtx article gives a different year for the drive in one place and 1873 in another, which shows why dates in popular accounts need care. Readers on farm.FM can find a farm.FM story about women on the cattle trails.

Timeline

  1. 1824Born in Ireland, per the Texas Trail of Fame
  2. 1829Reportedly arrives in Texas as a child with Irish colonists
  3. 1855Second husband Milton Hardy dies of cholera
  4. 1858Marries Alexander Borland, about this year
  5. 1867Alexander Borland dies
  6. 1873Leaves Victoria in spring with about 2,500 cattle
  7. 1873Dies in Wichita, Kansas, on 5 July
  8. 2017Inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame

Frequently asked questions

Who was Margaret Borland?

She was a Victoria, Texas rancher who, in 1873, led about 2,500 cattle to Wichita, Kansas. She is described as the only woman known to have led a cattle drive.

How many cattle did Margaret Borland drive?

About 2,500 cattle, from a herd reported at more than 10,000 head in 1873. Counts differ slightly between sources.

How did Margaret Borland die?

She fell ill after reaching Wichita and died on 5 July 1873. Accounts call it trail fever or congestion of the brain, and one suggests modern doctors would think meningitis.

Is Margaret Borland in a hall of fame?

Yes. The Texas Trail of Fame lists her as an inductee in 2017.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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