Cattle baron


Cattle baron is a historic term for a local businessman and landowner who possessed great power or influence through the operation of a large ranch with many beef cattle. Cattle barons in the late 19th century United States were also sometimes referred to as cowmen, stockmen, or just ranchers. In Australia, similar individuals owned large cattle stations. A similar phenomenon occurred in part of Canada in the early twentieth century.

Notable examples

In the American Old West:
In Australia:
  • Peter Menegazzo
  • Sidney Kidman
In Canada:
In England:
Cattle barons appear in numerous Western novels and films, often as villains. Such films include Broken Lance, Lawman and Heaven's Gate. In the Fallout video game series, Brahmin barons are exactly the same as cattle barons but herd mutated livestock instead of normal animals.