Behold the humble barbed-wire fence, the five-strand sentinel of Texas woods and plains. Untold thousands of miles of barbed-wire fence divide the state, so ubiquitous outside the city centers that ...

In 1876 salesman John W. Gates brought barbed wire to Texas when he wagered $1 million that he could build a fence that would capably contain cattle. Some incredulous gambler took the bet. Gates ...

Back during the ranching days in Evergreen, Colorado, a barbed wire fence was an important tool for ranchers to make sure their property was safe. But now that it's open space, they are no longer ...

The concept of virtual fencing technology has been around for decades but continues to evolve. Virtual fencing uses behavior modification based on audio and electrical cues from a collar device to ...

Few inventions that were designed in the 1870s that have not changed since they were patented, and they are still widely used in the 21st century. Barbed wire is an innovation that fits this category, ...

In the 1870s, few in Texas had heard of barbed wire, and those who had didn’t really believe it could be strong enough to pen cattle. All of that changed in 1876 when two barbed wire salesman for the ...

In the mid 1800s, not many (non-native) Americans had ever been west of the Mississippi. When Frederick Law Olmstead visited the west in the 1850s, he remarked that the plains looked like a sea of ...

Ms. Nijhuis is the author of “Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction.” She reported from Brewster, Wash. Sept. 26, 2023 “Wherever a farm may be located, or whatever may be its ...

In the 1870s, few in Texas had heard of barbed wire, and those who had didn’t really believe it could be strong enough to pen cattle. All of that changed in 1876 when two barbed wire salesman for the ...

Before Ma Bell came to town, and long before DSL, it was barbed wire, of all things, that brought rural communities together. A Sears telephone hooked up to barbed wire—miles of which were already ...

Visitors to Fort McCoy are used to the sight of barbed wire. It sits atop the fences surrounding the cantonment area and other areas around the installation. It is used during training exercises today ...