Texas Longhorn

Longhorn cattle became closely tied to Texas through generations of adaptation to the state's climate, forage and open range. After the Civil War, millions of Texas cattle moved north along major trails, making the longhorn inseparable from the economic history and visual mythology of the cattle-drive era.

By the twentieth century preservationists feared the breed was disappearing. State and private efforts assembled foundation herds, with animals donated to the Texas Parks Board in 1941 and a permanent home later established at Fort Griffin. The Legislature recognized the official state herd in 1969 and designated the longhorn the official large state mammal in 1995.

The longhorn is simultaneously a livestock breed, a preserved historic herd and a visual shorthand for Texas ranching history.

Official state designation formalized symbolism that had already been built through cattle drives, ranching, breed preservation and public imagery.