48 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2024 PAST BRANDED TRESSA LAWRENCE | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Branding cattle with hot irons dates back to 4000 B.C. in Egypt, where the event was recorded in ancient tomb paintings and is referenced in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Romans continued the practice; however, they used brands less for identification and more for supernatural protection or magic. From there, the practice of branding livestock spread throughout Europe and made its way to South America before establishing its impact in the American West. During the 19th century, branding became an important practice within agriculture as the era of open range cattle drives began to take shape. An estimated 5 million head of cattle were trailed from Texas to the open plains of the Dakotas, Wyoming and Nebraska between 1866 and 1890. Nebraskans had been branding their cattle since 1855 as a means to identify ownership and prevent cattle rustling. BRANDS IN NEBRASKA The state started registering brands in 1899. The first brand registered in the state was “7HL” to the Milldale Farm & Livestock Improvement Co., LLC, and it is still in use today. The fourth brand registered in Nebraska was the “77” to Hans Hansen. Hansen chose the “77” because the ranch was started in 1877. Eric Hansen is the great-great-grandson of Hans, making him the fifth generation on the family ranch. The brand is still in use by the Hansen family today. “Ours is the oldest brand in the state that’s still in the same family,” Eric Hansen says. “Our family brands cattle as proof of ownership. The community that brandings bring together and the social aspect are important, too.” In 1888, the Nebraska Stockgrowers met in Alliance to discuss how they could facilitate registering brands within the state. Prior to this, the Wyoming Stockgrowers had been registering brands for western Nebraska residents. CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 Photo courtesy of Brenda Masek. Photo courtesy of Brenda Masek. THE HISTORY OF BRANDS IN NEBRASKA
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