McCoy, Joseph

McCoy, Joseph (Geating)

(1837–1915) cattleman; born in Sangamon County, Ill. A cattleman, he developed Abilene, Kansas, on the Kansas Pacific railroad, as the main shipping point for cattle to the East. This ushered in the Long Drive (for cattle) over the Chisholm Trail from Texas (1866–75). He set up other cattle drives and served as an agent for the Cherokee. His Historic Sketches of the Cattle Trade (1874) is a basic picture of the period. Some claim his brand was the source of the expression "the real McCoy."