The "Beef Bonanza" was a period in the late 1860s when large-scale cattle drives moved millions of cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas. This was made possible by trails like the Goodnight-Loving trail and the establishment of cow towns like Abilene, Kansas near the railheads. Challenges included shortages of water and grasslands for the cattle along the trails and conflicts with farmers and Native Americans. Key figures in the development of the cattle industry during this period included Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, Joseph McCoy, and John Illiff.