The early days of ranching and cattle driving required stamina and determination. Hundreds of miles on the trail brought a drover into contact with all that nature could throw at him – lightning, flooded rivers, hail, and tornadoes, atop the problem of stampedes – and there was little choice but to face those elements head on in getting a herd to market.

Cowboy historian Jim Gray, a sixth-generation Kansan who is executive director of the National Drovers Hall of Fame in Ellsworth, recalls the demands of the day, relating a story of cowboys, cattle, and getting beef from the trail to your plate.

The event coincides with the exhibit Cattle, Cowboys, and Culture: Kansas City and Amarillo, Building an Urban West, running through March 18 at the Central Library.