The “Devil’s Rope” - Barbed Wire
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Seth Itzkan
Jan 2, 2026, 2:54:24 PM (7 days ago) Jan 2
to Soil Age, Healthy Soils Coalition, Grassroots Network Food and Ag Forum
Interesting to realize that it was considered controversial at the time (1870s), and there were even proposed laws to ban it. Puts some of today’s discussions in perspective.
My property in Vermont has barbed wire running right through the forests and protruding out of the middle of trees which simply grew around it when the pastures were abandoned. That’s not an uncommon sight in Vermont (or most of New England) - 100 year old rusty wire, coming right out of the middle of a big pine.
The “Devil’s Rope” - Barbed Wire
https://share.google/aimode/0SD5XTfoHCFvol5DV
Barbed wire arrived in Vermont in the 1870s, revolutionizing farming by offering cheap, effective fencing, but faced early controversy, with some legislators proposing bans due to its harshness, though farmers ultimately embraced it to contain livestock and define property, with remnants often seen atop old stone walls today. The "devil's rope" replaced less efficient wood/stone fences, allowing for larger herds and land division, even sparking local innovation, though it also ended open-range grazing and brought new challenges to animal and human movement. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Early Adoption & Controversy (1870s-1880s)
• Introduction: Patented in the late 1860s and mass-produced after 1874 (Joseph Glidden's design), barbed wire quickly spread, reaching Vermont and altering agricultural practices.
• Debate: Its introduction wasn't universally welcomed; a 1880 Rutland Weekly Herald article reveals proposed legislation in Vermont to ban it, suggesting non-farmers opposed it, while farmers found it superior to older methods.
• "Devil's Rope": Because it maimed livestock and humans, it earned nicknames like "devil's rope," though its utility for enclosing large areas was undeniable. [1, 2, 4, 7]
Impact on Vermont Farms
• Fencing Solution: It provided an economical way to fence large tracts, replacing less effective stone walls or rail fences, allowing farmers to keep cattle contained and protect crops.
• Integration with Stone Walls: In Vermont, you can often see strands of barbed wire added to the tops of older stone walls, showing how farmers adapted this new technology to existing structures.
• Land Division: Barbed wire facilitated the division and privatization of land, changing traditional land use and movement across properties. [3, 4, 6, 8]
Legacy
• While primarily associated with the American West, barbed wire significantly impacted Vermont's rural landscape and farming methods in the late 19th century, becoming a permanent fixture in defining property boundaries. [1, 3, 4, 8]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.clarendonvthistory.org/HSWF_DisplayItem?ID=2775&XS=A
[2] https://www.facebook.com/theworldwar/posts/on-this-day-in-1874-joseph-glidden-patented-a-revised-version-of-barbed-wire-bar/10157720448926241/
[3] https://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/rocky-past
[4] https://nereview.com/article/history-of-barbed-wire/
[5] https://www.facebook.com/groups/clarendonhistorical/posts/1295612910960239/
[6] https://www.facebook.com/groups/panindiapostal/posts/3571175543111819/
[7] https://npshistory.com/publications/home/brochures/barbed-wire2.pdf
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Ok2C5_GfE
https://share.google/aimode/0SD5XTfoHCFvol5DV
Barbed wire arrived in Vermont in the 1870s, revolutionizing farming by offering cheap, effective fencing, but faced early controversy, with some legislators proposing bans due to its harshness, though farmers ultimately embraced it to contain livestock and define property, with remnants often seen atop old stone walls today. The "devil's rope" replaced less efficient wood/stone fences, allowing for larger herds and land division, even sparking local innovation, though it also ended open-range grazing and brought new challenges to animal and human movement. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Early Adoption & Controversy (1870s-1880s)
• Introduction: Patented in the late 1860s and mass-produced after 1874 (Joseph Glidden's design), barbed wire quickly spread, reaching Vermont and altering agricultural practices.
• Debate: Its introduction wasn't universally welcomed; a 1880 Rutland Weekly Herald article reveals proposed legislation in Vermont to ban it, suggesting non-farmers opposed it, while farmers found it superior to older methods.
• "Devil's Rope": Because it maimed livestock and humans, it earned nicknames like "devil's rope," though its utility for enclosing large areas was undeniable. [1, 2, 4, 7]
Impact on Vermont Farms
• Fencing Solution: It provided an economical way to fence large tracts, replacing less effective stone walls or rail fences, allowing farmers to keep cattle contained and protect crops.
• Integration with Stone Walls: In Vermont, you can often see strands of barbed wire added to the tops of older stone walls, showing how farmers adapted this new technology to existing structures.
• Land Division: Barbed wire facilitated the division and privatization of land, changing traditional land use and movement across properties. [3, 4, 6, 8]
Legacy
• While primarily associated with the American West, barbed wire significantly impacted Vermont's rural landscape and farming methods in the late 19th century, becoming a permanent fixture in defining property boundaries. [1, 3, 4, 8]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.clarendonvthistory.org/HSWF_DisplayItem?ID=2775&XS=A
[2] https://www.facebook.com/theworldwar/posts/on-this-day-in-1874-joseph-glidden-patented-a-revised-version-of-barbed-wire-bar/10157720448926241/
[3] https://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/rocky-past
[4] https://nereview.com/article/history-of-barbed-wire/
[5] https://www.facebook.com/groups/clarendonhistorical/posts/1295612910960239/
[6] https://www.facebook.com/groups/panindiapostal/posts/3571175543111819/
[7] https://npshistory.com/publications/home/brochures/barbed-wire2.pdf
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Ok2C5_GfE
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