The Great Florida Cattle Drive will start at the DeLuca Preserve off SR 60 on Jan. 26 and end on Jan. 31 at the Okeechobee Cattlemen’s Rodeo Arena.

Why does that distance require most of a week?

Although Google Maps shows the distance at around 43 miles, the cattle drive will not go in a straight line on paved roads. The cattle will be driven across ranches, zig-zagging as needed.

Another consideration: Cattle drives don’t move fast, and care must be taken to prevent the cattle from losing weight on the trail.  A cattle drive has to allow for time for the cattle to graze.

A mural on U.S. 441 N tells the story of a 1937 cattle drive that went through Okeechobee County. The mural depicts 9-year-old Haynes Williams riding his pony on a cattle drive through the town of Okeechobee.

In a 2006 interview with the Okeechobee News, Haynes Williams (1928-2018) told his story of a 1937 cattle drive: “Back then cattle ranged free. No one owned the land his cattle grazed. Most of the land was owned by out-of-town big investors like Okeechobee, Inc., or the State of Florida.

“It had gotten crowded up near where we were in Highlands and DeSoto Counties. Grandpa needed more space for his cattle. We came from Highlands County down to Okeechobee County on our way to grazing land over at Allapattah Flats. I was allowed to ride with the drive, on my pony, Dan. My father, Zibe K. Williams, was on the cattle drive riding his grey horse.

“You made maybe 5 miles a day with those cracker cows ‘cause you had to stop and graze part of every day. They had to eat,” he explained.

“We were driving about 1,000 head of cattle past Indiantown where we crossed the bridge over the St. Lucie Canal and headed east towards Stuart. We crossed back over the St. Lucie Canal and drove the cows across the Allapattah Flats that is now called Palm City. At that time, there was only one house in Palm City. My grandpa’s cows grazed on this open range for years.

“Between 1940 and 1943, fences were being built and free grazing land was no longer available. My grandfather decided that he had better buy some land because his herd of cattle has grown to about 10,000 head. He purchased 20,000 acres near Fort Drum and 15,000 acres in Glades and Highlands Counties near Brighton. Some of the land cost 50 cents per acre. I remember him saying he didn’t know how someone could afford to pay that much and keep cows on it.”