How the West Was Wooled
from Twist Collective
By Hypatia Francis
Nearly as old as European settlement itself, the history of wool in North America is one of frontiersmen, bandits, and often bloody conflict. In this first article in our three-part series on the rise and fall of the wool industry, we dig into the role of sheep in the lives of early settlers, and unearth some interesting facts about an animal whose importance is often downplayed.
“Sheep Flock in Owens Valley, 1941” by Ansel Adams. From the series “Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments,” U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. © Twist Collective, Hypatia Francis
