Durability Meets Design: The Evolution of Barbed Wire Fencing

The year is 1873. Farmer Joseph Glidden had seen a single strand of barbed wire at the De Kalb County Fair that was designed by Henry Rose, but the barbed wire fence design was about to evolve very quickly.

The idea for barbed wire actually began with Michael Kelly in 1868. He designed the single strand “thorny fence” that was made by twisting wires together so that barbs could be added. The single strands of barbed wire were attached to wooden posts to create a fence. The barbs prevented cattle from leaning on the wire fence and busting it apart.

Glidden recognized the benefit of the barbed wire he saw, but he had a way to improve the single strand design. That design was durable and would work well at keeping animals off his farm that shouldn’t be there. However, the single strands didn’t keep the sharp barbs in place very well. But Glidden had a fix for that.

The barbed wire fence design that Glidden would soon submit to the U.S. patent office had two strands that were twisted together. The design kept the barbs in place much better, making it safer and sturdier. Of all the barbed wire designs that had been developed, Glidden’s became the favorite.

But Glidden didn’t stop with his barbed wire design. He was a true inventor and entrepreneur. He came up with an invention for mass producing his wire. It’s one of the reasons why his version of barbed wire is still one of the most popular fencing staples today.

The Benefits of Barbed Wire Fences for Farmers in the Old American West

Soon farmers discovered the double strand wire and immediately recognized the many benefits it provided. In addition to being much more effective at protecting their property compared to smooth wire fences, farmers liked the barbed wire design because it was:

• Durable
• Affordable
• Easy to store
• Easy to work with
• Didn’t shade vegetation
• Didn’t impact the soil
• Held up in high winds
• Didn’t make snowdrifts

These were all important benefits for farmers in the open range prairies and plains. Up until that point farmers had to ship in wood rails for wooden fences, which was very expensive. Barbed wire was a much cheaper alternative that many more landowners could afford.

Barb Wire Fences Impact More Than Protecting Heavy Livestock

Barbed wire production took off quickly, and within seven years of being patented by Glidden, 80 million pounds of his barb wire had been produced. It quickly became the most popular type of wire in existence. Eventually, so many farmers were fencing off their land that open range cattle driving wasn’t possible. But that was just the beginning of what the thorny fence material would influence in the region.

Many historians believe that without barbed wire the Great Plains wouldn’t have developed the way it did, and the American West would have looked very different. The widespread and fast adoption of barbed wire fencing led to more range management and control over the wide open spaces. And that led to more settlement.

It also led to litigation. Ranchers and cowboys felt that the land should be for open use, which benefited their cattle driving. However, farmers owned the land, and their efforts failed.

Native American indigenous people were also significantly impacted by the open range being fenced off. It dramatically limited land they used to freely move across. Eventually, the open range anyone could access was reduced to public lands.

The Military Finds a New Use for Barbed Wire

Soon, militaries around the world realized that barbed wire fencing didn’t just stop animals. It was also highly effective at preventing people from crossing boundaries where it was strung. The British military was the first to use it in 1888, but others soon followed. Another of the earliest military uses of barbed wire was in the U.S. during the Spanish American War. By the 1900s, the British military created a five-strand version to protect its troops. Its use became widespread in Europe during World War I.

Sadly, during World War II barbed wire, also known as razor wire by then, was used to confine people as well. There are many images of barbed wire fencing encircling concentration camps. Soon prisons around the world also added barbed wire to the tops of their fences.

Barb Wire Becomes an Industrial Commodity

There was still more that barbed wire could do after WWII was over. Barb fence company and industrial uses were next. Manufacturing plants began using barbed wire to protect their facilities. Storage and construction sites also still use barbed wire today to keep intruders out.

Today, barb wire fences are still used for all of its previous applications. At Purple Fencing Company we regularly install barbed wire fences all around the Austin metro in more rural areas and on commercial properties.

If you’re interested in adding a barbed wire fence at your property, give us a call or contact us online!