In 1878, Ogallala stood as the terminus of Texas cattle drives, where herds were driven up the trail, across the South Platte River, and into Union Pacific cattle pens before trains carried them to markets in the East or ranches in the West; some herds also continued north to provide beef for Indian reservations. These cattle drives had a major impact on Ogallala’s early history and growth, and their legacy is recalled by “Long Horns,” an art deco style mural in the Ogallala post office, painted by artist Frank Mechau, commissioned in 1938 by the U.S. Treasury’s Section of Painting and Sculpture, and funded by the Works Progress Administration, though while the painting depicts a Caucasian cowboy, two of every seven cowboys were African-American or Hispanic.