Joseph "Cowboy" McCoy (December 21, 1837 – October 19, 1915) was a 19th-century entrepreneur known for promoting the transport of Longhorn cattle from Texas to the eastern United States.

[2] The earnings from the Kentucky sale allowed McCoy to expand both the diversity and the national reach of his livestock dealings.

[4]McCoy expected that the railroads companies were interested in expanding their freight operations and he saw this as a good business opportunity.

McCoy's plan was for cattle to be driven to Abilene from Texas and taken from there by rail to bigger cities in The Midwest and the East.

By 1870 thousands of Texas longhorn cattle were being driven over the Chisholm Trail to the shipping center at Abilene.

[5] Due to their long legs and hard hoofs, Longhorns were ideal trail cattle, even gaining weight on their way to market.