Longhorns were brought by the Spanish via Mexico into Texas in the sixteenth century. After the Civil War (1861-65) there was an explosive increase in their population. Cattle intended for slaughter were driven slowly along the wide 'cattle trails', often taking two years to reach market in the more densely populated north east.
The word Wagyu refers to all Japanese beef cattle ('Wa' means Japanese and 'gyu' means cattle). This is the breed that produces Kobe beef, named for the city where the cattle were first bred 170 years ago. The original import of these cattle to the U.S. in 1976 consisted of two Tottori Black Wagyu and two Kumamoto Red Wagyu bulls.