The Coo-Pedia "Beyond the Bangs"

Highland cattle were first brought to North America in the late 19th century. Western ranchers imported the notoriously hardy cattle from Scotland to improve the cold-weather survivability of their herds following the devastating "Big Die-Up" winter of 1886-1887. 

highlandcattleusa.org

The recorded history of the breed in the United States includes several key milestones:

• Early 1890s-1920s: Small importations were made to ranches in states like Montana and Wyoming. One of the earliest documented Scottish imports was in 1896 by S.F.B. Biddle, who brought cattle to the Cross Ranch near Biddle, Montana.

• 1940s: A large portion of early US-registered cattle descended from a 1922 importation by Walter Hill, whose herd was later purchased in the 1940s by Baxter Berry of Belvidere, South Dakota. Berry's herd provided the foundation for many early breeders.

• 1948: The American Scotch Highland Breeders Association (now the American Highland Cattle Association) was established to preserve pedigrees, with 4 bulls and 45 cows making up the first herd book. The word "Scotch" was dropped from the association's name in the 1990s.

• 1950s: Importations and exchanges between the United States and Canada became common, establishing a broader North American footprint.

• Present Day: Once considered a rare or heritage breed, Highlands have become highly popular for small farms, homesteads, and high-quality beef production. Their population rebounded enough that they graduated from the Livestock Conservancy's Conservation Priority List.