New Frontiers #[nn]

A young woman named Little Barb watches as the American West transforms, one fence at a time. Over 250 years, pioneers experiment with countless designs—none quite right—until Joseph F. Glidden and Jacob Haish independently arrive at the double-strand barbed wire. When Glidden teams up with Isaac L. Ellwood and sells his share to Charles Washburn, the new alliance faces a test in court, where the future of the wire—and the frontier—hangs in the balance.

John Gates, a determined salesman in 1877 Texas, turns the tide on barbed wire’s skeptics with bold bets and relentless drive. When his boss refuses to raise his pay, he strikes out on his own, defying the Elwood-Glidden patents and rebuilding after a devastating fire. With the help of Isaac Elwood and Little Barb, he eventually builds a steel and wire empire worth $90 million.

J Wallace Page’s inventive spirit takes center stage as he showcases his woven wire fence at county fairs, drawing the attention of industrialist John W Gates. When Gates sees the potential in Page’s design, he secures the rights to the Gates patents, setting the stage for a pivotal moment in agricultural innovation.