Crossbreeding of cattle from the southeastern regions of Scotland, Aberdeen and Angus resulted in the Aberdeen-Angus breed of cattle. Breeding records show that as early as 1523, efforts were made to develop this breed. Aberdeen-Angus cattle can be either black or red, although black is dominant. They are naturally polled (hornless), hardy in dramatic weather conditions, undemanding, good natured cattle. Angus beef is renowned for its high quality and flavor.
Aberdeen-Angus cattle arrived in the United States in 1873 when Scotsman George Grant brought four Aberdeen-Angus bulls to his ranch in Victoria, Kansas. Grant crossed the bulls with Texas Longhorns producing hardy, hornless, black cattle. Grant died five year later, yet at the same time American farmers began importing Aberdeen-Angus directly from Scotland to begin building American herds. In November 1883, the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeder’s Association was founded. The breed and the organization quickly grew. This sign shows that South Dakota State College was active in Aberdeen-Angus research. The exact date of the sign is unknown but is likely from the 1940s or 1950s. The College changed to university in 1964, so the sign is pre-1964!
As a side note, Aberdeen-Angus also can be red. They are the same breed of cattle with identical characteristics to the black stock. Early in the development of the breed, an arbitrary decision was made that black was the preferred standard color. In 1917, the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders Association decided to not allow registry of red cattle. In 1954, the Red Angus Association of America was founded to promote the Red Angus cattle.