Teddy Roosevelt was a rancher in North Dakota from 1883, and a good deal more 'hands-on' than many, but lost 60% of his cattle in the 1886-7 winter, and moved on to other things not long after. Some of his acquaintences from that time joined his Rough Riders in the Spanish-American war.
In today's time of rapid change I erroneously imagine the past to be stable and reliable. Could not be wronger. Stories like this reveal how at risk people throughout history were to all kinds of upheaval.
https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/elkhorn-ranch....