Montgomery County Facts - Historic Cattle Dipping Vats
February 26, 2026
In 1884, the USDA established the Tick Eradication Program to eliminate ticks nationwide, thereby saving the cattle industry. How could this possibly be accomplished?
From the 1800s to the early 1910s, southern cattlemen coated their cows in crude petroleum. It killed the ticks, but petroleum had its drawbacks. Enter arsenic. A 20% arsenical solution was much more cost-effective. Soon, 3,000-gallon dipping vats of arsenic solutions were a common sight on cattle operations.
These “dipping vats”, essentially trenches, were constructed of wood or concrete. Cattle were run through them to soak their entire bodies in the tick-eradicating poison. Dipping cattle every fourteen days was soon required in many Southern states.
In 1946, DDT replaced arsenic because it could be sprayed bi-monthly. Dipping requirements were phased out.
In 1954, the Tick Eradication Program declared the Texas Fever Tick fully eradicated. Dipping continued in some areas, and spraying DDT remained the norm until the 1980s, when injectables and Ivermectin became available. The environmental impact may never be known, but it did save the US cattle industry.
The Cogburn Dipping Vat, named after the family who homesteaded in the area, is located west of Black Spring. The facility was constructed between 1930 and 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It is a rectangular concrete structure designed to hold 1,500 gallons of insecticide, measuring 25 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 5 feet deep. It has a ramp on one end to allow cattle to enter and exit the vat.
The Guinn Dipping Vat was constructed circa 1940 by local resident Mack Guinn on land formerly part of the Mauldin logging community. The vat was positioned to serve nearby farmers in remote, forested areas of Montgomery County. It is a concrete structure with an overall length of about 35 feet, approximately 4 feet wide, and 3 to 6 feet deep, ensuring full immersion of the animals.
The Cogburn and Guinn Dipping Vats were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 2006. They are now popular destinations for hikers and history buffs who visit the Ouachita National Forest.