DougR - It is hard to trace the history of barbeque, but there are histories that show the cattle barons did not wish to spend money on expensive cuts of beef, so the cooks learned that slow cooking the brisket made a tasty meal.   A form of barbeque can also be traced to the "pig pickins" that occured in the South before and after the Civil War. The BBQ that you mention can trace it's roots to these events.