If you think of the state of Texas, you automatically picture cowboys and if you research ‘The Old West’, Texas will invariably pop up in some way. We will examine the ‘Lone Star State’ including interesting facts, important dates and of course it’s well known cowboy history.
Texas became the 28th state admitted into the United States of America on December 29, 1845 after a long, bloody war trying to declare it’s independence from Mexico (which lasted from 1836 until 1845). It is second largest state in the union, next to Alaska and is the largest of the mainland states.
Texas is known for its long list of famous (and infamous) cowboys. This list includes:
1.) Francisco Garcia who helped to organize the first cattle drive that took place in Texas in 1779.
2.) Oliver Loving – The cowboy who loosely inspired the well know book and movie ‘The Lonesome Dove’ written by Larry McMurtry, was a pioneer in Texas in 1845. He was the first to drive cattle to the markets of Illinois in 1855 and all the way to Colorado in 1860. He and the next cowboy on our list are the namesakes for the historical ‘Goodnight-Loving’ trail that ran from Texas to Wyoming and Colorado.
3.) Charles Goodnight was Oliver Loving’s partner in the famous cattle drive from Texas to Colorado in 1860. They had a record 2,000 head of cattle and eighteen riders along. He and his wife Molly founded Goodnight College and his life is also loosely chronicled in the famous book and movie “The Lonesome Dove’.
4.) Bose Ikard was one of the riders along during the historical ‘Goodnight-Loving Trail’ drive, which created a lifelong friendship between him and Charles Goodnight. Originally from Mississippi, he was born into slavery and went to Texas in 1852 where he became on of the best known black cowboys in Texas history. He was inducted into ‘The Texas Trail of Fame’ in 1997.
5.) John Baker Omohundro, whose nickname was ‘Texas Jack’, is best known as a trail guide for the U.S. Calvary in cowboy history. He starred with ‘Buffalo’ Bill Cody in the popular ‘The Scouts of the Prairie’ stage shows of the 1870’s.
6.) William Picket, known simply as ‘Bill’ to his friends, laid his claim to fame by inventing ‘bull-dogging’. In 1905 he became the star attraction at the Wild West shows his employers, the Miller Brothers, would hold at their ranch in Oklahoma. Bill later on started a horse breaking operation near Austin with his brother. He was the first Black American inducted to the rodeo hall of fame in the year of 1971.
7.) Clyde Barrow’s roots are in Teleco, Texas. Half of the infamous duo ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, the bank robbers have been the subject of many books, movies, plays and stories told around the campfire.
8.) Gene Autry, famous for his many cowboy roles on the big screen as well as his music, was born in Tioga, Texas.
9.) Dale Evans, although known well as Roy Roger’s wife, was a great actress and singer in her own right. Her hometown is Uvalde, Texas.
10.) Buck Owens, a famous country singer, calls Sherman, Texas his hometown. He is best known for co-hosting the popular HeeHaw show.
11.) James Bowie, known as ‘Jim’ in history books died at the Alamo.
12.) David Crockett also died at the Alamo and you can still hear songs sung about him by little boys today.
Texas has 108 PRCA sanctioned rodeos. To be inducted into ‘The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame’ is a big honor for any cowboy or cowgirl. Among the standard ‘Rodeo Champions’ you would expect to find on such a list, there are also Rodeo Clowns, ‘Miss Rodeo’ winners and even a country singer. In good company is the physician for the aptly named, ‘Dallas Cowboys’ football between the years of 1960 and 1979, who was inducted there for being the co-founder of the ‘Justin Sports Medicine Program’.
In Fort Worth, Texas there is also a ‘Cowgirl Hall of Fame’, to memorialize the important women in cowboy history. A lot of these women hold the dual honor of also being inducted into ‘The Texas cowboy Hall of Fame’. Included in the inductees, thus far, are over fifty women from with who claims Texas as their birthplace.
A cowboy wouldn’t be a cowboy without his horse or cattle would he? Well, Texas boasts to be the home of the American Quarter Horse Headquarters in Amarillo, Texas the largest registry in existence; the American Paint Horse Association in Fort Worth, Texas is the third largest equine registry; and the American origin of the Appaloosa horse breed. Texas is also the birthplace of three of the better known cattle breeds, the Texas Longhorn, the Santa Gertrudis and the Salorn.
The setting for many movies, books and other entertainment venues, Texas will always be remembered for its historical backgrounds of cowboys, cowgirls and the men and women who still love them.
