The Legacy, The Legend, The Texas Cowboy

300-cowboy

A trick roper nimbly stepped in and out of a small rope circle as he twirled a larger one over his head during a rodeo in 1925.

A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY | By Joan Frances –

The word “cowboy” conjures up the image of a strong, burley, unshaven cattle rustler chewing tobacco and wearing a wide-brimmed hat and chaps. His home is outdoors next to a roaring fire, and in the morning, he sips strong coffee and waits for the sun to come up to continue his cattle drive through hundreds of miles of country. These glamorized images are etched into our minds because of mythological folklore and the magic of the movies, but they are a far cry from the reality of the cattle business. Life was tough for the Texas cowboy.

By the end of the Civil War, there were an estimated five million cattle roaming freely in Texas. The golden age of the cowboy lasted for 20 years from 1866 to 1886. During this time, a steer worth $4 in Texas sold for $40 in the north, which advocated the trip hundreds of miles to deliver 1,000 to 2,000 cattle for a substantial profit. A cowboy’s best friend was his horse. They were virtually inseparable, working together to herd the cattle for long hours of the day and night.

Singing cowboy Gene Autry strumming a tune while sitting astride his horse Champion.

Singing cowboy Gene Autry strumming a tune while sitting astride his horse Champion. Images from The End and the Myth.

Two major events kept the cowboy busy all year: the roundup and the long drive. Roundups were held in the spring and often in the fall. Cattle were herded to a central location, where they were branded, castrated and dehorned. The long drive entailed a 20 hour day, driving the animals from one watering place to the next, protecting them against predators and stampedes and redirecting strayed cattle. Farmers and Indians resented the cattle drive, because they trampled their crops. As a result of the animals overgrazing, plant life was damaged. Texas Fever, a fatal disease, spread through longhorn cattle during cattle drives, forced the government to implement quarantine laws and limited transport to Kansas and other states. Outlaws stole cattle, often attacking by surprise, and killed anyone who was in their way. All of the risk and time awarded these brave souls a salary from $25 to $40 a month.

The cowboy in Fort Bend County lived a different lifestyle. Around 1890, the railroads expanded across the plains and new trails emerged, making travel and transport easier for the cowboy and eliminating the need for long cattle drives. Ranch owners began fencing the land using barbed wire to disclose the landowner’s boundaries and to keep the cattle safe on the land. This put an end to the open-range cattle industry as the working ranch cowboy began to evolve. His job, while still necessary, was lessened to riding a haymow, mending fences, calf roping and applying medicines to sick cattle. Semi-annual roundups still occurred where cowboys representing several ranches rendezvoused to round up all of  the cattle they could find in the area. They herded cattle to a central place and drove them back to a home range.

Cowboys were also given the job of branding all of the livestock. As early as 1838, Fort Bend County was registering brand and earmarks to designate ownership of livestock. Metal brands were created with anything from initials, numbers or pictures to identify the owner. Branding was important to ranchers. A rancher could claim any non-branded livestock found on the property.

The Texas cowboy will always be considered a legend. Today’s Texas cowboy still rides a horse but pulls a horse trailer behind his pick-up. He uses a small airplane to survey the land but still wears the clothes outfitted over 100 years ago. His legacy and style will continue to live on for many years to come.