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Q: Texas Cowboy Culture ( Answered 4 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Texas Cowboy Culture
Category: Relationships and Society > Cultures
Asked by: bpatch-ga
List Price: $30.00
Posted: 13 Jul 2005 07:21 PDT
Expires: 12 Aug 2005 07:21 PDT
Question ID: 543014
I should like a listing of online resources and a history of Texas
cowboy culture. This should include information on cowboy lifestyle,
cowboy clothing, cowboy cooking and BBQ, campfire stories, cowboy
movies, etc.

Work to be done on a writing for hire basis.

Thank you.

bpatch
Answer  
Subject: Re: Texas Cowboy Culture
Answered By: nenna-ga on 13 Jul 2005 14:28 PDT
Rated:4 out of 5 stars
 
Good afternoon bpatch-ga  and thank you for the question.

As it is very hard to pinpoint the lifestyle of cowboys to JUST Texas,
I have also added some information pertaining to cowboys in general,
which would also apply to the ?Texan Cowboy?.



COWBOY LIFESTYLE:  The Cowboy... horses... cattle... wide open
spaces... the howl of a coyote in the night... songs and stories
around a campfire... times when a handshake means your word.

It's the courage of the pioneers that crossed the continent span
It's the spirit of the red man who shed their blood to save their land
It's the will to know the truth, good or bad, come what may
It's a heart that's free and grateful, 
It's The Cowboy Way

It's the strength to say you're sorry, admit that you were wrong
It's the wisdom too, to recognize the times you must be strong
It's a love of Nature's creatures in their struggle and their play
It's the quiet flame of justice, It's The Cowboy Way

It's the hand to help a neighbor, or a stranger in their need
It's the love of humankind with not a thought of race or creed
It's the courage of convictions, without posture or display
It's the peaceful sleep of children, It's The Cowboy Way

It's the moment that you take before words you might regret
It's the time you give to others with no thought of what you'll get
It's the time you take in smelling all the roses on the way
It's doing just the best you can, It's The Cowboy Way

-The Riders In The Sky 
( http://www.ridersinthesky.com )

Source:  ( http://www.midwestrangers.com/Campfirestories.htm )

* * * * * * * * * * 
On the ranch, the cowboy is responsible for the following:

?	feeding the livestock,

?	branding or marking cattle and horses

?	tending to their injuries or other needs

?	moving the livestock to market

?	repair fences

?	maintain ranch equipment

?	perform other odd jobs around the ranch.
 
These jobs vary depending on the size of the ranch, the terrain, and
the number of livestock. On larger ranches, or on those with lots of
cattle, a cowboys may specialize in one task or another. On smaller
ranches with fewer cowboys?often just family members?the cowboy tends
to be a generalist employed in many tasks.

* * * * * * * * * *

?The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics collects no figures for
cowboys, so the exact number of working cowboys is unknown. Cowboys
are included in the 2003 category, Support activities for animal
production, which totals 9,730 workers averaging $19,340 per annum. In
addition to cowboys working on ranches, in stockyards, and in rodeos,
the category includes farm hands working with other types of livestock
(sheep, goats, hogs, chickens, etc.). Of those 9,730 workers, 3,290 of
them are listed in the subcategory of Spectator sports which includes
rodeos, circuses, and theaters needing livestock handlers.?

Source: Wikipedia
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy#Working_cowboys )


* * * * * * * * * * *

?The cowboy earned about $30 a month for roping, herding, and branding
cattle, breaking horses. A typical herd ranged from 1,500 to 3,000
head, often stringing out more than a mile from van to drag. There was
one cowboy for every 175 to 300 head.

On early cattle ranches, cowboys would be assigned seven to ten horses
each. A cowboy?s remuda had a horse for just about every task. Along
with the cutting horse, there was a roping horse, a night horse
trained to work in the dark, and a running and branding horse. There
were even some horses trained to herd cattle across rivers. The bond
between cowboys and their horses is legendary.
Although trading posts and bartering were popular, many cowboys
purchased their gear by mail. Great gear makers included Bona Allen,
August Buermann, Coggshell, R. T. Frazier, Garcia, Hamley, Heiser,
McChesney, and Meanea just to name a few. The cowboy?s saddle, chaps
and gun rig were always, the finest he could afford.

For the cowboy, the saddle was his most cherished possession. Everyone
in the West knew it, and as one cowpoke expressed it, ?There goes Buck
with his $100 saddle on his $10 horse.? A cowboy might not have always
owned a horse, but a hand looking for work on a ranch had better be
packing a saddle. After the Civil War, the cavalry saddle was all some
cowboys could afford.

The cowboy?s dress and trappings set him apart from any mere mortal
that walked the earth before or since. From the top of his head with
his broad-brimmed Stetson to the bottom of his feet in his high-heeled
boots with silver spurs, he was unlike anyone the world had ever seen.
His nomadic lifestyle demanded that he keep his possessions to a
minimum, no more than would fit in his ?war bag.? The contents of the
war bag, were two suits of underwear, a spare shirt, some socks, and a
little snuff.

In most cases, each owned a good hat, boots, spurs, a saddle and
bridle, chaps, warm coat, a six-shooter, canteen, bedroll and a
slicker or oil-skin jacket which he would tie to the back of his
saddle. Other important elements of a cowboy?s rig included fringed
buckskin gauntlets or leather cuffs to protect the cowboy from rope
burns, and a vest with pockets to hold a tally book, a time piece and
tobacco. Most cowboys also carried a bowie knife and quirt.

Every cowboy wore a bandanna or ?wild rag? as they were called. Most
were made of silk or cotton with red being the most popular color. The
wild rag had many uses. On the range, a cowboy used it to wipe seat
from his brow, lift a hot pan from the fire, wash his face after a
long day?s ride, cover his face to keep the sand and dust from choking
him while on the trails, or as a tourniquet .

The attitude of the 1880?s cowman was one of make-do and to get along
with a little as possible. The cowboy wanted to make certain he wasn?t
mistaken for anything other than what he was! Disdainful of laborers,
soldiers, townsmen, and especially ?sodbusters?, he wanted to be sure
that no one could mistake him for such lesser folk.

The cowboys? heyday on the open range was brief, lasting only a few
decades. The lifestyle was doomed from the beginning by the same
railroad that had created it. In only 40 years, the open range and the
huge cattle herds had fallen victim to fenced water holes, established
ranches, barbed wire, windmills, farmers and the growth of towns and
cities along the rail lines. The legendary cowboy?s ethic of strength,
honesty and integrity remains the model for the American folk hero.?

Excerpt from WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP ?, Researched and
Written By: Dan and Connie App

= = = = = = = = = =

COWBOY ?CLOTHING?:  

1.  JEANS were invented by Levi Strauss (not a Texan). They were
adopted by cowboys with a couple of modifications. Original jeans had
rivets at all the stress points. The rivets in the back pockets were
removed to prevent damage to the saddle. The crotch rivet was removed
as a result of discomfort while squatting near a campfire. Wranglers
are not made in Texas, but are the choice of most cowboys.

* * * * * * * * * *

2.  CHAPS OR LEGGINGS are worn to protect the cowboys' legs from
brush, rain and cold. Chaps are still used for their intended purpose
by rodeo cowboys and in heavy brush on the range.

* * * * * * * * * *
3.  COWBOY HATS are one of the unique trademarks of the cowboy. Hats
of felt are worn in cold weather and straw hats are worn in hot
weather. The important parts of a cowboy hat are the brim, crown, and
crease.

?Felt is the material of choice for a cowboy hat for good reason. Felt
is matted fur. Because it is matted, and the hairs run in all
directions interlocking with each other, felt is stronger and lighter
than woven materials. A water resistant fur / felt is desirable to
help the hat hold its shape and shed water. Beaver, neutra or muskrat
are the best and most expensive fur / felts. Rabbit, or a combination
of rabbit with one of the other felts, is most common. Wool felt will
not hold its shape. Nothing looks worse than a droopy cowboy hat.?

Source:  ( http://djstexasstateofmind.homestead.com/TexasCowboyLegend.html )

* * * * * * * * * *

4.  COWBOY BOOTS::  The modern day cowboy boot evolved from the
utility boot designed to fit the stirrup of a saddle. As a result,
there are boots made for riding, rodeoing, and walking.

Things to look for in a good cowboy boots would include 
      
     *  a steel shank with wooden pegs for arch support
      
     *  leather lining and good overall workmanship. 

     *  an underslung heel tall enough to grip the saddle stirrup. 

     *  a narrow toe to guide the boot easily into the stirrup without effort. 

* * * * * * * * * *

5.  SADDLE:  A saddle can be used for pleasure riding, roping, show,
bronc riding or barrel racing. It should be selected to fit your seat
and the horse. Things to remember when choosing a saddle:

     *  A saddle should never touch the horse's spine or put undue
pressure on the withers.

     *  The bars of the saddle tree should lay flat on the horses
back, just behind the shoulder blades.

     *  The gullet should clear the horses back by one inch when the
rider is mounted.

* * * * * * * * * *

6.  HORSE:  The following are what cowboys consider the best breed of horses:

     *  Quarter Horse:   Quarter horses are famous for their
quarter-mile sprints. They are now competing in horse shows around the
world and are in demand for racing, ranch work, rodeo, recreational
riding, and many other activities.

     *  American Paint Horse:  This Western-rooted breed is a favorite
Texas horse and is growing in popularity around the world. In 1991,
the APHA became the third largest equine registry. Descendants of
Spanish Conquistadors' horses, Paints were once wild horses that
roamed the Western deserts and plains. The Indians were the first to
capture and use them.

      *  Appaloosa:  Descending from Spanish explorers' horses that
passed through Texas, these horses were bred and refined by the Nez
Perce and Palouse Indians of the Northwest. They are a favorite horse
of Texas breeders and riders.

* * * * * * * * *

7.  LARIAT:  a tightly twisted stiff rope with a loop at one end
enabling it to be thrown to catch animals (sometimes called a lasso,
especially in the East).

* * * * * * * * *

8.  SPURS:  a tool designed to help a rider communicate with the horse
when the hands are busy or when it is too noisy for oral commands.

* * * * * * * * *

9.  RIFFLE:  a weapon needed to protect the livestock from predation
by wild animals. Occasionally cowboys will carry a pistol when not
physically working cattle, especially in brushy areas.

* * * * * * * * *

10.  COW DOG: many people, including cowboys, find a herding dog
invaluable in locating and controlling livestock.

= = = = = = = = = =

COWBOY COOKING:  An important part of every cowboy's life is food.
Cowboy foods, including beans, barbecue, chicken fried steak, chili,
beef steak, fried catfish, Pace Picante Sauce, Hopkins County stew are
a few examples.

Pit barbecue is considered an art form in Texas. The secret to success
is knowing that the heat of the smoke cooks the meat and not the
flame. A flame should never get anywhere close to barbecue. The most
common mistake made by beginners is cooking too hot or too fast. The
ideal temperature is 150 F to 200 F. Temperatures approaching 212 F
will boil the juices out of the meat.  Barbecue in Texas is beef
brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs and sausage.

Beef Brisket::

7 to 10 Pound brisket
Dry rub made from salt, pepper and paprika.

Rub on the rub mix. Do not pierce the brisket with a fork. Smoke in a
pit barbecue at 150 F to 200 F for 10 to 20 hours. Turn often. If you
don't have a pit, order the Texas Marinade and cook the brisket in the
oven overnight. Eat the same day cooked. Never use a sauce, and never
never use a sugar based sauce. Sugar burns and will ruin the brisket.
If you must have a sauce, try Glovers Texas Tropic Sauce. This sauce
is served separate when it's time to eat.


Recipe for Texas Tropic Barbecue Sauce:

4 sticks butter
1 cup cider vinegar
6 oz jar prepared horseradish
juice of 6 limes.
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons jalapeno pepper liquid (from pickled pepper jar) optional

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add other ingredients. Simmer for thirty
minutes. You can keep this for a week, refrigerated.


* * * * * * * * * * 

Chili:  Texans enshrined chili as the Texas State Dish in 1977. Chili
originated in San Antonio in the 1880s. Dallas became the Chili
capitol of Texas in the fifties with the founding of the Chili
Appreciation Society ( http:// www.chili.org ).

Texan chili has no beans, tomatoes or bell peppers. 

A cook-off is where thousands of people gather to create their version
of Texas Chili.

Recipe for Texas Red Chili

3 pounds of mature lean beef
beer
1/8 pound kidney suet
2 to 4 jalapeno chili pods.
2 tablespoons crushed cumin seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 teaspoon oregano
garlic cloves

Marinate the beef in beer and keep the liquid for the cooking process.
Cut the meat into thumb size pieces. Sear the beef and suet in
vegetable oil to seal in the juices. Use two peppers for each pound of
meat. This will produce a mild chili. Puree the jalapenos with water
and transfer the puree, beer marinade and beef to a large pot. Bring
the mixture to boil and then simmer for thirty minutes. Take the pot
off the stove and add the cumin, salt, cayenne, oregano and garlic to
taste. Use paprika to adjust the color. Put the pot back on the stove,
bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Stir and keep the lid
on as much as possible. Cook until the beef is tender. Cover and
refrigerate overnight. Rewarm and serve.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Catfish:  In Texas when you cook catfish, the event is called a fish
fry. More than half the farm raised catfish grown in the U.S, are
consumed in Texas.

Traditional Fried Catfish Batter

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
milk

Clean and dry fish, mix all ingredients except beer. Roll fish in mixture. 

Recipe for Beer Batter

1 can beer
1 cup cracker crumbs, rolled fine
1 cup corn flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon paprika

Mix the salt and pepper with the beer. Drench the fish in the beer and
then dredge the fish in the dry mix.

Set up a cast iron pot on top of a butane stove outside. Fill pot 2/3
full of peanut oil. Heat the oil to 350 F. Drop in the fish. When they
float to the top, they're done.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Stew:  

4 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 to 4 pounds stewing chicken, cut into pieces
6 (or more) medium onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
3 (1 pound) cans tomatoes
2 (12 ounce) cans whole kernel corn
3 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Fry bacon in large kettle, add butter and chicken. Saute until well
browned. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer. Cook
covered. After one hour, remove chicken and bone it. Dice and return.
Cook an additional three hours covered, stirring occasionally.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Pinto beans:  referred to by many cowboys as whistleberries or musical
fruit, are the common Texas bean. Cornbread and beans make an easy to
fix nearly perfect meal supplying protein when meat isn't available.
Beans are traditionally eaten boiled, baked, fried and refried.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Steak:   For a proper steak the hindquarters of a beef are hung for 21
days to age or until acquiring WANG (a term for the natural mold that
envelopes beef as it ages. It is a sign that the enzymatic process
that tenderizes the beef is occurring. This aging is the difference in
a true Texas Steak and those found in other parts of the country.)

Steak should be seared on each side and served warm. The longer you
cook a good steak the tougher it gets.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Chicken Fried Steak:  

Chicken Fried Steak 1-six oz. round steak, machine tenderized
flour
4-eggs
1-can flat beer
1-tablespoon Adolph's Meat Tenderizer
salt, pepper and garlic salt

Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic salt on both sides of the steak. Put
the steak on a tray covered with flour and pound the hell out of that
steak. The steak should be a little bigger than the plate it will be
served on and the thickness of an LP record. Use a meat hammer and
your fingers working from the center out. Turn several times and
repeat while working the flour into the steak. Mix the eggs, beer,
salt, and tenderizer in a shallow bowl to make a drench. Add a little
flour to make a watery batter. Drench the steak and then drag it in
the flour on the tray. Now beat the hell out of it again until the
moisture is absorbed by flour. Cook in deep fat at 350 F untill golden
brown.

To make cream gravy, make a paste with some of the leftover fat and
flour. There should be no lumps in this paste. Put this paste in a
frying pan and add milk and stir continuously. Bring the mixture to a
boil, add salt and pepper to taste and simmer until it starts to
thicken. Stir in water as the gravy begins to get too thick and adjust
to the desired consistency. If you mess up, throw it out and keep
trying until you get the hang of it.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Fajita:  The fajita most likely originated in the Rio Grand Valley
sometime between 1930-1940.

The word Fajita implies beef, referring to the elongated cut of beef
before it is grilled and sliced. Fajita meat is sometimes marinated
and always charbroiled, sliced into strips and rolled up in flour
tortillas.   True fajita is barbecue style skirt steak with flour
tortillas, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Several pounds of steak
burgandy wine
chopped onion
chopped bell pepper
red and black pepper
paprika
garlic powder
salt
flour tortillas
Pico de Gallo
Marinate meat in burgandy, onions, and bell peppers overnight in the
refrigerator. Wrap the meat in aluminum foil and cook over coals for 1
to 2 hours. Remove foil, season with remaining ingredients, and grill
over coals for 10 to 15 minutes.
Slice the meat into thin strips, roll up in tortillas with onions,
peppers, and Pico de Gallo

* * * * * * * * * * 

The Nacho was invented in Eagle Pass, Texas (Piedras Negras, Mexico)
by Ignacio Anaya in 1939.

= = = = = = = = = = 

CAMPFIRE STORIES & POETRY:

COWBOYS' PRAYER (Badger Clark, 1906) 

O Lord, I've never lived where churches grow:
I've loved creation better as it stood
That day you finished it, so long ago.
And looked upon your work and called it good.
Just let me live my life as I've begun!
And give me work that's open to the sky;
Make me a partner to the wind and sun
And I won't ask a life that's soft and high.
Make me as big and open as the plains;
As honest as the horse between my knees;
Clean as the wind that blows behind the rains;
Free as the hawk that circles down the breeze.
Just keep an eye on all that's done and said;
Just right me sometime when I turn aside;
And guide me on the long, dim tail ahead --
That stretches upward towards the Great Divide.

* * * * * * * * * * 

THE COWBOY'S LIFE (from Jack Thorpe's Songs of the Cowboys, 1908) 

The bawl of a steer
To a cowboy's ear
Is music of sweetest strain;
And the yelping notes
Of the gray coyotes
To him are a glad refrain
And his jolly songs
Speed him along
And he thinks of the little gal
With golden hair
Who is waiting there
At the bars of the home corral.
For a kingly crown
IN the noisy town
His saddle he wouldn't change;
No life so free
As the life we see
'Way out on the Yaso range.
His eyes are bright
And his heart as light
As the smoke of his cigarette;
There's never a care
For his soul to bear,
No trouble to make him fret.
The rapid beat
Of his bronco's feet
On the sod as he speeds along,
Keeps living time
To the ringing rhyme
Of his rollicking cowboy's song.
Hike it, cowboys,
For the range away
On the back of a bronc of steel,
With a careless flirt
Of the raw-hide quirt
And the dig of a roweled heel.
The winds may blow
And the thunder growl
Or the breeze may safely moan;
A cowboy's life
Is a royal life,
His saddle his kingly throne.
Saddle up, boys,
For the work is play
When love's in the cowboy's eyes,
When his heart is light
As the clouds of white
That swim in the summer's skies.

* * * * * * * * * * 

GIT ALONG LITTLE DOGIES (a classic cowboy ballad) 

As I was a-walking one morning for pleasure
I spied a cowpuncher a-riding along,
His hat was throwed back and his spurs was a-jingling,
As he approach'd me was a-singing this song.
"Whoopee ti-yi-yo, git along, little dogies,
It's your misfortune and none of my own.
Whoopee ti-yi-yo, git along, little dogies,
For you know Wyoming will be your new home.
Early in the spring we round up the dogies,
Mark and brand them and bob off their tails,
Round up our horses, load up the chuck-wagon,
Then throw the dogies upon the North trail."

* * * * * * * * * * 

"THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS" 

There's a Yellow Rose in Texas that I am going to see; 
No other cowboy knows her, nobody, only me. 
She cried so when I left her, it like to broke her heart,
And if we ever meet again we never more shall part.

Chorus:
She's the sweetest rose of colour this cowboy ever knew, 
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew.
You may talk about your dearest maids and sing of Rosalie, 
But the Yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee.
Where the Rio Grand is flowing, and stars are shining bright
We walked along together on a quiet summer night. 
She said, "if you remember, when we parted long ago, 
You promised to come back again and never leave me so.
(repeat chorus) 

I'm going back to see her; my heart is full of woe.
We'll sing the songs together we sang so long ago.
We'll pick the banjo gaily, and sing the songs of yore, 
And the Yellow Rose of Texas will be mine forever more.
(repeat chorus) 

* * * * * * * * * * 

WILD RIPPLING WATER 

From an old Irish Ballad: The Bold Grenadier or The Nightingale 
As I was out walking and rambling one day, 
I spied a fair couple a'coming my way.
One was a Lady, as fair as could be, 
And the other was a Cowboy, and a brave one was he. 
He said, "Where are you going my pretty, fair maid?" 
"Just down by the River, just down by the shade, 
Just down by the River, just down by the spring 
to see the Wild Rippling Water and hear the Nightingale sing."
Well they hadn't been there but an hour or so 
'Til he drew from his satchel a fiddle and bow. 
He tuned his old fiddle all on the high string, 
and he played this tune over and over again. 
Then saith the Cowboy, "I should be gone." 
"No, no," saith the pretty maid, "just play one more song; 
I'd rather hear the fiddle just played on one string 
than see the Wild Rippling Water and hear the Nightingale sing." 

* * * * * * * * * * 

O BURY ME ( From a poem by Edwin H. Chapin originally used as an elegy
for burials at sea, adapted for Cowboy burials on the "Sea of Grass")

"Oh, bury me not on the Lone Prairie;"
These words came sad and mournfully
From the pallid lips of a youth who lay
On his dying bed at the close of day. 
"It matters not, so I've been told
Where the body lies when the heart grows cold,
But grant, oh grant, this wish to me;
Bury me not on the Lone Prairie." 
"Bury me not on the Lone Prairie.
Where coyotes howl and the wind blows free,
In a narrow grave, six by three;
Oh, Bury me not on the Lone Prairie." 
"Oh, Bury me not..." His voice failed there;
We took no heed of his dying prayer.
In a narrow grave, six by three,
We buried him there on the Lone Prairie. 
And the Cowboys now, as they roam the Plains,
They mark the spot where his bones were lain;
Fling a handful of roses o'er his grave
With a prayer to God his soul to save.

* * * * * * * * * * 

For more cowboy stories, please visit:

Cowboy Fun
( http://www.cowboyfun.com/ )

Other useful reading:

Beck, Warren A., Haase, Ynez D.; Historical Atlas of the American
West. University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma, 1989. ISBN 0-8061-2193-9

Phillips, Charles; Axlerod, Alan; editor. The Encyclopedia of the
American West. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1996. ISBN 0-02-897495-2

Slatta, Richard W. The Cowboy Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, California,
1994. ISBN 0-87436-738-7

= = = = = = = = = =

CLASSIC COWBOY MOVIES:


High Noon 
Shane 
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid 
True Grit
Broken Lance
Lonely are the Brave
The Magnificent Seven
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
My Darling Clementine
The Ox-Bow Incident
Red River
The Searchers
Stagecoach
The Tin Star
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Unforgiven
Wagonmaster
The Westerner
The Wild Bunch
Ace High
Alverez Kelly
Bite the Bullet
Four For Texas
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
The Plainsman
The Pony Express
Posse
Sante Fe
Vera Cruz
Western Union

To see a description of each of these movies, including cast, please
see ( http://www.couchcowboy.com/default.htm )

= = = = = = = = = =

MISCELLANEOUS TEXS COWBOY INFORMATION:

TEXAS FEVER - This was a cattle disease caused by a Texas "tick" that
the Longhorn cattle themselves were immune to, but it infected other
cattle in Kansas and Missouri. In Missouri state laws were passed to
prevent Texas cattle from infecting the local herds, and Kansas
vigilantes formed as early as 1855, which led to some very dangerous
armed conflicts. In 1866, quarantine laws were enacted to keep Texas
cattle out of eastern Kansas, which resulted in the emergence of the
western cattle towns such as Dodge City becoming cattle drive towns
for a period of time. ?

Source:  The Wild West
( http://www.thewildwest.org/cowboys/cow_west_facts/cowboy_facts/texasfever.html )

* * * * * * * * * *

TEXAS RANGERS: ?These were Indian fighting militiamen who were
established in a Texas area that was freed of Mexican rule. After
Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana overthrew the
Constitution of 1824, the Rangers organized themselves into a broader
band whose intent was to seek restoration of the Constitution. Thus,
"The Texas Rangers" was formally organized into a force of three
56-men companies to be deployed on the Indian frontier to protect the
Texas citizenry against Indians and Mexican raiders.

Some of the most prominent rangers included: Ben McCulloch, the
Tennessee frontiersman and friend of Davy Crockett's, William A.A.
"Big Foot" Wallace, John Coffee "Jack" Hays. It was Hays who helped
the Rangers earn their reputation for brutality during the war, men
with "uncouth costumes, bearded faces, lean and brawny forms, fierce
wild eyes and swaggering manners...fit representatives of the outlaws
which make up the population of the Lone Star State", according to
Samuel Chamberlain.

After the Mexican War, the Rangers returned to patrol the new state of
Texas, trying to end Comanche Indian raids. Captain John S. "Rip" Ford
was the famous frontiersman who is credited with killing many
Comanches. IN the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, the Rangers
continued their pursuit of Indian raiders, outlaws, and cattle
rustlers. They tracked the bandit John Wesley Hardin all to the way to
Pensacola, Florida . The Texas Rangers were reorganized in 1935 as a
branch of the Texas Department of Public Safety and remain active
today as the oldest law enforcement agency in America.?

Source:  The Wild West
( http://www.thewildwest.org/cowboys/cow_west_facts/western_facts/rangers.html )

* * * * * * * * * * *

The Alamo was founded in 1718 in San Antonio, Texas as the Mission de
San Antonio de Valero and its function was to convert several area
Indian tribes. In 1836, however, it was converted into a fortress to
protect Texas against Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna who
took control of the Mexican government, declared Martial Law and
abolished the 1824 constitution. Santa Anna began his siege of the
Alamo on February 24, 1836 with a force numbering about 4,000 against
the 150 who protected the mission. Some of the principals included
Colonel Jim Bowie (famous for the Bowie knife), David Crockett (who
brought the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers, Sam Houston (as commander in
chief of the Texas Army), William Barret Travis. The final siege was
on March 6, 1836 and most everyone inside was killed, including the
sick in the hospital who were slaughtered outright. One man escaped
alive overnight by going over the wall. That final battle lasted 90
minutes. When it was over, five defenders had survived long enough to
be brought to Santa Anna who promptly executed them and set them
afire. "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying cry as the Mexicans
were driven from Texas the following April when Sam Houston and 800
men defeated Santa Anna's 3,000-man army and forced the now captured
Santa Anna to sign a peace treaty recognizing Texas independence.

* * * * * * * * * *

Cowboy, Texian & TexMex Lingo
( http://www.texiancowboy.com/lingo/index.htm )

= = = = = = = = = =

GENERAL COWBOY LINKS:


Lanny Fiel and the Ranch Dance Fiddle Band -- Traditional Texas Music
( http://www.ranchdance.comh )

American Cowboy Magazine
( http://www.americancowboy.com/ )

Cowboy's Cyber Ranch
( http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/2708/  )

Cowboy Showcase
( http://www.cowboyshowcase.com/  )

The Western Web - Directory including horses, trailers, auction, dogs,
cattle, classifieds, associations, and everything relating to the
American cowboy lifestyle.
( http://www.thewesternweb.com/  )

Partners Of the Prairie -  Cowboy poets and balladeers who travel the
Midwest. Illustrated biographies of Allen D. Bailey, Keith Downer, Don
Eves, Randy Fisher and Leonard Hitz.
( http://angelfire.com/ks2/partners1/  )

Americas First Cowboys -  History of first cowboys in the southwestern
United States, from Vaqueros to present-day ranch hands and their
modern-day influence.
( http://www.unm.edu/~gabbriel/index.html  )

Singing Cowboy - Gary McMahan is a nationally recognized cowboy poet,
songwriter, entertainer, storyteller and humorist.
( http://www.singingcowboy.com/  ) 

CyberSoup's Wild West -  Little known facts about cowboy life, western
legends, Native Americans and short biographical sketches about
western characters.
( http://www.thewildwest.org/  ) 

Gradyspears.com -  Texas cowboy turned chef shares tips on life,
cooking, and traveling through the Lone Star state - featured in
American Cowboy, Cowboys and Indians.
( http://www.gradyspears.com/  ) 

Freddie Fuller ... The Singing Cowboy -  Personal site with
photographs, links to original music and related sites, schedule of
appearances in the central Texas area and autobiographical
description.
( http://www.allcentex.com/ff/  )

Cowboys.com 
( http://www.cowboys.com/  )

Country Singles Online - A membership based site designed for singles
with country and western interests.
( http://www.countrysinglesonline.com/  ) 

Gathering Remnants: A Tribute to the Working Cowboy - A pictorial
essay documenting contemporary cowboys who live a simple life,
unchanged by our modern world. Photographer Kendall Nelson and author
Felicitas Funke-Riehle journey through Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon
and Texas.
( http://www.cowboybook.com/  ) 

Cowboys 'n Cowgirls -  Perspective of the cowboy way of life with
poetry, photos, graphics, music and links.
( http://www.cowboys-n-cowgirls.com/ )

= = = = = = = = = =

If this answer requires further explanation, please request
clarification before rating it, and I'll be happy to look into this
further.

Nenna-GA
Google Answers Researcher


Sources:

Texas Best:
( http://www.texas-best.com )

National Cowboy Symposium
( http://www.cowboy.org/ )

Canadian Content
( http://www.canadiancontent.net/dir/Top/Society/People/Cowboys/ ) 

Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/ )

Cowboys.com 
( http://www.cowboys.com/  )

Cowboy's Cyber Ranch
( http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/2708/  )

 Cowboy Showcase
( http://www.cowboyshowcase.com/  )


Google Search Terms:

Texas Cowboy Lifestyle
( ://www.google.com/search?q=texas+cowboy+lifestyle&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&start=10&sa=N
)

Cowboy Stories
( ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cowboy+stories )
bpatch-ga rated this answer:4 out of 5 stars
A superb piece of research. Thanks for such a rapid response.

-bpatch-ga

Comments  
Subject: Re: Texas Cowboy Culture
From: nenna-ga on 13 Jul 2005 16:55 PDT
 
Thank you very much for the rating.  If I can help any further, please let me know!

Nenna-GA

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