Published: April 04, 2007 10:57 am            

About books

Oklahoma’s economic history includes not just farming, oil production and all kinds of industry. Going back to the late 1800s, it also took in the rather exciting job of being a cowboy.

Richard W. Slatta, history professor at North Carolina State University, has written a beautiful book on the subject, “Cowboy: The Illustrated History.”

He writes at the start that since medieval times and maybe before, people on horses have fascinated those on the ground looking up at them — “the tenderfeet,” as some cowboys used to call them. He found that many other countries besides the United States have had cowboys, in past and present, but naturally we’re more interested in those closer to home, the cowboy of the American West.

And cowboys are still around today — both real ones and symbols like the OSU Cowboys.

So we see them in action and in ads for everyday saddles, special parade saddles elaborately decorated with silver, lariats and other vital pieces of equipment. Slatta has also included a section on cattle brands, chuck wagons and the use of buffalo chips for fuel.

Teddy Roosevelt is pictured in the 1880s on a horse in the Dakotas. This president may have helped set the tone in making cowboys exciting.

Actually, their real work was hard and demanding. All over the West at that time there were long cattle drives on routes like the Texas Road and the Chisholm Trail, which went through Oklahoma from Texas to Kansas, generally following the route of today’s U.S. 81. Dodge City, Kan., was the destination of many of the drives.

Cowboys also became part of show business. Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley are included here. She is shown in a cowboy hat and holding a rifle. The movies had their share of cowboys like John Wayne, Gary Cooper and many more. TV did, too, with programs like “Gunsmoke.”

Oklahoma has had its share of cowboys and cowgirls. I know about Lucille Mulhall for whom the little town west of here is named. But I didn’t see anything here on Will Rogers, who started his great career as a trick roper.

Slatta does include several photos of present-day cowboys from El Reno and Yukon. One of them is about 2 or 3 years old and looks very cute in his hat and boots. Then there is a picture of a cowboy competition at the Lazy E Arena east of Guthrie.

If you want to pursue the subject, be sure to visit the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum on N.E. 63rd in Oklahoma City.

        

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