Origin of the American Cowboy (San Antonio, Austin: credit, neighborhood, live)

[gy2020]

It is nearly time for the rodeo and this is a good time to put in word about our history of the origin and the demise of the American cowboy.

Here is an excerpt from a website:

" Texas seems to be the gradient factor between the Anglo-American colonial cattle culture and the Spanish -American colonial cattle culture, although Louisiana is equally important. It is reasonable to recognize Texas as a beginning for the American Western Cowboy, especially when we address the issue of the American slave cowboy, but other avenues of cultural exchange were activated after the Mexican Revolution, including Santa Fe Trail trade, Irish refugees arriving from the Potato Famine, Prussian refugees fleeing Otto von Bismark's consolidation of a German state and contact with Native American horse cultures. "

Origins of the Western Cowboy

I had picked up a local book (can't find it now) that thought there was good reason to give San Antonio credit for the American Cowboy. the Vaquero was the Mexican equivalent of the cowboy and it was believed that the hispanic ranchers in the area taught the Anglo'c how to be "Cowboys". Many of the original trails went through San Antonio on the way to northern markets.

However, there can be no doubt about the demise of the cowboy origniting in San Antonio. In the 1880's, the inventer of the barb wire showed off his invention on the Military Plaza. He set up a barb wire fence and ran cattle into the Plaza and to everyone's amazement, the barb wire fence held the cattle.

"NEED AND PROMOTION TRIUMPH OVER OPPOSITION
A demonstration in the Military Plaza in San Antonio by John "Bet a Million" Gates, proved beyond a doubt barbed wire was durable and successful in controlling livestock. With his expertise in salesmanship, he eventually became the largest stockholder in American Steel & Wire Company and a legend in barbed wire history."

Barb Wire History (http://www.barbwiremuseum.com/barbedwirehistory.htm - broken link)

Thus if we cannot source the origin in San Antonio (it was certainly in the area) we can source the demise of the open range as beginning in San Antonio.

[huckster]

The first "vaqueros" (spanish for cowboys) here were , according to the website for The San Antonio Missions operated by the national park service were -Indians.
These were the first who were assigned to care for cattle brought by spanish missionaries to the new world.
Mexicans were the first cowboys , many skills brought by the Spanish ,some word derivations....
Arena means "sand" in spanish.
Lariat comes from " La Riata" , rope.
Corrales- Corral
Rodeo- circle or wheel- rodea
Roundup-rodear
chaps=chaperros- outer wear for low brush or thickets

To this day many Mexican men are true cowboys,
Los Kinenos being the most renowned locally. Some herd goats
too, in the hill country. Reports of the death of the cowboy are greatly exaggerated, in spite of barbed wire.

Originally Posted by gy2020

It is nearly time for the rodeo and this is a good time to put in word about our history of the origin and the demise of the American cowboy.

Here is an excerpt from a website:

" Texas seems to be the gradient factor between the Anglo-American colonial cattle culture and the Spanish -American colonial cattle culture, although Louisiana is equally important. It is reasonable to recognize Texas as a beginning for the American Western Cowboy, especially when we address the issue of the American slave cowboy, but other avenues of cultural exchange were activated after the Mexican Revolution, including Santa Fe Trail trade, Irish refugees arriving from the Potato Famine, Prussian refugees fleeing Otto von Bismark's consolidation of a German state and contact with Native American horse cultures. "

Origins of the Western Cowboy

I had picked up a local book (can't find it now) that thought there was good reason to give San Antonio credit for the American Cowboy. the Vaquero was the Mexican equivalent of the cowboy and it was believed that the hispanic ranchers in the area taught the Anglo'c how to be "Cowboys". Many of the original trails went through San Antonio on the way to northern markets.

However, there can be no doubt about the demise of the cowboy origniting in San Antonio. In the 1880's, the inventer of the barb wire showed off his invention on the Military Plaza. He set up a barb wire fence and ran cattle into the Plaza and to everyone's amazement, the barb wire fence held the cattle.

"NEED AND PROMOTION TRIUMPH OVER OPPOSITION
A demonstration in the Military Plaza in San Antonio by John "Bet a Million" Gates, proved beyond a doubt barbed wire was durable and successful in controlling livestock. With his expertise in salesmanship, he eventually became the largest stockholder in American Steel & Wire Company and a legend in barbed wire history."

Barb Wire History (http://www.barbwiremuseum.com/barbedwirehistory.htm - broken link)

Thus if we cannot source the origin in San Antonio (it was certainly in the area) we can source the demise of the open range as beginning in San Antonio.

[wellguy]

Originally Posted by gy2020

It is nearly time for the rodeo and this is a good time to put in word about our history of the origin and the demise of the American cowboy.

Here is an excerpt from a website:

" Texas seems to be the gradient factor between the Anglo-American colonial cattle culture and the Spanish -American colonial cattle culture, although Louisiana is equally important. It is reasonable to recognize Texas as a beginning for the American Western Cowboy, especially when we address the issue of the American slave cowboy, but other avenues of cultural exchange were activated after the Mexican Revolution, including Santa Fe Trail trade, Irish refugees arriving from the Potato Famine, Prussian refugees fleeing Otto von Bismark's consolidation of a German state and contact with Native American horse cultures. "

Origins of the Western Cowboy

I had picked up a local book (can't find it now) that thought there was good reason to give San Antonio credit for the American Cowboy. the Vaquero was the Mexican equivalent of the cowboy and it was believed that the hispanic ranchers in the area taught the Anglo'c how to be "Cowboys". Many of the original trails went through San Antonio on the way to northern markets.

However, there can be no doubt about the demise of the cowboy origniting in San Antonio. In the 1880's, the inventer of the barb wire showed off his invention on the Military Plaza. He set up a barb wire fence and ran cattle into the Plaza and to everyone's amazement, the barb wire fence held the cattle.

"NEED AND PROMOTION TRIUMPH OVER OPPOSITION
A demonstration in the Military Plaza in San Antonio by John "Bet a Million" Gates, proved beyond a doubt barbed wire was durable and successful in controlling livestock. With his expertise in salesmanship, he eventually became the largest stockholder in American Steel & Wire Company and a legend in barbed wire history."

Barb Wire History (http://www.barbwiremuseum.com/barbedwirehistory.htm - broken link)

Thus if we cannot source the origin in San Antonio (it was certainly in the area) we can source the demise of the open range as beginning in San Antonio.

Thanks for the information. It made for some great reading.

I'll more than likely get a Boot up My Ass for this but with the Rodeo coming soon we will see our share of Drugstore Cowboy's. From someone who was raised on a Ranch I've had more Horse Sh.. on my Boots than most City Dweller's have had Dog Sh... on their Loafers. These guys can't tell one end of a steer from the other. This time of the year is good for Shepler's and Cavender's. I hate the phonies when I shop there so it's usually in and out for me.

I know this forum is not about Stetsons, Wranglers, Boots, and GInormous Buckles (that were bought and not earned).

Thank's for letting me get it out though.

[Camper1]

Originally Posted by wellguy

Thanks for the information. It made for some great reading.

I'll more than likely get a Boot up My Ass for this but with the Rodeo coming soon we will see our share of Drugstore Cowboy's. From someone who was raised on a Ranch I've had more Horse Sh.. on my Boots than most City Dweller's have had Dog Sh... on their Loafers. These guys can't tell one end of a steer from the other. This time of the year is good for Shepler's and Cavender's. I hate the phonies when I shop there so it's usually in and out for me.

I know this forum is not about Stetsons, Wranglers, Boots, and GInormous Buckles (that were bought and not earned).

Thank's for letting me get it out though.

But they're soooo cute!!!

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

Haha this is a great thread and I enjoyed the reading. I like what wellguy said about drugstore cowboys. I mucked my share of stalls and picked up hundreds of barrels of rocks (with lots of fire ants crawling over everything) while growing up to prepare barrel riding arenas and/or horse pastures. You wouldn't know it by looking at me most of the time. Nice boots and hats were things we only wore out to honky tonk or other events. While I'm here temporarily in the city, I do get a kick out of seeing people driving in town and my neighborhood with big ol' brush guards on their pick'm ups. Lord forbid if they ever cut a new road and scratched the paint on their rides.

[Dopo]

I can't remember what it is
but I read somewhere that a black cowboy invented something related to rodeo.

[wellguy]

Originally Posted by Dopo

I can't remember what it is
but I read somewhere that a black cowboy invented something related to rodeo.

To the best of my knowledge there was a Black Cowboy from either Texas or Oklahoma that invented the Rodeo Event of "Bulldogging"

I think I saw / read this at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.

If you ever have the chance you'll want to visit.

[huckster]

Vaqueros were bulldogging long before American Rodeo got its' start.
Along with an event where a horse was ridden at full gallop
and the guy jumped onto the back of an unbroken horse
and rode the thing to a standstill
Also bullfights were held at the Charreadas. Even in the U.S.-
only by 1891 was bullfighting outlawed by the San Antonio City Council.
The traditional vaqueros costume was styled traditionally after
the uniformed horsemen of the Army that won Mexican Independence.
Maybe this black fellow invented something else?

Originally Posted by wellguy

To the best of my knowledge there was a Black Cowboy from either Texas or Oklahoma that invented the Rodeo Event of "Bulldogging"

I think I saw / read this at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.

If you ever have the chance you'll want to visit.

[lsdude]

My Grandad was a wrangler on the XIT ranch which was the largest ranch under wire fences. 3 million acres! He herded Cattle by trail, rail and ship to Cuba to feed our soldiers during the Spanish American war. The XIT land deal financed our Austin Capital building.

It's well known that Teddy recruited Texas cowboys here in San Antonio to fight with him in Cuba.

The cowboys on the King Ranch are known as "Kineños" and have been instrumental in running that great ranch.

Bill Pickett was Bi-racial, born in Texas and is credited with the introduction of "Bull dogging" as a rodeo event.

[mission-sundancer]

Thanks to the Spanish and their hasty retreat, many Indian people became keepers of horses. Indians became cowboys, cowboys became Indians. The Comanches were The Horsemen of the Plains.The Nez Perce bred the Appaloosa long before Lewis and Clark stumbled upon them on Feb.15,1806. Meriwether Lewis noted in his journal how attached these Indians were to their horses and how well they handled them. In our part of the world (Tejas) the Indios Vaqueros taught the Anglo how to handle horses and cattle.
For an interesting read try, When Indians Became Cowboys-Native Peoples and Cattle Ranching in the American West by Peter Iverson, you might learn something you didn't know.