Do you remember sheepherder wagons? I recall seeing them off in the distance, out on the prairie, in those Wyoming hills west of Cheyenne. They were found on open range around the west, on land where cows don’t do well but sheep thrive. That sheep wagon, with its white canvas top, was a beacon in …
Category: history
Farming Has a Long History in the West
The mysterious cliff dwellings in the American southwest are fascinating places. They are historical registers that teach us just a little of ancient times, of people who were farming here long before Columbus. The people who lived here are the true founders of American agriculture. Some of these dwellings are very remote. A few, …
The Lesson from Washita
The story of the American west is a checkered one, with heroic struggles and devastating misdeeds. It’s war and peace on an immense scale, spanning a continent and hundreds of years. The men and women that built the west are made of the same clay and grit that we are - we are their …
National Day of the Cowboy
The last Saturday of July is the National Day of the Cowboy. Many of the first cowboys really were boys - at least, they were when they started out. The job was hard, dirty and dangerous - they had to quickly become men. The cowboy began in the Southwest. The Spanish created the first big …
The California Trail
If you’re driving to or from California this summer, you’re following one of the great wagon trails left by our forefathers. Consider taking a little time along the way to learn about the route and the intrepid travelers that built this nation. Most of the California emigrants took the northern route from St. Louis …
