| Besides Stephenville, Texas, there are
| |
| | and Boot Hill, these days, Dodge is
|
| several cities across the nation that
| |
| | keeping its heritage alive through
|
| refer to themselves as the "Cowboy Capital
| |
| | historical preservation programs. Dodge,
|
| of the World." Whoa! Now, wait a minute!
| |
| | stop "dodging" the issue....honor your
|
| How can Dodge City, Kansas, Banderas,
| |
| | past but stop living in it. That's just
|
| Texas and Oakdale, California ALL claim
| |
| | sad.WILL THE REAL COWBOY CAPITAL PLEASE
|
| the same title as Stephenville? Somebody
| |
| | STAND UP?Enter Stephenville, Texas! The
|
| ain't tellin' the truth.Git a rope.True,
| |
| | REAL Cowboy Capital of the World located
|
| Oakdale, California had the first outdoor
| |
| | in what's referred to as the Cross Timbers
|
| rodeo in the West, started early in the
| |
| | region of the state. How can one small
|
| fabulous 50's. Nineteen fifties, that is.
| |
| | town, 70 miles south of Fort Worth and
|
| What's so "Cowboy" about the era of
| |
| | almost 2 hours from Abilene, make such a
|
| Rockabilly, Elvis, 3-D movies and the
| |
| | bold claim? Easy! The Cross Timbers region
|
| hoola-hoop?Banderas, Texas got its start
| |
| | has been a thoroughfare to the American
|
| as a staging area for the great cattle
| |
| | Cowboy since Americans crossed the
|
| drives of yesteryear. The town is known
| |
| | Mississippi westward. The lush, timbered
|
| for its "dude" ranches which came into
| |
| | basins of the Trinity, Brazos and Bosque
|
| being when ranching fell upon hard times.
| |
| | Rivers (the timber ranges "crossed" at
|
| When was that? During the Great Depression
| |
| | this juncture, hence the name "Cross
|
| of 1929. One enterprising rancher decided
| |
| | Timbers") yielded thousands of unbranded
|
| to open up his ranch to city-slickers as a
| |
| | Longhorn cattle. Essentially, it's where
|
| means for generating earn extra money and
| |
| | the longhorns came to graze. The famous
|
| a new industry was born. Perhaps it should
| |
| | Goodnight-Loving trail originated from the
|
| be called the City Slicker Capital or the
| |
| | Cross Timbers region; the Great Western
|
| Dude Ranch Capital, since that's what
| |
| | Trail passed right through the heart of
|
| Banderas has hung its hat on.Dodge City,
| |
| | the Cross Timbers area. One old-timer told
|
| Kansas is known by several nicknames
| |
| | me that one of those trails started right
|
| including Queen of the Cowtowns, Wickedest
| |
| | where the Sonic Drive-In is located on
|
| Little City in America and Buffalo Capital
| |
| | Washington Street and insisted there
|
| of the World. C'mon, Dodge, surely you
| |
| | should be an historical marker placed
|
| don't need another moniker, do ya? Famous
| |
| | there.
|
| for the likes of Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp
| |
| |
|
