1870's Period Correct Cowboy Boot Source

[Silver Creek Slim]

Found this one last night in R.L. Wilson's Winchester book on page 53, listed as Wells Fago angents ca 1890.  Don't know if that is a shoe or boot because his pants are on the outside, but it is more pointed than we normally expect in this period.

Hey, that's Dr. Bob in a derby. 

Slim

[River City John]

Is that gentleman on the floor holding some kind of sawed-off '73 Winchester? Or is it just a play of shadows and the barrel is behind the guys ankle?


Shades of "Wanted: Dead or Alive"

[James Hunt]

Del: Very, very interesting photo of "cowboy"? with steer. He sure doesn't look like a cowboy does he? Levi type pants that are rolled up! Braces and what look like todays workboots. I bet there were a lot of folks who worked cattle in the midwest (Custer Co. would that be S. Dakota?) that dressed like that even if they did come up from texas. But most interesting is the saddle.

Look at it, while it looks new it has some items that would not yet have been common in 1887. To start it is the typical double rigged Texas saddle, but look further it has rounded skirts - these were not common until the 1890's per my resources most saddles made in the 1880's or before had square skirts (California saddles had rounded skirts but they were cut high not like the large skirts of a Texas saddle), and look at the side jockeys integral with the seat leather. Side jockey's on a Texas saddle were not common until the end of the 19th century and in the beginning were sewn on seperatly from the seat leather. He is also riding with a saddle pad (by 1880's those were common) or blanket that exactly fits the saddle skirts, or was using no pad at all (I have seen reports of that). Finally that is quite the pose. Think of the slow speeds of film in those days and it is not blury. The calf had to be held secure (is it alive?) and the horse has its reins tied and placed behind the horn focing its head up. Any horse I own would have walked off or shaken its head by now yet it is standing perfectly still. Interesting photo - do you think it is really circa 1887? or mislabled? There is nothing there that could not have been but it would be unusual.

[French Jack]

I very well could be mistaken, but those pegs very much resemble hobnails used to outline the outer edge of the heel to keep wear down. 

In the Wells Fargo photo, the pointed toe may be on a "Romeo" style shoe.  I think that looks like a side gore on it.  Maybe the original print is clearer.

Interesting, to say the least.  Keep up the good work.

[Delmonico]

One of my favorite "it ain't like the movies" photos.  The date is as 100% correct as is humanly possible, Butcher took notes on his photos to preserve history.  Custer County is in the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills. 

My friend Roger Blomquist (PHD in Great Plains History from UNL. Masters Theis on The Western Stock Saddle)   http://www.deseretsaddlery.com/   and I studied that picture while he was still here in Lincoln.  His thoughts were the date was correct and that was the lastest thing in saddles from the makers in Cheynne and Omaha at the time.  We both conclude that is the boss of the outfit, in need to find out from the Nebraska Brang Registar who's brand that is that Butcher scratched on the negative and find out a bit more as to who it was.  (BTW it was Roger who gave me my "Mongrel Historian" title because he said in some areas I knew more than his proffesors.)

The pants are bibs of an older type that fastened in the back, this picture shows the button on the waist and a bit of the bib better.  Also note the pliers pocket and extra back pocket.  The fact they are blue denium and rolled up is what first caught my eye on this photo.




Lace up work boots were and are still common in that area, sand, sand burrs and Brittle Cacti arms will tend to end up in the tops of boots with the pants tucked in or even on the outside.  I have had many  conversations with cowboys from that area that are in their 70's and 80's who remember oldtimers who wore lace up type boots of the clod hopper/army boots style  for working cattle in The Sandhills and saved "cowboy boots" for trips to town.  Today the lace up roper and packer type boots are often still in favor in that area when you wander through their.  I also see them and talk to them when they are in my dept. in the store buying neck rags and hanging around while the wimmin folks are still shopping.  Most I have talked to and asked, still prefer the lace ups for working cattle.  This of course is also show by the type of boots they have bought in the other dept at work.

This is not nearly as common in the ones I meet and talk to who work outside The Sandhills.

[Delmonico]

French Jack, here is the boot as well as I can get it with what I have to work with.  The sole appears to be pegged also.  Pegged heel boots were not unknown or at least in that region and were favored by some.  The reason is it was thought that they heel nails attracted lightning, one must sit out a violent thunderstorm in that region to fully understand it.  Even in a moder car or pick-up it can be damn scary to say the least.  With nothing around but land, ground strikes are common,  strikes on cars and pick-ups are not uncommon up there.  You are safe in the car but it raises heck with the electrical system and paint job.   Cowboys get off there horse if they are riding and hasten to the lowest gground around in a hurry.



James, I forgot to mention, Roger wished he could have that exact saddle to study, he wanted to know who had made it.

French Jack, I noticed the gore and didn't know what to make of it, good idea.

[James Hunt]

Del: very interesting, can clearly see bibs now. interesting footware also. What is most interesting to me is the side (or seat) jockey on the saddle that appears to be one piece of leather with the seat. According to Beattie in Saddles side jockeys did not appear until the late 70's and were not common until the mid 80's. At that they were sewn or riveted onto the tree and not continuous with the seat leather. Such with slick fork and outside stirrupt leathers is usually thought to be indicative of an early 20th century saddle. As far as I have ever seen this is the earliest photo I now where the saddle is constructed in such a manner. You gotta wonder did the maker just have an epiphany as he sat the seat leather down to mark it and noticed that he didn't have to cut seperate side jockeys?

[Delmonico]

1887 should also jive with that, Roger said it was the latest thing for that date.  Got another interesting one to post but can't with this one at work, can't size it and the original is too big for Photobucket.

[Will Ketchum]

Speaking of pointed shoes and boots has anyone noticed the real pointy shoes in the 1897 Sears catalog on pages 197-200?  Or the boots on page 201 in the bottom right corner?  Some of those shoes are darn right scary.  Maybe Lone Gunman can post them for us.

Will Ketchum

[Delmonico]

I don't have a copy or I would, interesting because Sears really only tries to sell common items they can sell in mass quanity, not the real unusual.

[Delmonico]

OK her's another one to ponder, even though he's wearing gaiters it appears that Mr. Charlie Meeks from 1886 is also wearing  lace up shoes/boots.  Be careful in pondering all the strange things in this picture it might drive you batty.   Also be careful about saying he ain't a cowboy, that fellar could most likely rope and drag you before you knew what hit you.

[Delmonico]

BTW you can the unsized image for the last wo pictures at:   http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/nbhihtml/pshome.html

Type into the search 12637 for the young fella and 10004 for the older fella with the calf.

[Dr. Bob]

Hey Del,

Is Charlie Meeks a lefty, or is the image reversed??

[Silver Creek Slim]

Dr. Bob,
When I look at the enlarged picture, his pants fly and shirt buttons are on the correct side. Therefore, Charlie is holding the rifle in his left hand.

Slim

[Delmonico]

What I can tell by the buttons on his shirt that are vague, yes he is one of those sinister fellas.  I am not 100% on this one, but John Carter tried hard to avoid this.  I haven't found one in the collection yet that is reversed for sure.

I see Slim checked it out also.   John Carter at NHS has these pictures scanned in a fancy computor in Omaha at much higher reseloution. 

[Delmonico]

Forgot, score one for the Doctor, few notice that.  There are a few other rather interesting ones in there.  Slim no fair pointing out the ones I've pointed out to you.

[Silver Creek Slim]

 

Slim

[James Hunt]

Another interesting photo with kid on nasty looking little pony with a winter coat of hair (reminds me of my ride). Again look at the tack. Headstall does not have a headband (although may have one ear band that can't been seen - possible since it does not have a throat band. Also look at the snaffle bit - not common in the cowboy or buckaroo set of the period. Interesting "old" centerfire California saddle, old because look at the horn the leather looks pretty chewed up. Was that the result of roping or did someone leave it on the fence and a bored critter found it? Stirrupts look good for an earlier period than 1887, by 1887 plains cowboys would have been using oxbow or similar rd. bottom stirrupts with their heel "all the way home". The blanket seems to match the character of the pony. I'd say disposible income is not a term used in the boy's family.

[Delmonico]

Extra money wasn't common in those hills.  Roger said he figured the saddle was from Texas late 50 early 60's and came up from there with someone who came with a herd that stocked one of the ranches.  We figure the kid ended up with it when the orginal owner got a better one. 

Check out the knife, pistol and belt a bit closer.  Most likey a kid from a small ranch or homestead, most likey worked the roundups on the bigger ranches, common in that place and era, homesteaders and ranchers got along much better in Newbrassky than in Wyoming, the law sided more often with the homesteaders.  Check it out on higher resiloution on the American Memory site.

[Dr. Bob]

I noticed that the revolver is a double action, though I can't tell the make.  Also, he has a single barrel shotgun.  James is right about "disposable income" being scarce for him.  Montana Peak hat with a fairly narrow brim.  And he got his picture taken where there was actually some grass in them "Sand Hills!"