Frontier Days misc. notes

A Cowboy’s Boots
Boots were an important item in a cowboy’s wardrobe. The boot typically was black and had a stovepipe upper, wide-squared toes, and low heels. Boots could be purchased for as little as $2.75 a pair from Montgomery Ward and Company. If a cowboy wanted to purchase a better made pair of boots, the leather uppers were attached to the soles by hardwood pegs. These types of boots were more expensive, each pair costing between $7.00 - $15.00. If a cowboy wanted the top of the line, he could arrange for made-to-measure boots instead of ready-made boots. The boot heel would change by the 1870s, becoming higher to accommodate narrower stirrups. In this way, the cowboy could more easily clear his foot through the stirrup. Leather loops were also added to the sides of the boots. This additional design allowed the boot to be slipped on with ease. By the 1880s, cowboy boots became more stylish. Fancy stitching was added to the boot uppers.
Education & Frontier Schools
In the Old West, literacy was not a luxury that most adults enjoyed. In fact, many adults couldn’t read or write, particularly during the first half of the nineteenth century. By 1870, educational opportunities were improved by the employment of organized school districts.
The Schoolhouse
The early schoolhouse was the family cabin using whatever education materials were at hand. In most homes, the Bible was the text for learning to read and write. Frontier educators, usually the children’s mother or a literate neighbor, used the dirt floor of the cabin for a blackboard. Children could learn the letters of the alphabet and math problems using a stick to write in the dirt.
To employ a teacher and build a schoolhouse for the children of the area depended on one thing: financial resources of the residents. Donation of land and assistance in constructing a schoolhouse cabin was a community effort.
Inside the Schoolhouse
Wood burning stoves (like the one in the photograph) were placed inside the schoolhouse to ward off the cold of winter. The distribution of heat was uneven to say the least. Students seated closest to the stove could get quite warm while those furthest away may feel a chill. Despite the less than perfect environmental conditions by today’s standards, students attended school to learn.
Common Textbooks of the 19th Century
McGuffey’s ReadersYouth’s CompanionDictionaryAlmanac
The materials available for students varied. Most had a spelling book and the teacher had several books available for teaching. Students were required to supply their own slates, tablets, rulers and pencils.
Transportation to School
Attendance by students to school depended on weather and time of year, particularly in farming communities. Rarely did parents accompany their children to school. Students either walked, rode one of the family’s horses or drove a team and wagon. The schoolhouse was usually centrally located so it was accessible by the children of the community.
REFERENCES
Everyday Life in the Wild West: From 1840-1900Candy MoultonWriter’s Digest Books, 1999
Is There A Doctor in the House?”
The 21st century equivalent of medical assistance out West during the 19th century simply did not exist. Although a trained physician might be located, it was more likely that families relied on the knowledge obtained through hard experience or from others. The townspeople might consider it a blessing if a physician decided to set up his medical practice in their town.
The Doctor Comes to Town
If a town was fortunate, a medically trained doctor settled in the area and established a practice. In some regions, a doctor was required to register with the local county clerk prior to settling in a practice. However, this was not enforced until late in the century.
Establishment of a medical practice was straightforward for the doctor. He simply moved into town, opened an office and hung up his sign. Sometimes he ran an ad in the local newspaper to announce his arrival. In a small town, word-of-mouth was likely the best source of advertisement.
Some physicians set up their practice in a drug store or pharmacy owned by another doctor.
Active in Town Jobs
Medically trained doctors were held in higher esteem in the towns of the West. Their participation in many other responsibilities was common, particularly because they were better educated than some of the citizenry. The town physician may also own a store, bank, or freighting company. Whatever their tasks, the physician of the town was an important part of the community.
“That will cost you one pig or two chickens...”
Payment for services rendered was not always in currency. Often a patient would repay the doctor by labor or tangible goods such as garden produce. Chickens, cows and horses would be readily accessible in farming communities to give the doctor for medical services. In lieu of cash, an individual or family would utilize whatever was available at the time to pay the doctor for his medical service.
Traveling to the Patient
Enjoying the benefits of having a medically trained doctor in town was one thing. Getting access to the physician in time of need was another. Until the telephone was invented, summoning the doctor could be a time consuming or difficult feat depending on distance and time of year. The person sent to notify the doctor would either run or ride a horse to the doctor’s home or office. In turn, the physician would have to travel to the patient.
In the West, doctors typically rode a horse (if a distance outside of town) to reach their patient. When it became possible, a doctor utilized a wagon or buggy for transportation. This form of transport allowed greater comfort and more space to carry medical supplies, lantern, shovel and wire cutters to pass through fencing.
Were all Doctors, Doctors?
One might think that all doctors in the West were medically trained, but this was not always true. In fact, any person could be a “doctor” whether he received formal medical training or not. A medical practice law was not established in California until 1866. The first state to create a board of medical examiners was Texas in 1873.
Sufficed to say, although a physician might move into town and set up shop, the townspeople would have to hope he was medically trained.
REFERENCES
Everyday Life in the Wild West: From 1840-1900Candy MoultonWriter’s Digest Books, 1999
May I Offer You A Drink?
Would you be surprised to know that infants and children drank beer, whiskey and wine in the Old West?
Why would a child be permitted to drink such beverages? The reality was that beer actually contained a low alcoholic content. In addition, water supplies were seldom untainted. The possibility of obtaining a waterborne disease was very high. Drinking plain water could be down right dangerous to your health!
Coffee and tea were other beverages that were commonly consumed. Coffee became the preferred drink by 1830. It is interesting to note that many frontier families actually made their coffee from a variety of grains in lieu of the coffee bean.
REFERENCES
Everyday Life in the Wild West: From 1840-1900Candy MoultonWriter’s Digest Books, 1999
Ranching: The Cattleman’s Branding Iron
Branding was the way the owner of the cattle could be identified. The brand, which took for form of a symbol or letters, was produced by a hot iron forged with the appropriate brand and then burned onto the animal’s flesh. The brand design was registered with the county prior to branding the owner’s cattle.
The location of the brand was usually on the left hind and fore quarters. Cattle were generally branded when they were young.
The First Cattle in America
The Spanish conquistador, Hernando Cortes, brought the first cattle to the New World in the 16th century, around 1540. The brand Cortes used was three crosses.
The Maverick
The term “maverick” means an adult animal that is not branded. This word was derived back in the 1840s when a Texas cattle rancher named Sam Maverick “refused to brand his herd.” His cattle roamed about the range without a brand, and he soon discovered that the neighboring ranches claimed the cattle as their own.
Ranchers were quick to brand their cattle for fear of losing them should they stray from the herd. Rustlers were particularly adept at altering a brand to cover up their rustling.
The Cattle States Were...
Western & Southwestern States: Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.
Other Cattle Ranching States: Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
REFERENCES
Discovering America’s Past: Customs, Legends, History, and Lore of Our Great Nation, Reader’s Digest, 1993
Collier’s Encyclopedia, Volume 4Collier’s, 1995
Stagecoach Travel & Etiquette
Traveling by stagecoach in nineteenth century America was an arduous undertaking for the passenger. Road conditions were generally poor. Although major thoroughfares were slightly better, secondary and rural roads promised muddy, rutted roads sprinkled with horse dung. Drivers were known for their drunkenness. Combining a driver’s impatience and bad roads, passengers undertaking a long trip would expect the stagecoach to turnover at least once.
The Omaha Herald, 1877, provides some interesting commentary into stagecoach etiquette. The Omaha Herald advised that the best seat inside a stagecoach was next to the driver. The passenger would experience less bumping and jarring. Travelers should get out and walk about when so instructed by the driver without complaint. Passengers should not complain about the food at the stations, keep the stage waiting, smoke a pipe in the early morning, swear nor fall on your neighbor’s shoulder while sleeping.
Politics and religion should not be discussed. It was also recommended not to jump out of the coach when a team ran away. The passenger faced greater danger from leaping from the stagecoach then taking his chances by remaining seated.
The Cowboy
The cowboy was truly the Frontiersmen of the west. The type of men attracted to the arduous work of a cowboy were independent and self-reliant men. These men also required courage, spirit, and grit determination to handle the hard work that was a part of their daily life.
The Idealized Cowboy
The life of a cowboy has been idealized and romanticized in Hollywood and fiction. The reality of the life of a North American cowboy was often monotonous, dangerous, and hard work. Most of the time, these men of the west were poorly paid for their work.
The Cattle Boom
The cattle boom of North America was between 1866 and 1887. Cowboys were a breed apart and were needed by the ranchers to run their stock. It was at this time that the cattle barons made their mark in history. The cattle boom didn’t last long, however, as the price for cattle stock collapsed, farmers fenced in the open land, which impeded cattle drives. In addition, the winter of 1886-1887 was so severe, many ranchers lost cattle.
Who Were the Cowboys?
Most of the cowboys were young, most being Anglo-American. Other cowboys were Mexican, African, and Native American.
Up until around 1885, most cowboys were viewed as wild and drunken men who were generally poor. When the profession of “cowboy” died away, thanks to writers and Hollywood, the romanticized cowboy was born.
The Tools of the Cowboy Trade
A Cowboy’s “Hoss”
Origin of “mustang”
From the Spanish word, mestena for horse herd.
A cowboy’s horse was their transportation and way of making a living. Most of the horses were mustangs, a “descendant of runaway Spanish Andalusians” that had bred in the wild. Mustangs were hearty animals who moved well and quick among the cattle. A cowboy could trust his horse to keep him moving among the dangers of the cattle drive.
Did you Know?
It was the landowning Charros and their Vaqueros (cowboys) that first began cattle ranching in Mexico as early as the 1500s. The skills and procedures followed in cattle ranching was later used by the cowboys in North America.
The Saddle
A cowboy spent hours in the saddle, sometimes as much as 15 hours a day. The saddle was a critical piece of equipment owned by a cowboy. A fine saddle could cost as much as a month’s wages, but was the most important item owned by a cowboy. A well-made and cared for saddle could last a cowboy thirty years. Now, that’s a long time!
Origin of the saddle
The saddles utilized by North American cowboys originated from the 16th century Spanish war saddle. A saddle form was made of wood and covered with wet rawhide. The saddle contains three primary components:
Pommel: the horn and fork at the front of the saddle
Seat: the place between the pommel and cantle where you sit
Cantle: the raised part of the seat at the back
The cowboy has become a legend in America today. Their hard work, determination, and courage make them a romantic hero both in real life and fiction.
REFERENCES
“Cowboy”, by David H. MurdochAlfred A. Knopf, New York, 1993
The Journey West
The 1800s were a time for adventure and opportunity. Traveling out west was a place for the restless, poor, or ambitious men and women to make a new life. Making the decision to cross the hundreds of miles of open prairie was indeed an arduous one. Transportation consisted of putting your supplies, possessions and family into a wagon and taking the trek westward.
The Oregon Trail
Groups headed out west by following specific routes, the most well known route being the Oregon Trail. The route led to Oregon’s Willamette Valley with one section directed to California. The route commenced in Missouri and the pioneer traveled over 2,000 miles arriving in Oregon about four months later.
The Oregon Trail’s earliest travelers were adventurers, missionaries, and fur traders.
Pioneers began using the Oregon Trail in the early 1840s. Nearly 14,000 people had made the trek west by 1848. Groups continued to travel west through the 1860s. By the time the railroad was installed in 1869, travelers could travel west in comparative ease and comfort.
REFERENCES
West By Covered Wagon, Dorothy Hinshaw PatentWalker & Company, New York, NY, 1995
The Western Frontier Woman
The Benefit of Marriage for the Frontier Man
Marriageable females were as valuable as gold to the western male. The men that traveled west were anxious to find a wife for a variety of reasons. A companion to share conversation and the challenges of the rugged open spaces was one reason men wed. The laws also promoted the state of marriage and the expansion west.
The Donation Land Act of 1850 in the Oregon Territory provided a husband and wife with more land than a bachelor would receive. In addition to being a helpmate for the arduous labor of day-to-day living, children could come from the union. Commencing at an early age, children were put to work doing chores around the family homestead. In a word, a woman fulfilled her traditionally stated role as spouse, companion, mother and homemaker.
The Wedding
Women brought the ceremony and social interaction of weddings to the West. The wedding gave women the opportunity to join together for a social event. The relative isolation and daily grind of hard work did not allow for the frequent social calling done back East.
By the late 1890s, the wedding ceremony had taken on a more standard proceeding. A couple had their wedding in the local church decorated with flowers, ribbons and an organist. Upon receiving their marriage certificate, it would be displayed in the home. Some marriage certificates could be quite fancy. Photographs of the bride and groom could be placed on the certificate, colored flowers and pictures might also adorn the certificate.
The Challenges for a Frontier Wife
The challenges facing a frontier wife were numerous. A woman might be separated from her family and friends. Isolation was a common circumstance. Children were born at home, sometimes without the support of another woman. The children that survived to the age of schooling did not have access to schools and churches. The frontier wife battled the ever-changing weather conditions (droughts, blizzards, dust storms, and heat) in conjunction with the backbreaking work.
Some of the chores for a frontier wife would include sewing, cooking, washing, feeding the chickens, tending the garden, and being a mate to her husband and mother to her children.
In general, the frontier wife took the demands of her life in stride. There was no time to consider your labor nor was it proper to drown in self-pity.
Folk Remedies
Mosquitoes: Vinegar and salt were blended into a paste. This smelly concoction kept the mosquitoes away.
Salt: Salt could be used as a toothpaste.
Gunpowder: Warts were combated by applying gunpowder to the area.
Goose grease/skunk oil/lard: These items were utilized as liniments.
Home Cures for Illness
The woman of the frontier had to become knowledgeable in medicinal care for her husband and children. Doctors might not be accessible nor may they have any additional knowledge than their patient. In some circumstances, a woman recalled the folk wisdom of her youth and employed the “cure” to her own family.
Historians have found remedies for a number of ailments written in the diaries of frontier women. By today’s standards, the cure was worse than the affliction. Rattlesnake bites could be attended to by drinking a teaspoon of ammonia diluted in water. A sore throat would be soothed by dampening a teaspoonful of sugar with turpentine.
REFERENCES
The Old West: The WomenText by Joan Swallow ReiterTime-Life Books, Alexandria, Virginia, 1978
Wagons of the Frontier
The Covered Wagon was the common form of overland transportation in the Old West. It comprised of an undercarriage with front and back wheels made of wood with iron rims. Long curved wooden pieces called bows were connected to the sides of the wagon so that a heavy canvas could be put into place. The canvas was treated with linseed oil to ensure its water-resistant quality.
Who were the wagon builders?There were three primary wagon builders during the Old West.J. Murphy CompanySt. Louis, Missouri
Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing CompanySouth Bend, Indiana
Peter SchuttlerChicago, Illinois
The animals used to pull the Covered Wagon varied. A settler could use a team of oxen, mules or horses. Oxen traveled at a slower pace while mules possessed greater endurance than horses. The benefit of using a team of oxen was their stamina and they grazed off the land. Mules and horses traveled faster, but grain was required as a supplement to their grazing diet.
Other Wagons of the Frontier
There were a variety of other wagon types the people of the Old West used.
Buckboards and Buggies: These types of wagons were offered in a variety of styles and types. The wagons were typically lightweight. Some were as simple as two-wheeled carts while others were fancier surreys with coverings. (Remember in the musical Oklahoma and the song, “...the surrey with the fringe on the top?”)
Celerity Wagons: These wagons were lighter weight stagecoaches. They had canvas roller flaps that covered the windows. The canvas covers could easily be rolled back so passengers could view the scenery during travel.
Chuck Wagon: The chuck wagon is a familiar “prop” in movies and stories. Chuck wagons were used on cattle trails and on ranches after 1866. The chuck wagon was used to hall water, tools, and the important utensils the cook used to cook. The Studebaker Company eventually began to build chuck wagons and charged from $75 to $100 per wagon.
REFERENCES
Everyday Life in the Wild West: From 1840-1900Candy MoultonWriter’s Digest Books, 1999
Weather & Frontier Life
Weather conditions faced by frontier families:
FloodsCold weather in the winterBlizzardsScorching heat in the summerDroughtsFireInsects
The weather on the frontier dictated the actions of the men and women who toiled on the prairie. Weather influenced what they wore, where they lived, how successful their crops were, and if they would fair well for the coming season.
Facing A Fight
The settlers of the prairie knew they could not stand against Mother Nature without making plans for when her fury was released. Storm cellars were built to protect themselves from tornadoes and cyclones. Some of Mother Nature’s natural disasters could not be thwarted.
A devastating grasshopper infestation occurred in Kansas and Nebraska in 1873, 1874 and 1893. A story in the Homesteader printed in July 1874 stated that the “air is filled with them, the ground is covered with them...” The reporter mentioned that individuals could not walk the street without a grasshopper flying into your face.
Blizzards of the 19th Century
Blizzards could be particularly deadly for the prairie settler. Several blizzards in the late 19th century are recorded in their severity to both human and animal life.
The first is the “Great Die-Up” blizzard of 1886-1887. Heavy snows and frigid temperatures followed by warm weather then cold created ice ranges buried in snow. The name “Great Die-Up” was given because “hundreds of thousands of head of cattle perished on the open ranges from Canada to Texas.”
A second blizzard known as the “School Children’s Blizzard of 1888” struck the Northern and Plains regions of the United States. The storm came suddenly with no warning. Some children and teachers remained at school while others tried to find safety in haystacks. There were some that never found shelter and died.
It is interesting to note that the “first use of the word ‘blizzard’” was written on March 14, 1870 in an Iowa newspaper.
A Deep-Boned Determination
The settlers of the 19th century had a deep-boned determination to carve out a life for themselves despite the challenges wrought by Mother Nature. We can learn a lesson by their example. They had a dream and overcame tremendous obstacles to achieve it.