Black Cowboys: An American Story Entry Object & Panel Section 1

[OBJECT LABEL: Saddle, boots]

Saddle, early 1900s

Boots, 2011

A Black cowboy, whose name has been forgotten, used this saddle in Texas in the early 1900s. Most of 

the tools that cowboys used on the trail or on a ranch were used up or repurposed, few known examples 

of saddles and other tools used by Black cowboys exist today. Larry Callies’ boots, used in 2011 on 

George Ranch, survive thanks to his preservation work at the Black Cowboy Museum in Rosenberg, 

Texas.

From the Collection of the Black Cowboy Museum

Discover the lives of the Black men, women and children – enslaved and free – who labored on the 

ranches of Texas and worked on cattle drives before the Civil War through the turn of the twentieth 

century. 

These cowboys tamed and trained horses, tended livestock, cooked and repaired equipment. One in four 

of the cowboys who went on the trails were Black. For too long, their stories were neglected and untold. 

Black cowboys would later serve as officers of the law, own ranches, ride in rodeos, become singers and 

perform in movies. 

Explore the artifacts, photographs and voices depicting the work and skills of Black cowboys, revealing 

a more diverse portrait of the American West.

For a complete list of exhibit donors, sponsors, committee members, curators, and resources, please visit our website.