The Lone Cowgirl Presents

Steamboat, A Cowboys Dream

2011-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Frances and Etta Irwin riding into Cheyenne for Frontier Days
©Shirley Morris All Rights Reserved

© Shirley Morris All Rights Reserved.

The great Cheyenne Frontier Days was well established as the "Daddy of them all" by its fifteenth season. Newspapers, mostly from the east had been claiming the "cowboy is dead!" for going on twelve years now, some say longer.

San Francisco Call published the cowboys death story and blamed it on the cowgirl for civilizing the poor boy. Still, every year, cowboys, cowgirls, entertainers, trick ropers, trick riders, bronco riders, steer ropers, relay racers would come. One by one, in groups, by train, by wagon and on horseback, they poured into the richest city in the west, Cheyenne. The electricity would fill the skies as Frontier Days came nearer and the anticipation of watching the cowboys saddle bronc contest made the hair on your kneck stand up.

There was no doubt the old west was alive and well, and so was the cowboy. Not a soul on earth could tame or "civilize" the cowboy during Frontier Days.

Thousands came and filled all the available hotels and rooms for let before thousands more would come and camp in the hillsides alongside their autos, tents and wagons for as far as the eye could see. Signs and billboards advertising Frontier Days were posted alongside numerous warnings to visitors not to give the Indians firewater. Turns out, that may just have been another advertising ploy to bring the crowds to an even greater frenzy. The rodeo goers wanted the "real experience" of the west and promoters made good on their word to give it to them.

Some say Steamboat was the greatest bucker of all time. He got his name when he was being loaded and reared up, hitting his muzzle on a cross board. It must have chipped a bone because people said he "whistled like a steamboat" when he bucked from that time on.

First rider to ever try his luck with Steamboat and draw him as a mount was Otto Ploeger, from Sybile, Wyoming. Otto was known as a good rider.

You would never think this horse to be the most vicious of all the buckers. He was absolutely docile! A cowboy could lead him out to the middle of the arena, saddle him with complete confidence he would live through it and the rider, like Otto, could mount him with no problem at all. It was only then that all hell would begin to boil under and through the muscles of the bucker. Steamboat bunched his feet, stood tense, transferring all his might to his visibly shaking powerful muscles and then launch into a series of stiff-legged jumps.

Fifteen minutes later, Otto Ploeger woke up looking up at some half dozen very concerned cowboys and doctors beneath the grandstand at Frontier Park.

And so it was with almost every cowboy to be fortunate, or not so fortunate, depending on your perspective, to draw Steamboat in the competition.

Steamboat and C B Irwin
© Shirley Morris All Rights Reserved.

Steamboat would methodically dump each and every cowboy who tried to hitch a ride and more than one said there was no shame in pulling a whole lot of leather from the hurricane deck of the mighty bucker. Just as predictably as the cowboy was thrown, Steamboat would immediately stop bucking as soon as his load was lighter. He became as gentle as any ordinary saddle pony and children would regularly approach and pet him when he was shown off in many parades.

But in 1912, Dick Stanley, an accomplished rider from Oregon came to Cheyenne Frontier Days and as the luck of the draw would have it, Dick drew Steamboat.

It had been raining and the arena was a muddy mess. Dick, say the judges, rode Steamboat that day, officially conquering the great bucker. Many protested his ride saying ".... great as it was, it amounted only to a questionable decision over the valiant black horse."

They went on to say, ".... Steamboat, his lightning feet mired down, finally stood, trembling, and Stanley leaped off. Those who know Steamboat know he had not finished and he would have bucked harder than ever when he got is second wind."

The decision stood and Dick Stanley was the first rider to officially ride Steamboat to a standstill.

Last Chance To Purchase The Cowgirl Movie

2011-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

The documentary movie about the early cowgirls and performers of the wild west, "Oh, You Cowgirl!" will only be available for a short time to retail customers.

If you would like to obtain a copy of the movie - run on over to the film website and order now!
Follow this link:

THE COWGIRL MOVIE

Be sure and visit The Lone Cowgirl Presents often for stories about the women who did more than they had a right to do. "Oh, You Cowgirl!" updates coming soon!

Cowgirl Killed In Fall Off Train

2011-09-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

Did She Fall, Did She Leap To Her Death Or Was It Something More Sinister?

Rose Davis was just twenty five years old and was the winner of the Cowgirls Saddle Bronc riding championship at Madison Square Garden in 1938. She was well known in the rodeo and wild west show circuit as one of the best riders of the day and had honed her riding skills on her father's ranch near Fort Worth, Texas.

The beautiful cowgirl was in New Brunswick, New Jersey on January 7 when she received word from home that her grandfather was dying and Rose, being very close to him wanted to be there with him one last time. She bought a train ticket to Fort Wayne, Indiana, packed one suitcase and with tears in her eyes, made her way to the train station.

Some of her friends say she was running with a rough crowd, others say she was having problems with a boyfriend and appeared to be upset and some claim she heard and knew too much about things she had no business knowing. Things about racketeering and fixing race results. This knowledge threatened the wrong people.

Newspapers reported her death on January 8 and question if it was a fall or leap. Her body was found next to the tracks with her purse. Police used the identification within the purse to identify her.

No investigation into anything more ever took place but there are those who still question if a tall man with sandy hair and coal black eyes accompanied Rose onto that train, a man who had no business in Fort Wayne, a man whose only business was with the champion cowgirl. Did she threaten to tell what she knew or did someone just assume the chance of that happening was simply too great?

One thing is certain; There is much more to this closed story about a cowgirl who fell or lept to her death on the Pennsylvania railroad. We may never know the truth. Still, whispers about foul play followed Rose Davis to her grave and beyond.

For more Stories You've Never Heard .... Until Now! Visit

TheCowgirlMovie.com

The Lone Cowgirl Presents: A Cowgirl's Dream

2011-09-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Deep from sleep they called on me
Voices filling a blue eyed sky
I was on a road rutted and narrow
Turned left at the fence, can't tell you why.

Something led me up that path
Following instinct intact and intune
A bird flew by, my eyes followed squinting
That ol' sun never lies, I knew it was noon.

I parked the car 'neath a gnarly old tree
Feeling coolness from the shade of its branches
Watched those gelded beauties in that pasture there
Throw hooves to the wind, delighting in their dances.

Across the way was a house of sorts
With a worn wooden porch so old
I wondered whose boots stepped before mine
What stories, begged to be told.

My hand reached for a tarnished brass knob
Slowly opening the door with care
Gazed in amazement for seated three deep in that room
The Buckin' Horse Cowgirls were there!

One looked deep into my soul
Her hat so huge, I had to stare
She said, "Yes, I'm a cowgirl - a bulldogger too!"
I found out later, her name was Claire.

Someone yells, "Claire Belcher I challenge you!
Anyplace, anytime, anywhere!"
Why, It's Fox Hastings, sitting next to you
They were bulldoggers you know, cowgirls extraordinaire.

Mabel Strickland's here and wants to say,
"I'm so much more than a pretty face"
It's just that I love bronc ridin' so and prefer
Wearing woolie chaps to satin and lace.

All the girls are with us now!
I see Bonnie, Prairie Rose, Bertha Kaepernik
Some rode for show, some for money
Bertha says, "Bonnie, I always rode slick."

A woman walks from that room in my dream
Much older than most, she's no pup
Her stealy blue eyes look up into mine
Saying "Shirley, you have to hurry up!"

I said, "I made the movie - that's why we're all here
To watch the cowgirls story tonight"
Now Dolly is standing right next to me saying
"We're here Shirley, to make sure you got it right."

Watch the trailer for "Oh, You Cowgirl!" and find out more about the cowgirls here
http://thecowgirlmovie.com/

Oh, You Cowgirl Illustrations

2011-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Special pricing is offered this month on this print entitled, "A Cowgirl Is A Cowgirl Is A Cowgirl" by Shirley Morris.
Comes in a variety of sizes on archival matte paper with black metal matte frame, Arctic White top matt and 1/8" Clear Acrylic Glazing - Foam Core Mounting. Fully assembled.

Marlena Dietrich starred in the 1939 classic, "Destry Rides Again"

To view and purchase, follow this link:
http://fineartamerica.com/products/a-cowgirl-is-a-cowgirl-is-a-cowgirl-shirley-morris-framed-print.html

Only A Few Original "Oh, You Cowgirl!" Remain

2011-08-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

"Oh, You Cowgirl!" the critically acclaimed documentary featuring stories about the early cowgirls and entertainers of rodeo and the wild west show has enjoyed tremendous success since it's premier last August as the featured film at the Wyoming Film Festival in Saratoga, Wyoming.

Only a few dvd's remain of the original version of "Oh, You Cowgirl!" and will be available for sale on the film website, http://thecowgirlmovie.com Time to get your copy!

What they've been saying about "Oh, You Cowgirl!"

.... Western historical DVDs of this caliber are rare to begin with, and Shirley Morris’ Oh You Cowgirl! tells a story that deserves to be in the foreground of that Western history. It may well go down as the hallmark of its kind."
Rick Huff - Best of the West Reviews

"Quality endeavors stand out as surely as cream rises to the top of a pitcher of whole milk....Shirley Morris combines vintage photographs, film footage, and interviews from the Pendleton Round-Up in a documentary entitled Oh, You Cowgirl! A True Story About America’s Unsung Heroes. But, that‘s not all. Tracing the development of Wild West shows and the cowgirl‘s role in the golden age of rodeo, the DVD also includes clips from Cheyenne Frontier Days and the Los Angeles Rodeo. Among those profiled in the 63-minute film are Bertha Kaepernik, Bonnie McCarroll, Mabel Strickland, and the women who went by the name of Prairie Rose...."
Cowboy Jam Session:
Western Culture News & Reviews - by Jeri L. Dobrowski

"In producing, writing and directing OH, YOU COWGIRL!, Shirley Morris has given a gift to history of the West. Fascinated by the cowgirls of old, she has dug deep into their lives, coming up with first hand sources (relatives, letters, diaries and photos) that tell their stories as they truly were, not romanticized and flowery like the tales are often told and retold. She has unearthed never-seen-before photos and unheard stories of these heroic women. It was my pleasure to have a small part in it. View this DVD with pleasure knowing the stories are true and from the heart."
Ann Terry Hill, Co-Author, Pendleton Round-Up At 100.

"Shirley Morris opens her rich film, Oh, You Cowgirl!; The True Story About America's Unsung Heroes, The Cowgirls,with a quote from an old Wild West show cowboy performer, disparaging women's lack of riding skills. The sequence ends with the message: "He was wrong," and the film of the "buckin' horse suffragettes"—rodeo and Wild West show cowgirls—goes on to show just how wrong he was.

Oh, You Cowgirl! offers a feast vintage photographs and film footage, including rare clips from Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Pendleton Round-Up, and the Los Angeles Rodeo. It is filled with interviews with the performers, descendants, and others who contribute to the film's fascinating history of the development of Wild West shows and the history of women in rodeo. Individual women riders are profiled in depth, and their techniques, treatment, disappointments, wrecks, and successes are woven into the compelling film, which rests on a foundation of extensive research."
Margo Metegrano, Cowboypoetry.com

Bonnie McCarroll - Her Last Show

2011-08-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

From the documentary film, "Oh, You Cowgirl!"

Bonnie McCarroll was one of the best cowgirls of her day.

She was quoted by a newspaper reporter saying,

"We cowgirls have butted in on a so-called strictly man's game–and if to ‘play' on the hurricane deck on a sun-fishin', whirlly-giggin', rearin'-up, fallin'-over-backward, squallin', bitin', strikin', buckin', roman-nosed cayuse ain't a heman's game, there never will be one–still, as I say, we cowgirls that like the game well enough to play it should play it just like the cowboys do.

Why, I'd feel insulted...if I was told to tie my stirrups down!"

However, in 1915 on a bronc named Silver, Bonnie was riding for the Cowgirls Saddle Bronc Contest of the World and she was riding hobbled. The 1915 Pendleton Round-Up Official Program listed the rules or conditions for the contest this way,

"Contestant to ride each day. Horses to be furnished by management and riders to draw for mounts. All contestants to ride any horse and as often as judges may deem nesessary to determine the winner.

Riding to be done with plain halter and split reins. Rider may have the privilege of using helps.

No saddle fork over 15 1/2" wide to be used."

Helps was the word used to describe "hobbles" or ropes used to tie the cowgirls stirrups together to help them stay in the saddle.

Programs from subsequent years all described the rules or conditions for the Cowgirl Saddle Bronc Contest in that same way.

It was the cowgirls privilege rule,

it did not require the women to ride hobbled.

Not many cowgirls could make their ride without "helps." Many had grown up far from prairies or ranches, they were entertainers from wild west shows, carnivals and circuses. They would ride, tied into the saddle until the pick up man would come and in the meantime wave and smile to an adoring crowd. This was the only way they could ride and had never been taught to ride slick, spurring the bronc, with their stirrups free, like the cowboys.

Bonnie was not required to ride hobbled in 1915,

she chose to ride hobbled. The same choice

was made by Bonnie and other cowgirls in 1929.

Bonnie and Frank McCarroll were favorites on the rodeo circuit. In 1929 Bonnie McCarroll pleaded with her husband, Frank, "Please Frank, just one more show. I want Pendleton to be my last ride." Bonnie and Frank were on their way to retirement, and looking forward to their new life with Bonnie's nephew and a new home. Frank didn't want Bonnie to ride but as he so often did, he gave in to the wishes of his wife.

Frank accompanied Bonnie into the arena and lifted her, little boy style, into the saddle. The crowd loved that and they knew how to play to the crowd. But on this day, something went terribly wrong and when the snubber removed the gunny sack from the eyes of her bucker, Black Cat, he sommersaulted backwards with Bonnie trapped in the saddle. Her boots hobbled into the stirrups prevented any chance of escape. Each eye witness saw the horrific event differently. Each account is as valid as the other, each was as heartbreaking as the other.

Among those who saw what unfolded that day included, Monk Cardin, who along with his partner, George Moons, had a burlesque wrestling act and had been asked to "clown" the Round-Up. Monk asked "Well, what do we do?" He was told to "Entertain the crowd if there was any delay in the show." Monk and George were favorites at Pendleton and did entertain the crowd for five years. Monk saw Black Cat go over backwards and come back up with Bonnie still in the saddle.

Ollie Osborn, another cowgirl saddle bronc rider was an eye witness to the event and said "I could hear that girls head hit that ground, right there in the bleachers."

Rodeo Historian and cowgirl performer, Reba Perry Blakely was also there. She was sitting in the stands with Black Cat's owner, Mildred Jory, and scouting the bucker for her ride the following day. She claims the ground was too wet and that is what made Black Cat tumble, losing his footing. She remembers Black Cat going to his knees and the pick up man trying desperately trying to grab hold of Bonnie.

Some say it was the fault of the Pendleton Round-Up Committee because of a ruling requiring the cowgirls to ride hobbled. Since the cowgirls saddle bronc contest was not a rodeo competition, the girls riding only for exhibition, it wouldn't make sense for the Round-Up committee to involve itself any further than what had already been set out and defined as the conditions for the cowgirls bucking contests. As Pink Boylen said in Episode of the West, "With tied stirrups usually used in the Cowgirls Bucking Contest, Bonnie could not free herself when in trouble."

To this day no ruling has ever been found after exhaustive searching by many researchers and historians. Monk Cardin and rodeo cowboy, Jack Sweek admit there were rumors but both denied having direct knowledge of the Round-Up committee ever making such a ruling. Still, the rumors persisted and the story has been whispered, written about and shouted angrily by those who said it was so.

Could there be another reason why the cowgirls rode hobbled, with their stirrups tied beneath the belly of the horse, in 1929? It was well known riding hobbled was a very dangerous practice and had cost more than one cowgirl her life in previous years.... Why would anyone chose to ride that way? Why would the Round-Up committee place the cowgirls lives in jeopardy and demand they ride that way?

Bertha Kaepernik-Blancett, the best all around cowgirl early rodeo had ever known expressed her opinion to stock contractor and director of the early Los Angeles rodeo, Andy Juaregui. She said she didn't approve of the wild west show cowgirls riding as saddle bronc riders. Not because they weren't "real" cowgirls or ranch women but because of the danger they exposed themselves to. Bertha adamantly believed they should not be roped into the saddle, unable to free themselves and that is what hobbling did.

She also claimed that was the reason she wouldn't participate in their "shows" and "exhibitions." Bertha said "I always rode slick, my stirrups were always free." Even in saddle bronc exhibitions where Bertha would ride a saddle bronc, she remained true to her word; she always rode slick, just like the cowboys she was barred from competing against for the Cowboy Championship of the World in 1915 just because she was a woman.

What happened September 19, 1929 would change the course of rodeo history and would prove to be the beginning of the end for the rodeo and wild west show cowgirls across the country.
By Shirley Morris ©2010

Buy "Oh, You Cowgirl!" on dvd to learn more about this story!

Production Begins On New Documentary, Irwin

2011-07-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

"Oh, You Cowgirl!" Features Lost 1911 Cheyenne Film

2011-06-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Did you ever think you would see actual footage of a lost film from 1911 featuring CB Irwin and cowgirl bronc rider, Goldie St. Claire? Here is a small sample from "Oh, You Cowgirl!" showing them in the film "Cheyenne Cowboy & Indian Frontier Celebration, 1911" Would you like to see Prairie Rose riding Gin Fizz? - Come see "Oh, You Cowgirl!" We'll be in Cheyenne during Frontier Days

For ticket information click this link:

http://ohyoucowgirl.eventbrite.com/

"Oh, You Cowgirl!" To Screen Cheyenne, WY

2011-06-24T17:00:00.001-07:00

‘Oh, You Cowgirl’ documentary film to screen July 23rd

Posted on June 24, 2011 by BCM - WCM: The New Journalism

Oh, You Cowgirl to screen July 23rd - Click the image and watch the trailer

The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, the Cowgirls of the West Museumand Wyoming Community Media in association with LightsOn! Downtown Group present a special screening of the documentary film “Oh, You Cowgirl” and a special appearance by director, producer and entertainer Shirley Morris.

Be Inspired… See Oh, You Cowgirl!

Buy tickets $10 in advance or $12 at the door (checks, cash, credit cards) Walk up Box Office – Phoenix Books and Music 1612 Capitol Avenue 307-632-3476

They left a legacy so steeped in American Lore, you wonder, “Could it be true?” Take an unforgettable journey with the cowgirls who redefined the West.

Director and producer Shirley Morris learned about the cowgirls who came west as ranchers and homesteaders and the women of the wild west shows. It has become her passion and heart to bring their stories to as many people who will listen.

SHIRLEY MORRIS Director and Producer, 'Oh, You Cowgirl

Their contribution to the history of the west along with what they have given generationally in spirit is important and she believes the courage, tenacity, strength and grit of these women has contributed, greatly and unselfishly to who we are as westerners and Americans. Women have achieved so much and in many ways it is because of the cowgirls of the west who, as stated in the film, “…. were more courageous than they had a right to be.

The Historic Hynds Building has reopened as a cultural and arts center. The screening will be the inaugural film event in the unique venue located in the heart of Downtown Cheyenne.

The Original Singing Cowgirl

2011-06-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hollywood filmmakers struck gold in the 1920's and 1930's and featured new American heroes like John Wayne and Gary Cooper, who sat tall in the saddle, to star in epic tales of the west. Rustler's were caught, ranch owners were saved from certain disaster from desperados who were meaner than a rattlesnake in a pickle barrel and the hero always got the girl.

In 1938, Grand National Pictures signed Dorothy Page to star in a series of westerns featuring a singing cowgirl. She was billed as "A True Sweetheart Of The West!" and the description alongside her photo with co-star David O'Brien featuring Dorothy in a large Stetson hat went on to say, "The Singing Cow Girl! At Home in the Saddle... Packing a Six-Shooter in Defense of Right... Her Heart Full of Song!"

The box office audience didn't buy it and John, Gary, Rex, Tom and the other heroes of the celluloid west could rest easy knowing the only cowgirls they would be dealing with were ready to look adoringly into their eyes and be swooped off their feet to ride off into a beautiful sunset. The cowgirl series failed, Grand National Pictures went broke and Dorothy Page left the business to become a housewife. In 1939 she married Los Angeles attorney, Frederick D. Leuschner.

This film is licensed under Creative Commons.

Strange Bedfellows

2011-06-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the famous stagecoach driver, Charley Parkhurst who, upon death was discovered to be a woman? She chewed tobacco, smoked cigars, drank whiskey and was known as the best "whip" in early California history. Known as "One-eyed Charley," Parkhurst was listed in the official poll list in the Santa Cruz Sentinel on October 17, 1868 and most likely voted that year - BEFORE women had a right to do so!

According to author, Richard A. Beal, a monument was erected on Parkhurst's grave. It reads:

Charley Darkey Parkhurst (1812 - 1879) Noted whip of the gold rush days drove stage over Mt. Madonna in early days of Valley. Last run San Juan to Santa Cruz. Death in cabin near the 7 mile house. Revealed 'one eyed Charlie' a woman. First woman to vote in the U.S. November 3, 1868.

Well, when Hank Monk, a fellow stagecoach driver read her obituary he screamed, "Je-hosephat!" and leapt to his feet. He went on to tell his wife, "I camped out with Parkie once for over a week, and we slept on the same buffalo robe right along." Hanks wife had a rolling pin in her hand. She didn't hit him with it but handed it to him and he made his own biscuits for the next week or so.

The Cowgirl Movie - Oh You Cowgirl!

2011-06-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

You can buy "Oh, You Cowgirl!" on dvd at http://thecowgirlmovie.com or at many of your local western shops, book stores and specialty shops. If your local shop isn't carrying the movie about the early rodeo and wild west show cowgirls - tell them to drop me an email and we'll see that they are taken care of.

Thank you for your support.

email shirleymorris@thecowgirlmovie.com

Tickets Available For Bend Equestrian Team Fundraiser

2011-05-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

The Bend High School Equestrian Team will be having a fundraiser this coming June 3 at 7pm and tickets are available online at the school store CLICK HERE or at the school inside the administration office. The 90 minute program will feature "Oh, You Cowgirl Live!" Shirley Morris, filmmaker and storyteller opens the program with her original piece of cowgirl poetry, "A Cowgirls Dream" which describes a dream she had early on in the research stage of her acclaimed documentary movie about the cowgirls, the unsung heroes of the west. She weaves a tale of women who competed on broncs and as bulldoggers, an old cowgirl who is a mentor and guide for all the other cowgirls, a beautiful woman who loves being a cowgirl more than anything, and places these women in the audience, seated right next to you! Their spirit has survived and they want to make sure the story is told right.... As they lived it. Morris states, "This isn't a story about rodeo champions. It isn't a story of repression, the suffrage movement, grain prices or the Great Depression. None of that can be denied and I'm sure there is truth to all of it. What is important to me, is that I pass along to the audience the passion, heart and spirit of a few of these individual women.... They were heroes! The west would have been a very different place and we would be very different people without their influence and impact upon our lives."

The Bend High Equestrian Team represents its High School in athletic competition with a season lasting five months and culminating in the State Competition in May. The team is growing with fifteen members this year and the possibility of nearly doubling that next year.

The team is in need of uniforms for riders, saddle blankets, arena and event fees. The team would benefit with membership to Rim Rock Riders to enhance their competitive skills.

For further information please contact Teddy Richardson at 541. 410.0433

The Cowgirl Ghost Of Deeth, NV

2011-05-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

by Shirley Morris
©2011 All Rights Reserved
In 1915 Miss Marion Carterett was named champion woman bronco buster of Nevada. She won her title over many of the best cowgirls who came to ride in the contest alongside her in Elko. Big deal, you say, women didn't ride the same hard horses as the men and they didn't ride in 'real' competitions - only exhibition contests!
Well, she also held the distinction of being the only woman in the country who succeeded in riding some of the most vicious, man-eating broncs that had previously booger'd up many of her cowboy rivals. Even as an expert rider, Marion would suffer many broken bones as a result of more than one of the frenzied animals falling over on top of her in a desperate attempt to get her off their back. Still, she continued to mount and ride successfully many broncs her cowboy competitors couldn't conquer.

In 1914, Deeth, Nevada went on a search for a new postmaster. The little town was thriving and boasted a saloon, a hotel, Deeth Mercantile Company and the Deeth Creamery Company which produced 200 pound of butter a week. Deeth had become the supply center and shipping point for the Starr and Ruby Valleys. Men from miles around vied for the coveted position. Miss Carterett applied alongside the men and left her male competition in the dust once again as she convinced everyone she was the right person for the job. She was hired as the new "postmistress."
In addition to riding broncs, Marion was an expert handling the reins and regularly drove a team of eight horses for a stage coach line over the local mountains. She also was an expert at driving a line team consisting of fourteen horses. A line team is a number of horses driven with just one line, which is fastened to an outside ring on the leader horses bit. The driver rides a wheel horse and controls the others by voice commands. Among other prominent stagecoach line drivers were Wyatt Earp and William Cody. Charley Parkhurst, a woman who disguised herself as a man to get the job was also a line team driver.
Miss Marion Carterett never denied or hid who she was. She could do the job as a woman and presented herself honestly and always did the job well.
Deeth is pretty much a ghost town now, surviving with less than twenty inhabitants. There are those among them that swear you can hear those line horses coming up a lone, dusty road into town with Marion's big, strong voice soothing them into perfect step.

Cowgirl Chronicles, More Stories About Early Heroes

2011-04-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

A new web video series is in development and will premiere soon featuring Shirley Morris as the storytelling Lone Cowgirl. The series will continue the tradition of "Oh, You Cowgirl!" and tell the stories of the early cowgirls, pioneers, wild west show entertainers, the women of the early west. Coming to the web summer, 2011.
For advertising opportunities, please contact Chroma Graphic Communications

Shirley Morris, Kathleen Kellermann To Partner Again

2011-04-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Shirley Morris and Kathleen Kellermann at the live
performance, "Oh, You Cowgirl Live!" in Palm Springs, CA.

The partnership of Shirley Morris and Kathleen Kellermann, co-owners of Chroma Graphic Communications, continue along a new road nearly three decades after the two opened the doors to the award winning Orange County based graphic design and production company.

"My interest after twenty-some years doing graphics wasn't there anymore and I decided to go a different direction about seven years ago. " Morris said and continued, "For the past seven years or so I have been writing, developing my skills as a videographer and film editor. It was during this time I began doing family video biographies and released my first documentary, OH, YOU COWGIRL! For me, it was a rebirth. I had found that creative passion once again."

While the documentary movie about the early 20th century cowgirls and wild west show performers continues to enjoy critical acclaim, Morris is off and running on the next documentary project about the early west with "Irwin" a story about one of the most influential families who ranched and settled in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Shirley Morris will also be featured onscreen as host and storyteller for a new web video series, COWGIRL CHRONICLES. Morris says, "Sometimes, when you follow your path in life, you may stumble upon an invitation to travel an unfamiliar road. I love this little side street.... and I love being a storyteller!"

This new series will continue telling the stories of the early homesteaders, ranchers, and cowgirls along with stories of westerners of today who benefited from their influence, some following in their footsteps. Morris contends, "If you were born in the west, from parents born in the west, it is likely you have a big thank you to say to the women who helped settle the west. Their influence is unique and the west would not have the same sense of adventure, grit, courage and heart we seem to take for granted today with no thought of where it came from. These women of one hundred years ago were, for the most part forgotten in history. It is my goal to give them a clear voice and that voice is long overdue."

While Shirley Morris will continue to research, write, direct and edit, Kathleen Kellermann will bring her talents as photographer and videographer to the project table, with the two working in partnership once again. Kellermann will also assume other duties in the business and all projects will be completed by the Morris and Kellermann business, Chroma Graphic Communications.

Kellermann accompanied Morris for four days in early April and photographed artifacts from the Irwin Y6 collection. These images will be shared with Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum and used for future exhibits.

I Can Ride That Bronc!

2011-04-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

Many of the early wild west show cowgirls never knew ranch life. They had never gentled a range pony, branded or doctored a calf, mended a fence.... Yet, rather than settle for a life of arranged marriages, mundane jobs, spousal abuse and a lack of freedom and control over their own lives, many chose to run away to circuses and wild west shows to become "rodeo cowgirls"

Many women of that time including Ruth Roach, Claire Belcher, Buckskin Bessie, and Fox Hastings, risked not only their lives, but family and social scorn, by climbing into the hurricane deck of a bucking bronc and staying there for a few seconds to make their ride. Most times they did this with the stirrups hobbled, tied together beneath the belly of the horse. It kept them seated but was extremely dangerous and several of the cowgirls were killed practicing this very dangerous way of riding whirlygiggin' broncs. One old cowboy offered the opinion and said "If they stuck to it for a few seconds, they got to eat that night. That's why they were there and that's the only reason."

What do you think, was that really the only reason they were there? Would you have had the courage to do what those women had to do in the early 20th c. to escape the small world society and law would have them living in? Could you see yourself being a wild west show cowgirl?

Join me in this provocative discussion at True West Historical Society and let me know your thoughts.

CARING FOR VINTAGE PHOTOS AND FILM

2011-04-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

After spending four days photographing, scanning and video taping all the priceless images and artifacts of the Irwin family and Y6 ranch, I came away with a sense of urgency to preserve my own family memories and images. So many of the priceless photos have suffered permanent water, emulsion and fading damage and must now undergo digital restoration which is costly and time consuming.

Since that is part of my job and training, it isn't the end of the world and the images will be preserved. I thought of how many people don't have the time, skills or commitment to restore badly damaged family photographs and thought I would post some pointers, a guide for preserving your cherished family memories. With a little care, you can pass them down to many generations to come.

Badly damaged rare image of the cowgirls of the 101 Ranch

Make Them Last A Lifetime

Family photos and movies are priceless. Like memories, a photograph or movie is a moment frozen, taken back from the grasp of time. A collection of photos, home movies, documents, letters are the visual history of your family, your friends and your life. Before digital images we had film photographs and we thought they would last forever, but even the most modern prints are not designed to last more than a few decades. Black and wite photos are made up of light-sensitive silver salts known as silver halides and while they do last a bit longer, are still prone to emulsion, light and water damage. Color photographs and slides made up of dyes and plastics are more fragile and all photos will eventually succumb to the effects of a hostile environment as well as a host of natural enemies. Preserving photographs and home movies, organic and temporary by their very nature can be done by following a few simple guidelines.

What Can Damage Your Photographic Images?

• High Temperature and Relative Humidity

The emulsion layer of a photograph, the light sensitive component that actually captures the image, is made up of organic materials, including gelatin. This makes the emulsion susceptible to mold and fungi. Uninsulated basements or attics are the wrong place to store your family treasures. In the case of disaster, the basement is the first place that gets flooded, and the attic is bound to go up in smoke in the event of fire. Photos should be stored in a cool, dry place, ideally below 68º and under 50% humidity.

• Ultraviolet Light

Before you hang that photo on the wall, make sure it is safe from the sun. Direct exposure to sunlight can cause your photographs to fade in just a few years. If you must display your photo where it receives direct sun, there are special filters and glass you can purchase to protect it. Another option is to make a copy of an irreplaceable image and display the copy.

• Wood and Paper Products

Many wood and paper products contain harmful acids, bleaches and other chemicals that can damage the emulsion of your photograph over time. If you are into scrapbooking, be highly selctive and careful. Use only "acid free" paper products. When shopping for archival products, make sure you read the product descriptions carefully because there is no accepted archival labeling standard.

• Adhesives, Rubber and Metallic Objects

Don't buy easy to use sticky-back photo albums. If you are using them now, try to gently remove your photographs from the glued page. If you are unable to remove the photo without damaging it, it should be scanned or photographed to preserve the image. Most adhesives used in these products contain harmful chemicals such as PVC that will eventually destroy your photographs. Rubber bands have the same effect. Metallic objects such as paper clips can scratch the surface of your prints and negatives and it is important to take care at other objects stored in the same box as photo images.

Hope this helps preserve your priceless memories!

One Hundred Years, A Life Well Lived

2011-04-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

By Shirley Morris
©2011 All Rights Reserved

Edith and Eve Roark

My great aunt and grandmother were born one hundred years ago on this day, April 7, 1911. While I have fond memories of my grandmother, Edith Roark, it was my Aunt Eve who raised my mother and gave her strength, courage, will and moral clarity to live a happy, productive life. It was not an easy gift to give, mom was not always an eager recipient and my grandmother could not recognize the gift her twin sister was willing to give unselfishly and fullheartedly.

One hundred years ago may as well have been one thousand years. Life as we know it today was no less than fantasy, science fiction to the inhabitants of the Oklahoma plains of that time. Eve was a wonderful storyteller and told the story of her father building a home for himself and new bride on the family homestead, "It wasn't much more than a two room shack but mamma said he was so proud of it."

Twins were a novelty and the little
town of Mountain Park showed photos
of Eve and Edith at the local theater.

By the time I was wise enough to recognize the importance of these stories being handed down to me, Eve was well into her 90's and macular degeneration had for the most part, taken her sight. But when she spoke of that two room shack with the woodstove that simmered the steel cut oats all night, was cooled by the summer breeze with a dampened sheet hung in an open window and insulated from the bone chilling winds of winter with newspaper pasted to the walls, you could see the story in her eyes and feel it in her voice. This harsh, unforgiving time, this life without electricity, radio, television, internet, was embraced, cherished and missed.

The girls had not reached their second birthday when their father, Stanley Roark died suddenly of a ruptured appendix. Their mother, Pearl was a typical woman of her time and the plains; educated just enough to take care of the business of wife and homemaker. Left with twin girls, Pearl found herself in a similar situation as many women of that time, she not only wanted but needed to do more to survive. She had to know more, earn more, be more, than women of that time had a right to be or do.

Pearl succeeded in raising the girls and to hear Eve speak of it, life was idyllic until illness struck unexpectedly. The summer before beginning her senior year in high school, Eve contracted Meningitis. It was touch and go for some time and the town doctor told Eve's mother Pearl she most likely would not survive. The will to live was strong and Eve gradually became stronger but it would be nearly a full year before she would learn to speak and walk again. One year later, Eve successfully completed her senior year courses and graduated with a high school diploma.

She loved ranch life, her favorite uncle, Joe Roark and granny, Laura Warren. Remembering the lessons they taught about honoring family, friends, honesty in business, following your heart and the merits of giving 200% to earn 100%, Eve eventually moved to Los Angeles, California were she met and fell in love with Dale Drake. She thought he looked like Clark Gable and was enthralled with the aviator, barnstormer, race car driver and eventual co owner of Meyer Drake Engineering, makers of the famed Indy racing engine, the Offy.

Eve tried her hand in hollywood movies
but didn't care much for the life. When she met
Dale she said "I met Dale Drake and he saved me."

While much has been written about the success of Dale Drake and the Offy engine, few knew that it was Eve who kept the books for Meyer Drake Engineering. Even though she was not allowed in the office to work because she was a woman, (Lou Meyer strictly forbid women working in his business) Dale would bring the books home at night and unbeknownst to Lou, Eve - not Dale, took care of them.

Beyond her secret life as unofficial CFO for Meyer Drake Engineering, raising her son John, my mother Betty Jean and her brother Rex, Eve became president of the Los Angeles Republican Womens Club, Los Angeles Speed Boat Association and chaired various events with these organizations.

I don't remember much about that part of her life. Much more important to me were the lessons she imparted regarding kindness, patience, equity, honoring friendship and family, her very strong western work ethic, the value of a handshake as your word and contract and acceptance of people as who they are and not who you believe they should be. I don't remember Eve Roark-Drake-Landers ever being mean spirited or gossiping about friend or foe. I think she must have been born fair-minded. Still, I aspire to emulate her in every way I can.

I visited her for the last time last week. Her days are now few. We have talked many times about coming to the end of a life well-lived. She joked about the party being on the other side. My mother, her son, all her friends and two husbands await her. This vibrant, strong, delightful, bright, witty centenarian is now confined to her bed and her memory is fading and failing. I asked her if there was anything left she must do or say to complete her life? She told me everyone was visiting for her birthday and she would feel complete when we all did. I am honored and hope she holds a seat at the party for me.

This is Aunt Eve's favorite poem, shared with me many years ago. It sums up her philosophy on life very well.

"Grandmother, on a winter's day,
milked the cows and fed them hay,
Slopped the hogs, saddled the mule,
and got the children off to school.
Did the washing, mopped the floors,
washed the windows, did some chores;
Swept the parlor, made the beds,
baked a dozen loaves of bread.
Split some firewood, then lugged it in,
enough to fill the kitchen bin;
Cleaned the lamps, put in oil,
stewed some apples she thought would spoil.
Cooked a supper that was delicious,
afterward washed up the dishes.
Fed the cat, sprinkled the clothes,
mended a basketful of hose.
Then opened the organ and began to play,
When You Come To The End Of A Perfect Day."

The first video biography I ever did was for my own family. This is a clip featuring Eve from that video.

Join The Lone Cowgirl To Help Equine Rescue

2011-03-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

If you missed coming to WestFest and the Gene Autry FilmFest, you can still catch The Lone Cowgirl Presents "Oh, You Cowgirl!" in Fallbrook, April 1 at 6pm.

The presentation will be part of a fundraiser for Falcon Ridge Equine Rescue, a non-profit, humane equine organization, sanctuary, rehabilitation and traning center for the horse.

FalconRidge Ranch was founded in 2002 by Nicki Branch and David Lee Archer. Branch rode hunters and jumpers as a teen and was a professional groom for Jimmy Williams and Rob Gage in the 70's. Nicki adopted her first rescue horse, Lucky Nash in 2000. He was an Arabian from New York who lived his entire 5 years of life in a stall inside a dilapidated barn. Focusing on the horses that were the most unwanted, such as blind, swaybacked, or deformed horses, Nicki also found a great need for someone to take on the severely abused, behavior problem or dangerous horses who were faced with being euthanized. She has worked with equine rescues nationwide, including the Equine Protection Network and Equine Rescue, Inc.

"Oh, You Cowgirl!" will be presented at 6pm Friday, April 1 at the Atkins Estate, 4113 N. Mission Road in Fallbrook, CA. For more information about the event, please contact Nicki Branch at 760 216.2016.

You can find out more about this very worthwhile and helpful organization here

FalconRidge Equine Rescue

The Evolution Of Levis And The Mini Skirt

2011-03-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

March Is Womens History Month
By Shirley Morris
©2011 All Rights Reserved

I landed my first 'real' job in 1966 as a senior in high school. I needed clothes and a surfboard desperately and the only way I would obtain these perceived treasures was to become employed and earn enough money to buy them.

It was a Mod Go-Go kind-of Christmas in 1966

My friend, Peggy called one evening and in her usual excited bubbly, smiling voice told me she had discovered a job posting in our local newspaper. At that time if you wanted a job you would look in the Daily Breeze under the correct heading, "Help Wanted Female". Many times the jobs would be the same as they were when posted under the heading, "Help Wanted Male" but the requirements and compensation for employment were not the same. Wardrobe requirements usually were white shirts and ties for men, while women (girls) were expected to wear skirts and dresses.

Now, anyone with a modicum of fashion sense would not be caught dead without the accompanying accoutrements consisting of the correct shoes (heels), jewelry, make up and pocket book. Monetary compensation separating the two headings for men and women (girls) would usually add up to more than $100.00 per month and that was a lot of dough in the mid sixties.

As bubbly, shinny faced high school girls, we never questioned the practicality of the wardrobe requirements or the inequity of the wage differences - We were gratefully ecstatic to apply for and get jobs as photo inspectors at the new Polaroid facility in El Segundo. I mean $4.25 per hour was almost twice what you would earn as a candy girl at the Fox Theatre. It was great fun, three good friends working together.... Peggy and I as photo inspectors and Jim, who hired on as a developer trainee at $4.75 per hour. This job was posted only under the heading, "Help Wanted Male".

Four hours of fun and aching feet! The heels, little one inch pumps, would start their torcherous assault about 45 minutes into our shift standing on a concrete floor. Jim wore sneakers or loafers and told us to quit bellyachin'! I must say, we bucked up pretty good.

A few short years later we became part of, lived through, embraced, repelled, celebrated, survived, Womens Liberation. As with anything that swings a pendulum either to it's most easternly or westernly point, there was good and bad. To this day, for the life of me, I do not understand why any woman would want to burn her bra.

For the life of me, I cannot understand any reasoning behind paying a woman less than a man for the same job. Nothing, other than they could get away with it. So, Womens Lib in all its radical glory was a good thing for the most part, but it certainly was not a new thing. Still, I did not own a pair of Levi's until I was twenty two years old.

Back in the late 1800's, Evelyn Cameron was accustomed to living a luxurious life and born to a wealthy British family. She would marry a Montana naturalist and move to eastern Montana where she would become the first female frontier photographer. Over the next thirty years, Evelyn chronicled western history and the lives of it's inhabitants by taking thousands of photographs. At the same time, she took care of most of the chores and duties necessary of one living on an early western ranch.

It was forbidden and unlawful for women to dress in a lude and unfeminine way. This meant Evelyn and her female friends were bound by law to wear long skirts and dresses with petticoats. Women were not permitted to wear pants, boots, overalls.... all proper and practical for ranching men but unlawful for women to wear.

Mrs. Wilder, winner 1910 Relay
Pendleton Round-Up

Evelyn witnessed her best friend and neighbor get her long, flowing skirt caught up in her saddle. Unable to free herself, the horse trampled and killed her. Evelyn vowed never to wear "unsuitable" clothing again and designed a costume that consisted of a split skirt. She said, "Although my costume was so full as to look like an ordinary walking dress when the wearer was on foot, it created a small sensation. So great at first was the prejudice against any divided garment in Montana that a warning was given me to abstain from riding on the streets of Miles City lest I might be arrested!

Mamie Stroud, Champion Trick Rider

Later, those full-looking costumes would find their way into the rodeo arena, evolved into a safer-but-uglier-than-dirt practical trick riding costume known as bloomers. Even in the rodeo arena, competing sometimes against their cowboy counterparts, cowgirls were expected to look and act like the ladies of their time. Quite a trick when you are trying to stay stuck to the hurricane deck of the same bronc that just a few moments earlier, hurled a cowboy friend clean across the arena, ending his bid for day money and glory.

Champion Cowgirl, Vera McGinnis nearly suffered the same fate as Evelyn Cameron's friend when the corset beneath her skirt became entangled on the saddle horn of her bronc. Vera was so angry she removed the corset while still in the arena and flung it over her shoulder vowing never again would she wear such a monstrocity!

Cowgirls of Irwin Bros. Wild West sporting pants and woolies

Vera is credited with wearing the first pants specifically designed for women while performing in rodeo events. Her idea came from a pair of mens pants with the zipper in front. She thought that was too masculine, removed the zipper and placed it to the side for a more feminine look. Soon, all the women performers and competitors were wearing feminine pants with the zipper to the side, thanks to Vera.

It was necessary for women to embrace and accentuate their femininity, especially when competing and performing rodeo stunts. Newspaper editorials screamed the need for men to "reign in their women" They continued warning "Men, your women will become muscle bound if we allow them to participate in masculine sport."

Dolly Eskew as the Prairie Rose

For rodeo and wild west show promoters like C. B. Irwin, it was necessary to portray cowgirls as feminine and beautiful. We embraced the beauty of Mabel Strickland and fooled the crowds with ringers for the great cowgirl Prairie Rose Henderson. Henderson, a gifted athlete could ride broncs slick and with the best of them but unfortunately for her, she did not possess the physical feminine attributes needed to showcase her skills. Irwin, the master showman had the idea to allow her to ride but when the time came to introduce her to the press, he used more feminine characters - ringers who would appease the public need for a more feminine cowgirl.

Dolly Eskew appeared as one of the feminine Prairie Roses and designed elaborate costumes of Maribou feathers, mink, sequins, beautiful velvet piping and told the crowds and press, "Riding a bronc is good for your health and keeps one in good physical condition."

A Cowgirl Is A Cowgirl, Is A Cowgirl....

Mabel Strickland, Texas Guinan, Dorothy Page, Marlena Dietrich all went on to glorify the cowgirl of the west in western movies. Oddly, the entire country became more comfortable with the needed changes in clothing attributed to the physical nature of the job, when it was portrayed by a feminine beauty on the big screen.

Thank you, girls! I will be forever grateful not to a wear corseted, long, heavy skirt if I ever decide to climb aboard a snortin', twistin', reach for the stars, sunfishin' bronc.

A feminine woman is immensely powerful. I have never believed we would find our place or fulfill our worth emulating cowboys or any other man. The differences between yin and yang, even in the saddle are blatent. Maybe, if we can recall our history and the women who walked before us, it won't be necessary to take the proverbial two steps back and one step forward when the subject of femininity and equal rights raises it's twisted little head again. Just ask Mabel Strickland, Bonnie McCarroll, Prairie Rose, Bertha Blancett as well as a host of hundreds of unnamed ranch women and female homesteaders. As Bertha said, "I always behaved as a lady and the men always treated me as such." Few question that Bertha Blancett could ride broncs with the cowboy's best. Prairie Rose could design and sew a costume as well as ride a bronc, and stately mannered Mabel Strickland could rope and tie a steer better than most of her cowboy counterparts. So well that one cowboy asked Mabel's husband, Hugh to keep her away from the cowboy competitions because she made them look bad!

Maybe this time we will revel in our femininity with complete abandon; Wear Levis to work, a sequined gown to dinner, silk and satin to bed and finally, smash the archaic remnants of that glass ceiling in one last, swift blow! Knowing it is our adeptly feminine right to do so. Cowgirl!

Tickets On Sale Now For Palm Springs WestFest

2011-03-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

To Reserve And Purchase Show Tickets - Click Here!

The Lone Cowgirl Presents: Old Time Cowgirl Declared A Myth

2011-03-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Lone Cowgirl Presents: Old Time Cowgirl Declared A Myth: "Cowgirl of the Plains declared 'Mythical Creature' It was so declared by a former state official from Kansas in 192..."

The Lone Cowgirl Presents: Bertha Kaepernik Competes With Cowboys, 1904

2011-03-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Lone Cowgirl Presents: Bertha Kaepernik Competes With Cowboys, 1904: "Spirits dampened as the skies opened and rain came down in buckets. The cowboys had decided to postpone the broncho riding event but the cow..."