Country music has been a part of television since the beginning of the medium in the late 1940s. Shows like The Old Barn Dance and Louisiana Hayride featured live performances from Patsy Montana and Elvis Presley, and a 1954 appearance on I Love Lucy transformed Tennessee Ernie Ford from a local radio and TV personality to a national star.
Throughout history, mules—strong, hardy, and stubborn—have been considered the pickup truck of the equine world. First bred by the Spanish, mules eventually became the state animal of Missouri.
During the Gold Rush, towns boomed around mines in the West. However, once those mines were depleted, the towns were abandoned as quickly as they were established. From the April/May issue of American Cowboy, here's our list of the greatest ghost towns of the Old West.
Calamity Jane earned her reputation as a woman who did as she pleased. In the April/May issue of American Cowboy , author and historian Chris Enss wrote about this pistol-packin' woman of the West.
Ladies first, take off your hat when you're inside, and mind that you say "ma'am" and "sir." With an emphasis on respect, safety, and plain 'ole good manners, the rules of cowboy etiquette have been handed down through the generations.
The hardship of sleeping and eating (just surviving, really) on cattle trails were brutal. Though some modern cowboys keep to the old tradition of bed rolls around the campfire, trail technology has come along way. Today, sheep camps and modern "chuckwagons" are hooked up with sophisticated technology and plenty of luxuries.