History Thursday: What the Cowboy Wore - Introduction

I thought I'd take a break from Spearfish history to fill you in on the proper attire of a cowboy.

For the next several History Thursday blog posts, we will sift through a western cowboy's wardrobe. Not only will we look at each piece individually, but we'll talk about the function.

I mean, do you think they just walked around in chaps because they looked cool?

Don't get me wrong. Of course, they looked cool, too. But they wore their particular garb for a reason. We'll get into that.

Introduction

To start us out, I wanted to post a couple of paragraphs from a great book called The Cowboy: His Characteristics, His Equipment, and His Part in the Development of the West. It has a mouthful of a name, but it's a great resource!

Ahem! . . . 

~

"The clothing worn by members of the trade was distinctive. Although picturesque,

it was worn not for the production of this effect, but solely because it was the dress best suited

to the work in hand. Inasmuch as it was selected with view only to comfort and convenience, it knew

nothing of variable fashion and suffered from no change in style.

It, however, was subject, as were many of the cowboy's customs, to differences in form according

as the locality involved was the Northwest or the Southwest. The line of demarcation between

these sections, though never very clearly defined, was in effect an imaginary westward extension

of Mason and Dixon's Line, this extension zigzagging a bit in some places."

~

So, there you have it. They wore the clothes because of function, and because function was the only main issue, the cowboy look really doesn't "suffer... from... change in style."

What Cowboys Wore (Overview)

Like I said, we'll go into more detail in the following weeks, but here is a basic rundown of the cowboy look.

The Hat

That's Wild Bill Hickok, by the way.

He's from Deadwood--just a skip, hop, and a jump from Spearfish.

The Handkerchief

The Shirt, Vest, and Trousers, and the Belt (the lack thereof!)

The Overcoat and Gloves

The Boots

The Spurs

The Chaps

The Horsehair Chain

Are you a sucker for the cowboy look?

What article of a cowboy's clothing really gets your heart pumping?

History Thursday: Map of My Setting ~ Spearfish, Dakota

MAP OF SPEARFISH

If you've read sections of BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS, or you are at least the curious sort, you might find this map of Spearfish to be quite interesting.

I must say, I was delighted to find it in a gallery on the Spearfish Area Historical Society website. These folks are fabulous people, willing to share a wealth of knowledge. 

Do you want to see where BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS takes place? Well! I'm so glad you asked!

Allow me to give you a tour . . .

Remember my post about Decoration Day last Thursday? In the background of that photo stands the Bank of Spearfish. Here, you'll see it circled in red! That corner it sits on is Sixth and H, where a great amount of excitement in BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS happens.

Hazel, our heroine, lives in that yellow house--just a couple of blocks from the bank, where her father works (under false pretenses, but that's another post).

Then you'll see a row of trees. This is where you'll go if you plan to dip your feet in Spearfish Creek. Beyond the trees, our hero lives. Widower Lee Cranston's house and barn are within the blue rectangle. 

Not too far of a walk between the two, is it? . . . Which is good because Hazel travels the road daily to pick up Lee's five-year-old son for tutoring lessons.

By the way, if a storm comes up--as it tends to do in the summer--you'll see the clouds rising over Crow Peak, the mountain just beyond Lee's place.

Do you like when authors set their stories in real places?

How does history make a story better? 

What are some drawbacks to tying a story so closely to history?

Let me know in the comments!

History Thursday: Decoration Day in Spearfish

I'm excited to share with you this photo of downtown Spearfish, SD in 1885, two years before my book BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS takes place.

What you see is a Decoration Day celebration. What is that holiday, you might ask? Well, it's what we now call . . . wait for it . . . Memorial Day! 

If you've been to Spearfish, you might be familiar with the location of this photo. These fine folks are standing on Main Street and Hudson. Actually, in 1885, the streets were called SIXTH and H. 

See that tall building in the background? This is the Bank of Spearfish, one of the first brick buildings in town . . . and one of the settings in BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS, but that's another post!

If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of the Bank of Spearfish while driving through town, I'm sorry to say that you can't. Instead, you'll be visiting a one-story brick building (It does still have a corner entrance, though, which I think is pretty great.). 

Do you like to look at old photos of your hometown? What are some neat "treasures" you have found?



Photograph from http://www.photographs.galeymiller.org/History/SpearfishHistory/Spearfish-Yesteryear/11861071_j3vK3V#!i=838859253&k=VrTDspW