Grand OpeninG U Cowboy Camp Scrapbook U New Acquisitions Membership Drive 2013 Cattle to Canvas Fall 2013 Spring 2013 ChisholmTrailMuseum.org He was “convinced that the future freedom Horsemen of the Americas: Tinker Collection and prosperity of the peoples of the Americas depended upon their mutual trust, friendship and cooperation and it was in that spirit that the Tinker Foundation was established.” In 1959, Dr. Tinker created the Tinker Founda- tion in New York City, and about that time donated his world-class collection of North and South American cowboy and horse-related artifacts to the University of Texas. “We are pleased that after many years of negotiating with officials at the University of Texas at Austin, that they and the Tinker Founda- tion would agree to allow the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum the privilege of exhibiting such a rare collection of ranching artifacts from Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, the United States and Canada,” said Mexican-made spurs demonstrate a high level of craft, and reveal a sense of pride and showmanship. CTHM Chairman Robert Oliver. fter approximately seven years of negotiating with the Noted Texas scholar and retired Smithsonian University of Texas at Austin, in December 2009 the historian, Lonn Taylor, who is collaborating Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum signed a permanent with CTHM exhibit designers Drew Patterson A and Pony Allen, added, “The loan agreement to exhibit and care for Tinker Collection itself far the world-class Horsemen of the Americas – Xenophobia transcends the local experi- is one of the most deadly ence of cattle ranching in the Tinker Collection. Dr. Edward L. Tinker enemies of peace among nations, for the human race Guadalupe River Valley because (1881-1968), graduated from Columbia has always had a poisonous the Edward Larocque Tinker University, New York, in 1902. After earning tendency to dislike and Collection is a collection of distrust the man from horsemen and cowboy artifacts doctorates in literature from the University another country – the from all over the Americas. foreigner with different ideas of Paris and University of Madrid, and habits – a characteristic One can visit the (Chisholm Dr. Tinker devoted a significant portion of that has caused much Trail Heritage) Museum and bloodshed and suffering in understand that cattle ranching his life exploring Hispanic culture in Latin this world. was not a local phenomenon, America, the Iberian Peninsula and the – Edward L. Tinker but an experience that covered United States. the entire New World.” U Local History Minute Thomas M. Stell 1856 – 1939 Young Thomas Matthew Stell arrived in Texas in 1858 with his parents, aboard a steamer at the port of Indianola. He was educated at Covey College in Concrete, DeWitt County, Texas and made three cattle drives along the old trail from Cuero to Dodge City before he was seventeen years old. Stell worked as a cowboy on large ranches in Wyoming Territory until he returned to Texas in 1881. Stell married twice, and had five children. Career as DeWitt County Sheriff Tom Stell was appointed Sheriff of DeWitt County in 1892 – still frontier days in law enforcement. Local history connects him with a handful of infamous outlaws of the Old West. According to court records, Sheriff Stell delivered John Wesley Hardin Hardin – fugitive from justice and black- hat folk hero – to serve time for murder in Huntsville Prison. According to Stell’s sister, Nancy, Tom saw Bat Masterson in Dodge City, and was acquainted with Frank James (brother and fellow outlaw of Jesse James). Her account of his career also mentions one good guy – frontier law- man Wyatt Earp – who is imortalized in the 1957 motion picture “Gunfight at the OK Corral.” DeWitt County Family Roots As a very young man, Tom Stell rode cattle to Kansas, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming during the era of the great cattle drives. Stell was hired by Texas rancher J. Frank White to work in Wyoming, which he did for four years before returning to Texas. On his return, he married White’s sister in law, Susan Amanda Kennedy, who died in 1894. The couple had four children. Stell later married Irene Galle in 1896, who lived until 1963. Tom and Irene had a son, Thomas, an artist who w in Dallas. After J. Frank White died, his widow Eliza r Jane became postmistress and later, sta- “During my travels, I had been deeply impressed tion agent in Edgar, Texas. When she passed away in 1936, Tom Stell eulogized by the fundamental likeness between the cattle- his late sister-in-law at Hillside Cemetery horsemen of this hemisphere – the gaucho of Argentina in Cuero. The event drew a crowd from and Uruguay, the huaso of Chile, the gaucho of Brazil, miles around, as Mrs. White and Sheriff the chalan of Peru, the vaquero of Mexico, the llanero Stell were both highly regarded members of Colombia and Venezuela and the cowboy of the of the community. U United States and Canada.” You can view a Texas State Historical Commission Edward L. Tinker marker on Stell’s grave in Hillside Cemetery, Cuero. r the estate of Western fine artist and col- wife Charlene. Museum Acquires Artifacts lector Joe Gish. Recently, I called to chat with Charlene The late Mr. Gish had realized his dream and invite her to visit the Museum this for Collection at Gish Auction of retiring to the Hill Country in 1978, fall for our grand opening. We remi- fall 2005, the Chisholm Trail where he and wife Charlene built a home nisced about her life with Joe, from their Heritage Museum partnered with with an adjacent log cabin to house Joe’s early days in McAllen. During his thirty IN the Cuero Cultural & Heritage expanding collection. The cabin show- years working in the Valley, Charlene Foundation and Humanities Texas cased his treasure trove of cowboy arti- said, “he nearly drove everyone nuts, to host a lecture titled, “My facts, pre-1920s antique talking about retiring to the Texas Hill Love is a Rider: America’s firearms, Western art County.” In her home in Fredericksburg, Affair with the Cowboy.” Noted and collectibles, eventu- Charlene keeps a bookcase of mementos Texas scholar and retired ally becoming a small dedicated to Joe. There, she displays Smithsonian historian, Lonn museum. Joe relished “pewter statues of sheriffs and marshals, Taylor, presented the lecture to his role as guide and a pair of miniature boots, and family pic- curator, especially since some 25 attendees in the Trust tures.” Of her late husband Joe, Charlene some of the artifacts Texas Bank community room. shared her sentiment, “he was a very had back stories – like Since that initial partnership special guy. No one ever had an unkind with the Museum, CTHM and the cowboy vest worn thing to say about Joe.” Taylor have continued building by Gary Cooper in a a relationship, which led to a Hollywood movie. The centerpiece of the Joe Gish collaboration in 2006 and 2007 “No one ever had an As a young fine artist, Collection was leather - fine show when Taylor facilitated a select unkind thing to say Mr. Gish acquired his saddles, saddlebags, boots, holsters, committee of board members about Joe.” earliest pieces as props gun belts, and chaps, many of which and community stakeholders – Charlene Gish for his Western-themed were purchased by the Chisholm Trail to create the Museum’s paintings, but he soon Heritage Museum at the Gish Estate Concept Plan. found his true passion in researching Auction. Because Gish began collecting One of the Museum Concept Plan’s and acquiring the artifacts themselves. cowboy artifacts years before the gen- prime objectives is to acquire authentic He set aside painting to build his col- eral public caught did, his collection Western and cowboy artifacts for devel- lection in the early 1970s, at a time was known throughout Texas and the oping exhibit material. That opportunity when Western objects were relatively American West as one of the finest arose in February 2012, when represen- affordable and accessible to the hobby private collections in the country. CTHM tatives of the board acquired many fine collector. Gish passed away in 2011, is pleased to have many of these rare artifacts at auction in Fredericksburg, leaving what had become a rare and spe- objects on display when the Museum Texas. The auction presented pieces from cial memorial to cowboy culture to his opens in November 2013. – R. O. CHISHOLM TRAIL HERITAGE MUSEUM 2012 Master Auctioneer and volunteer Joe Adams shares his wisdom. or a week last summer, Cuero’s kids unplugged from games and tv and F tried on the cowboy life! Volunteers treated the campers to traditional camp crafts, rope skills, story time, and authentic camp cooking. Sue Sulsar Travis Glidden oversees expert rope tying. and camper show off a brand design. Van Hargis, horse trainer Good guys wear black! Saddle making demonstration Cowabunga! Longhorn fever… Roping skills! Saddlemaker Tod Slone teaching roping basics. Who wants biscuits?” Sue Sulsar and and fellow volunteer enjoying the festivities. Travis Glidden Carolyn Leist leads a leather tooling workshop. showing them the ropes. Aug 12 – 16, 2013 Scenes from The Alamo The Nagels demonstrate an important piece of cowboy life with their authentic chuck wagon. 2012 Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum Membership SCOUT | $1000 Kevin & Molly Fowler Regina Garcia – H-E-B Lester & Burdine Giese Avi and Sandy Hahn Ghosh Bill & Coylene Oliver and Family, 746 Ranch Bobby & Patsy Goebel Dr. Heather J. Kopecky Weldon Goebel Paul & Dorothy Guthrie – POINT MAN | $500 Don & Mattye Lou Stiles, Sr. Triple O Ranch Bill & Franke Albrecht Matt & Amy Thigpen Skip & Terry Henkel – Ted & Frances Aven Missi Thomas Los Sueños Ranch Pat Hickey Barlow Susan Wallis Dr.