Z 11'7"1 C S~JR lJm¥erJity of New MexICo 0'1;. F ; 791 C7}{ r0J11Ca 6 4 oe Nuevo Mexico March 2005 Issue Nurrrbez- 64 Shaggy Bison Traverse the Santa Fe Trail "Remembering the Buffalo Drive of 1955" By Carleen C. Lazzell Buffalo herd arrives at Fort Jordan Stockade. Note the stockade fence around the main building. Commerce and a newspaper reporter. other two cowboys were LV "Casey" their idea for a "BuffaloDrive"developed. Crisp and Wallace "Speedy" Bebb. The buffalo herd on Main Street. Clayton. New Mexico. Thursday, June 30, 1955. This event would be the first of its kind Although they were half the a~e of Many of the trail drive crew saddled up to assist with the event. "Ezra" swinging since a herd of eiqhty buffalo had been Sutton, the two men had been on the mast of the hoodlum wagon in foreground. driven from Colonel Charles Goodnight's cowboyinq since they were in their early Palo Duro Canyon ranch in Texas to teens. As younq men, ~ood friends. Fifty years a~o on a brlght. sunny Colorado. Within a few days , local Yellowstone Park in 1917. Nat only "Casey"and "Speedy."competed in bronc Thursday afternoon. June 30. 1955. a contractor. B.f Froman. beqan would the Buffalo Drive be a substantial ridinq at rodeos in the area and dressed herd of buffalo came from the east and construction on the $166.000 facility. tourist attraction in itself. it would in their finest western re~alia . when they meandered down the Main Street of which became known as "Fort Jordan." ~enerate further publicity for Fort Jordan rode each year in the Fourth of July Clayton. New Mexico. on the way to their The main bulldinq incorporated a by havinq the drive follow the route of parade in Clayton. All three men were new home at the Fort Jordan Stockade. stockade fence as part of the replica fort. the historic Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa well known in the area for their skill in A trio of cowboys drove the sha~~y In addition, there would be several Iarqe Fe Trail. ridinq horses and workinq cattle. beasts and their companion Brahma tepees. constructed of poles and wire. One of the first items of business was Another experienced trail driver, Wood steers . followed by the chuck wa~on. covered with a concrete plaster. to select an experienced and colorful Roberts, also joined the entourage. pulled by white mules. A monkey randomly placed in front of the fort. crew. which would include cowboys, however. he had to load up and ~o home swin~in~ on the mast of the hoodlum Prominent si~na~e encouraged travelers camp cooks. muleshinner and other about midway through the drive when wa~on brought smiles to the onlookers to stop and see not only Jordon's personnel necessary for such an his horse became lame. The outfit as the unusual parade passed . collection of thousands of artifacts . but undertazlnc. Knowing that the cowboys consisted of fourteen men and boys, Early in February 1955. a ~rand plan also to observe a buffalo herd . By early would be a bi~ tourist draw for spectators which included not only the cowboys. for a tourist attraction had bequn to summer 1955 . it was time for the alonq the trail. Jordan selected three lead but also the chuck wa~on crew, wa~on develop when Jim Jordan of Eva. monumental job of movinq Jordan's cowboys, which included the well drivers and a "~o-to" flunky by the name Oklahoma. and several investors from buffalo herd and his hu~e collection of known seventy-seven year old Bill of Charlie Paris. Youn~er members of the Clayton . New Mexico. si~ned a contract artifacts from Eva. Oklahoma. to Sutton. a black man. who held the requler crew included Jimmy Jordan. Jr.. to establish a "super tourist attraction" to Clayton. a distance of eiSJhty-five miles. distinction of beinq the best "bronc aSJe 5. and two junior cowboys. Frank be located north of Clayton on the main While Jim Jordan was havin~ coffee buster" in the entire area. Sutton, in fact Kin~ . 14. and Billy Birdwell. 13. thoroughfare between Texas and with representatives of the Chamber of had been one of the cowboys on the On the morning of Wednesday. June Goodnlght Drive in 1917, which added 22, 1955. the trail drive beqan with a further interest in his involvement. The spectacular event. According to Closer view of buffalo herd and Brahmas as they Jim Jordan driving the chuck wagon on overpass on Highway 87 on way to arrive at Fort Jordan on June 30, 1955. Fort Jordan. He waves to photographer Bill Rhew. Mark Your Calender Now : Historical Society Annual Conference, April 21-23, 2005, Clayton, New Mexico journalist Al Hall, a reporter with the biting rem arks and scathing criticism. Am arillo Daily News. "The drive started Unruffled by the jibes. Coble explained to with a stampede when the corra l gates the riders. 'Now 100R here boys. I have opened and the buffalo ~o t their first coo ked up a batch of biscuits every meal 100R and first smell of the open prairie." now. I'll serve 'em up every time I can, Conseque ntly. the herd made a "mad but when I say the wind's too hiqh to dash" for the horizon. WR. Joh nson and make a fire for biscuits, its too high. You his son were worR i n~ in a nearby field. ca n lJoahead and eat that Iightbread and where they ended up in the middl e of the don 't let me hear ano ther word out of stampede. whe n the buffal o and you." All in all, the crew consum ed 20 Brahmas descended upon them . The loaves of bread at that mea!. Coble, in his herd split abo ut 10 yards from the l2ood-natured way. brought harmony frightened farme rs, who had quick ly into the noon stop . when he announced take n refuge und er their tractors. The that slurn-gullion would be the bill-of­ cowboys rode "hell bent for leath er" for fare for supper that night. It was during more than two hours before they got the this meal stop. that young frank King shal2l2Y bison under co ntrol. The bovine provided so me exc iteme nt, wh en he group co nsisted of 12 buffalo bulls. 6 ventured too close to the buffalo, not to buffalo cows. one buffalo heifer and 5 be in derelict of his duties. His mount Brahma steers. Once the herd calmed was not as enthusiastic and star ted down. the buffalo. followinc the lead bucking, not wanting any part of the Brahma steers. settled into an easy l2ait, strange an ima ls. Livinc up to his moving at about two miles per hou r. nickname. "Speedy" Bebb "quicker than Trailing behind the herd were the a wink" was astride his hors e and after chuck waqon and the hoodlum wagon . frank. Within seconds he had Frank's Wide angle view of the trail drive with dramatic thunderclouds in the background. which had been built about 1912 . horse calmed down. and. according to Traditionally, hoodlum wagons were reports. Frank took up his patrol further the chuck waqon at Flag Sprin g, where Groom. pastor of St. Paul's Methodist used to carry au xiliary items needed on from the herd. (Am ariIIo Daily News, Gibbs and Adams han dled the ticRets Church in Boise City. offered the the trail, such as extra food, additional June 23, 1955). sales for the food. Followtnq the meal. invocation, which was followed by a cooking gear. bedrolls an d other On Jun e 24 . "Cotton John." ca mpfire entertainment included a minute of silent prayer for all those who necessary items. The hoodlum wagon al2ricultura l reporter for Amarillo perfomance by a country western band lost their lives on the Santa Fe Trail; then soon was nicknamed "monzey wagon" television station KGNC, with his "Gab from Clayton. sinlJinl2 and stor ytelling by Bill Kirby of Clayton played "Taps." because that was the post taken up by Wagon." visited the trail drive. He the cowboys. "Casey" sang several Oklahoma State Senator Bill EtIinq Jordan's jibbering monkey. "Ezra." who co nducted interviews with the cowboys, cowboy songs. which included "Punchin' represented his state and governor perched atop the tall mast. where he which wo uld be aired the next day on his the Dough" and "Zebra Dunn." He also Raymond Gary. Etling l2ave the principal watched all the happenings. Pulled by a Sa turday morning television show. related the story of their first day on the address and delivered export permits to spa n of white mules, Jim Jordan drove Reporter AI Hall an d photographer Bill trail when the herd stam peded . In his Jim Jordan. owner of the buffalo and the chuck wagon and Ted Bass handled Rhew. both of Amarillo, were also on words. he said."there were pots. pans. collection of antiques and relics. New wa ter barrels. cow boys . cooks and Mexico brand inspector Walt Lewis and chickens 'swinl2ing around like a Clayton veterinarian R.M . Olbeter were whirlwind' as the buffalo stampeded out on hand to check brands and certify the the gate." In his column in the Amarillo health of the herd. Garland Smith. aka newspaper. "Cotton John" Smith wrote. "Cotton John" Smith on KGNC Television. "Casey Crisp of Clayton is the most recorded mu ch of the ceremony.