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FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection

Date of Items: 1890-present
Register Prepared by: Randy Williams and Susan Gross, April 2004
Register Updated by: Randy Williams, 23 December 2009
Excel database transfered to MYSQL and uploaded (replacing PHP data): Colin Jackson, Fall 2010
MYSQL database updated: Randy Williams, January 2012
Linear Feet:20

Historical Note & Provenance

Folk Coll 11 is Utah State University's cowboy poetry collection. The collection, originally created by a generation donation by the L. J. and Mary Skaggs Foundation, includes books gathered during a fieldwork project in the early 1980s to document cowboy poetry in the U.S. west (see Folk Coll 11f). From this important fieldwork project came the impetus for the first Cowboy Poetry Gathering held in January 1985 in Elko, Nevada. Since that time, each January, the Fife Folklore Archives staff take the collection and Access database (that details each book, poem, author, first line and key words), to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering for offsite use. Through University purchases and generation donations from poets and collectors, this collection continues to grow.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of 20 linear feet of books on cowboy poetry, including press and self published works. The collection can be accessed through USU Libraries online catalog.


As well, poem titles and keywords found in each book in the collection are included in the database below. To use, type in the search term. Tip: Try and use an uncommon word from the poem to ensure less "hits." For instance, if you enter "boots" you will get many hits; but if you enter "bones" you will most liley get fewer "hits" or poems and find the item you seek faster. To return to the search page, click "home" at the bottom of the page.

Search:

Poetry table.

First Previous Next Last
IDBook TitleComposerIndexPagesAuthorPoem TitleFirst LinesKeywords
24491 Saddle Up And R-i-i-i-d-e More Cowboy Poetry FC 11 R-40 86 Jim Ross There Are Jeans And There Are Genes Jeeter had on some new black jeans, Just came from the toggery store; Size he called, "Forty-two let out; They fit better than forty-four."
24492 Saddle Up And R-i-i-i-d-e More Cowboy Poetry FC 11 R-40 87 Jim Ross A Ranch Christmas Of Long Ago When Thanksgiving's feast was over And the snow started settlin' in We youngsters grabbed the catalogs, Choosing gifts for the toy bin.
24493 Saddle Up And R-i-i-i-d-e More Cowboy Poetry FC 11 R-40 90 Jim Ross Higher Education The Prof was oratin', givin' us a heap On how to make money on a cow and a sheep, When up jumped a lad from out in the sticks Who wished to get in a few personal licks.
24494 Saddle Up And R-i-i-i-d-e More Cowboy Poetry FC 11 R-40 92 Jim Ross Like My Pony, It Gets Me There Some folks tour in automobiles, While I just drive a Ford; I'll dote on it until I go To reap my just reward.
24495 Saddle Up And R-i-i-i-d-e More Cowboy Poetry FC 11 R-40 94 Jim Ross The Square And Compass I was just a maverick drifting, My head half in the sand, When I fell in with a well marked bunch Who wore a common brand.
24496 Saddle Up And R-i-i-i-d-e More Cowboy Poetry FC 11 R-40 95 Jim Ross Beans That staple in the grub wagon Sure packed a mighty punch, And every cookshack in the West Stocked 'em by the bunch
24497 Saddle Up And R-i-i-i-d-e More Cowboy Poetry FC 11 R-40 98 Jim Ross The End As you've traveled o'er these passages It's the author's fervent hope That your journey was most pleasant At an easy, gentle lope.
24498 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 7 Bill Siems, ed. Startin' Out When you have to start out on a cold winter day, The wind blowin' cold and the sky is dull gray. You blow on the bit till you take out the frost, Then you put on the bridle and saddle yore hoss.
24499 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 9 Bill Siems, ed. Rough Hands A rough hand is a heap of help pervidin he has sence with it. No boss wants a feller That is allus tryin' to make a good hoss buck
24500 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 10 Bill Siems, ed. Hair Cuttin' Mind how we used to clean up after the work was made and most of hte boys had pulled into the home ranch with the wagon?
24501 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 11 Bill Siems, ed. Wild Dogs During the winter of nineteen hundred there was a bunch of dogs did considerable damage to calves in the part of the country where we lived.
24502 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 11 Bill Siems, ed. Wolves This is not a trapper talkin'. I never coudl catch anything in a trap but a pole cat, and, come to think of it, I have pinched my fingers a time or two.
24503 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 12 Bill Siems, ed. Reptiles Most all fellers that has worked on the outside has a lot of rattle snake and centipede and tirantula yarns that they have told so often that they git so they believe them their selves.
24504 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 13 Bill Siems, ed. Old Time Country School Days The kids has more fun now than they used to and has a lot more clothes and pitcher shows and things.
24505 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 14 Bill Siems, ed. The Traveling School Master West Queensland is a funny place for an American to get into, or it was about twenty years ago when I was working there.
24506 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 15 Bill Siems, ed. It Was A Draw! Joe Morgan and Anse Craig were turrible fellers to tell big windys and to ask fool questions, but they both made their braggs that they never told a yarn that they couldn't explain
24507 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 17 Bill Siems, ed. The Cow Boy's Shirt Tail There is one thing people inquire about; They ask why a cow puncher's shirt tail comes out.
24508 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 19 Bill Siems, ed. Concernin' Bill Speakin' of Bill, the first time I ever see him is at a litlte mountain town up in Colorado when we was both a heap younger than what we are now.
24509 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 20 Bill Siems, ed. Bill's Injun Trouble There is on Injun affair that ain't never got into print as I know of, but I know it happened because I was there and done seen it.
24510 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 21 Bill Siems, ed. Bill Meets a Funeral Now speakin' of funerals it makesme think of one that me and Bill met up with.
24511 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 23 Bill Siems, ed. Bill Doctors the Chimleys There was a dance at the little town hall and all was invited by the committee.
24512 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 25 Bill Siems, ed. City Folks Go Bear Huntin' Bill and me was sent to the upper ranch in the hills to pack in some salt fer the cattle up on that fork of the creek.
24513 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 26 Bill Siems, ed. Bill Plays Ghost When me and Bill pull into the home ranch we finds two fellers fixin' the fences and the house and barn and corrals.
24514 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 29 Bill Siems, ed. That Letter I rode to that box a settin' on a post beside the trail, That our outfit used fur gettin' all their messages and mail.
24515 Shorty's Yarns: Western Stories and Poems of Bruce Kiskaddon FC 11 K-28 31 Bill Siems, ed. Bill's Joke Goes Wrong Sunday mornin', two weeks after Bill has strung out fer the high country, we was eatin' breakfast, and the Boss's wife she speaks up and sez: