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 LastID | Book Title | Composer | Index | Pages | Author | Poem Title | First Lines | Keywords |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
727 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 29 | S. Omar Barker | Bruin Wooin' | The track of the bear that had killed Carson's pig. | tracking, nester, dog, squatter, homesteader, fair maid, Bill Maginnis, buckaroo, smile, hunt, hunting, hunter, cave, dark, mongrels, barking, odor, smell, daughter, switch, damsel, brave, bravery, bold, riding a bear, pistol, shot, kill, dead, brag, bragging, marriage, wife, moral, bold, nesters | |
728 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 31 | S. Omar Barker | Cow Country Drouth | Oh, ride the dry river and ride the gray hill. | wind, sun, scorched, grass, starvation, cattle, hungry, desolate, dry, water, food, parched, parch, death, dried waterholes, hope, rain, drought | |
729 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 31 | S. Omar Barker | Texas Zephyr | To figger how hard the wind blows. | Texas plains, fresh-killed beef, logging chains, skin, skinned, hide | |
730 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 32 | S. Omar Barker | A Cowboy's Christmas Prayer | I ain't much good at prayin', and You may not know me, Lord. | God, religion, belief, Merry Christmas, church, Thy Holy Word, cattle, gratitude, thankful, grateful, spirit, God's handiwork, friend, friendship, Jesus, savior, kindness, bless, blessings, hunger, hungry, starve, starvation, chuck, free, freedom, future son of man | |
731 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 33 | S. Omar Barker | Cowboys For Sure | Go ride the high mesa and ride the low plain. | cowpuncher, cow puncher, cattle, saddle, gallop, cinch, trust, chaps, spurs, hat, clothing, gear, outfit, yodel, guitar | |
732 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 35 | S. Omar Barker | Old time Cowboys | Proudly they rode, those horseback men. | day long gone, past, history, longhorn cattle, pride, hartihood, hartiness, dust, dusty, cattle trail, northern star, pride, bold men and true | |
733 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 35 | S. Omar Barker | Cowpuncher's Creed | The cowpuncher's creed is as simple as pie. | cowpuncher, sweat, die, cow, cows, ride, rope, wrangle, God, Lord, belief, thank, gratitude, grateful, thankful | |
734 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 36 | S. Omar Barker | Curly Wolf College | I went up to a college and they asked me what I knowed. | school, education, smart, intelligence, history, Fort Worth, Ft. Worth, Adam, Texas, Texan, market, steer, algebra, philosophy of life, snub, snubbing post, snubbin' post, grammar, professor, teacher, knowledge, mind, bridle | |
735 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 37 | S. Omar Barker | Portrait of a Puncher | Dee Bibb's a nol' cowpoke I've known for some years. | ride, broncos, steer, rodeo, arena, longhorn ox, bulldogging, bulldogger, roping, calf roping, funny, good natured, good humored, humor, joke, cowpoke | |
736 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 39 | S. Omar Barker | Jackrabbits | Jackrabbits are a lanky crew. | jack rabbit, hare, wildlife, fleas, startle | |
737 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 40 | S. Omar Barker | The Little Wolves | This is the song of the coyote clan. | wildlife, wild animal, moon, yellow eyes, padded feet, howling, howl | |
738 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 41 | S. Omar Barker | King of the Wagon | When coosie drives the wagon with the roundup in full swing. | pride, cook, chuck, chuck wagon, chuckwagon, food, foodways, cattle drive, trail drive, cow camp, cow camp, team, reins | |
739 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 42 | S. Omar Barker | Trail Talk | When cowboys git to heaven and them angels ask'em how. | death, heaven, danger, risk, occupation | |
740 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 43 | S. Omar Barker | Lariat Labor | There ain't no use in claimin' that the cowboy ain't a man. | wages, honest dollar, picket line, strikes, raise, raises, attitude, loyalty, freedom, money, salary, work | |
741 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 43 | S. Omar Barker | The Word Don't Matter | When a bronco gives way to his man-throwin' itch. | buck, bucking bronco, bucking horse, pitch, throwed | |
742 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 44 | S. Omar Barker | Brandin' the Calves | Some say brandin's cruel, and maybe it is. | beef, business, brand, branding iron, thief, rustler, rustling, calf | |
743 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 45 | S. Omar Barker | Buckaroo's Best Bet | If I had to be an animal instead of what I am. | animal, critter, horse, cow pony, tame, wild, cow punching | |
744 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 46 | S. Omar Barker | Cowboy Factory--Old Style | The town kid was a runaway. | runaway, roustabout, childhood, youth, odd jobs, kack, saddle, pride, proud, chores, throwed, get back on again, buck, the right stuff | |
745 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 47 | S. Omar Barker | The Tie-Fast Men | This is the way of the tie-fast men. | ride the range, rope, roping, noose, tie, tied, saddle horn | |
746 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 49 | S. Omar Barker | Cowboy's Likin's | As long as he's staddlin' a horse with his knees. | ||
747 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 50 | S. Omar Barker | Buckaroo's Squelch | Two buckaroos were rivals in the bronco ridin' game. | Breezy, Rusty, wild and loud, mild and tame, boast, argue, winning, losing, rodeo, competition, bucking bronco, throw, throwed, saddle, brag, bragging | |
748 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 51 | S. Omar Barker | Vaquero's Valentine | I rode a buckskin pony and she rode a nester's mule. | youth, romance, courtship, courting, girlfriend, boyfriend, dating, Red Canyon school, paper lace, heart, cupid, lizards, lizards, lizard, tease, red hair, lickin', licking, whipped, whipping, school days, Janie, monkeyshines, nester, mule, nesters | |
749 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 52 | S. Omar Barker | The Wagon | They asked me "What's this Wagon that we hear so much about? | ||
750 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 53 | S. Omar Barker | John Booth's Ride | In Texas on the Trinity, many's the year agone. | neighbors, feud, argue, murder, killing, shooting, death, pistol, gun, shotgun, son, restitution, vengeance | |
751 | Songs of the Saddlemen | FC 11 B-06 | 54 | S. Omar Barker | Canned Termaters | Them old time western cowboys mostly ate what they could git. | tomatoes, grub, chuck, Eagle milk, corn, sardines, cans, vitamins, food, vittles, juicy, cut a can, cooking, appetite, hunger, |