Five Famous Cowboys and Cowgirls of the Wild West

At Boot Country, we’re interested in our nation’s past. As fans of western culture, we enjoy watching movies about the Wild West and reading about the most famous cowboys and cowgirls in our history. To share that interest with you, we’ve put together a list of five famous cowboys and cowgirls of the Wild West.

1. John Chisum — A wealthy cattle barron, John Chisum worked with the likes of Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving to assemble and drive herds of cattle from the southern part of Texas to New Mexico. Chisum reached the pinnacle of cowboy fame when John Wayne played him in the 1970 film Chisum.
2. Will Rogers — In addition to being a cowboy, Will Rogers was a social commentator, actor, vaudeville performer and humorist. Rogers was born to a prominent Cherokee Nation family in Oklahoma. Rogers has been honored a number of ways, including having his name on the airport in Oklahoma City, a number of high schools and the final Benjamin Franklin class ballistic missile submarine, the USS Will Rogers.
3. Theodore Roosevelt — Did you know that the 26th President of the United States was a cowboy before being elected to our nation’s highest office? It’s true — in addition to serving as the name sake for the teddy bear, Roosevelt was a real horseman. When the United States began fighting a war in Cuba, Roosevelt went down to San Antonio and assembled a group of men who would later be named the “Rough Riders.” Roosevelt and the rest of the Rough Riders all wore the same brand of Western boots.

4. Annie Oakley — Undisputedly the most famous cowgirl of her time, Annie Oakley was a fantastically talented cowgirl and exhibition shooter. Growing up on the western border of Ohio, Oakley began hunting and shooting by the time she was eight years old as a way to feed her siblings and widowed mother. She was so successful that she paid off the mortgage on her mother’s farm by age 15 with money earned from selling the game she killed. Her cowgirl boots are still on display in Ohio today.
5. Buffalo Bill — The man who brought Annie Oakley into the spotlight, Buffalo Bill might very well be one of the most interesting people of the Wild West. Buffalo Bill started “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West,” a carnival-like attraction that toured throughout the country and in Europe. The show featured feats of horsemanship and sharpshooting by a number of famous cowboys and cowgirls of the Wild West.

Who’s your favorite cowboy or cowgirl of the Old West? What kind of cowboy boots do you think he or she might wear? Let us know in the comments!