A Celebration of the Chisholm Trail in Texas

For a number of years in the 19th Century, the Chisholm Trail was a key route ranchers used to navigate their valuable herds to markets in the north.   Novelist Larry McMurtry eloquently took us into that world in “Lonesome Dove,” his 1985 masterpiece which went on to win the Pulitzer prize for fiction.   In Georgetown, Texas, thanks to the Williamson Museum, a bit of that time is remembered each October at their Chisholm Trail Days celebration held  in San Gabriel Park.    In its heyday, the famous Chisholm meandered right through Georgetown.   At Chisholm Trail Days, folks enjoyed western music, a cowboy breakfast, learned  how to lasso a little and perhaps sat astride a horse.  They got to listen to stories about the Buffalo Soldiers from the very knowledgeable Horace Williams, the current head of Company A, 9th Cavalry, based at Camp Mabry, Texas.

Blacksmiths regaled everyone with their metallic endeavors.    One thing I found particularly interesting was the different points of view regarding cowboy boots.   One little guy, in a couple of frames, obviously loved his footwear, but another young man obviously had had enough!  The culmination at each year’s event is when a herd of Texas longhorns make their way through the park.    I’m thankful the Williamson County Sun allows me to document this event for their astute audience.   By the way, the cowpoke who didn’t like his boots is my kind of guy.   I’m Texan through and through, but those pointy cowboy boots are truly a pain!