Book Suggestions

1,752 Views | 8 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by huisachel
Blanco Jimenez
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AG
I'm looking for a couple of good books on the history of ranching in South Texas. King Ranch stuff would be fine as they developed a pretty successful cattle and horse breeding program (which I take great interest in) but I'm also wondering if you guys have any other suggestions.Any help is appreciated
$240 Worth of Pudding
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AG
Two I would recommend without hesitation are:

Early Tejano Ranching: Daily Life at Ranchos San Jose and El Fresnillo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1585441635/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ETqyBb710B614

and

I Would Rather Sleep in Texas: A History of the Lower Rio Grande Valley & the People of the Santa Anita Land Grant https://www.amazon.com/dp/0876112424/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vUqyBb44B8964

The latter isn't focused exclusively on ranching but it's got some wonderful stuff in there pertaining to it.
Aquin
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AG
Not sure exactly what you are looking for, but you might consider these,
1. We pointed them North-Abbot
2. The Time it Never Rained-Kelton
3. The Cattle Kingdom-Knowlton
4. North American Cattle Ranching Frontiers-Jordan
5. Turn Your Eyes towards Texas-Marks
6. Trails to Texas-Jordan
Liquid Wrench
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Quote:

Not sure exactly what you are looking for, but you might consider these,
I can't answer for the OP, but I'll piggyback a little. I've been been interested in reading more about daily life and development of some of the smaller ranches. We all like the grand sweeping epic narratives about the mighty cattle "barons" who reshaped the land with their own big manly leathery hands, but I'd be interested in a little more close-up view. There are fascinating stories about foremen and managers branching off into their own operations, and the little towns that sprang up around them.

I'll definitely check out the recommendations mentioned so far.
huisachel
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Los Mestenos by Jack Jackson is the go to book on the development of ranching in south Texas up to 1821. Great read

Armando Alonzo of A&M wrote Tejano Legacy which explains without histrionics how the evolution from the Hispanic system to the capitalistic was accomplished

Liquid Wrench
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Quote:

Los Mestenos by Jack Jackson is the go to book on the development of ranching in south Texas up to 1821. Great read
Reminds me of a site I enjoy with lots of personal remembrances: http://elmestenopress.com/mesteno/sample.html

Related, just saw this come up on Facebook:
http://www.tamupress.com/product/Old-Chisholm-Trail,9205.aspx

The Old Chisholm Trail charts the evolution of the major Texas cattle trails, explores the rise of the Chisholm Trail in legend and lore, and analyzes the role of cattle trail tourism long after the end of the trail driving era itself. The result of years of original and innovative researchoften using documents and sources unavailable to previous generations of historiansWayne Ludwig's groundbreaking study offers a new and nuanced look at an important but short-lived era in the history of the American West.
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'Cow People' by J. Frank Dobie
Twelfthman99
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AG
(removed:110205)
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You may want to also try "Trails to Texas - Southern Roots of Western Cattle Ranching" by Terry G. Jordan.
huisachel
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Am currently reading J Frank Dobie's Vaquero of the Brush Country for the first time in fifty years. Very good account by a nineteenth century anglo cowboy of growing up in the southTexas area and working everywhere, '

Dobie helped him edit and annotate it and it is very good on the arcane aspects of the trade. I would put it just behind Twain's Life on the Mississippi as a superb account of way of making a living in a past time.
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