History Theres more to Hot Rods and Rockabilly than you might think

I've been meaning to write this for some time, and just haven't gotten around to it. I'm not much of a writer, so bear with me as I try to spin a tale of wonder and excitement. Ok, maybe not that, but you might at least find this interesting. In encourage you to read the entire post, and as you do, think about the music, style, attitude and clothing that we all consider as having it's origins in the 1930's, 40's or 50's. And that they may be a bit older than you might have thought.

Last year, as many of you may know, Mags and I and several of our friends embarked on a trip to the 2008 Lone Star Round Up. Four of us braved the trip on motorccycles in hopes of finding warmer weather in the Lone Star State. As part of the trip, we planned on stopping at some truely American museums along the route. This is more about them, and less about the car show. We ended up experiancing cold, rain, bad traffic, and wind almost the whole way there and back. For sure the trip down was nothing but wind, rain and cold. But on the way back, we got a break. The sun shone on us from Austin to Oklahoma City. And only a little bad traffic.

On the way, we stopped at the Texas Ranger Museum and Hall Of Fame in Waco Tx. The museum is right off the highway, almost literally, at about 100 yards from the actually traffic. The museum is awesome. Stone and log type construction, and filled with tales of Rangers from all time periods as well as their equipment and stories of their lives.

Here's Shoebox Mags standing in front of the monument out front of the museum:



As a hot rodder, self proclaimed biker, western and cowboy afficianado, as well as a former police officer, it was really cool to find a common link to all four in this museum:



And something for Mags too, check out the woman on the end of the photograph, and notice the last bike has a side car:

 

As a biker, it was cool to see the old bikes they had photographs of, and imagine what the transition from horse to motorcycle must have been like for the turn of the century Rangers.

Check out this neat H-D 45 Patrol bike:



You learn that Rangers were always on top of the newest technology. And that no doubt resulted from working alone or in pairs over the wide expanse that is Texas:







And just what they were up against, often without any backup, or backup that could be days away from joining the fight:



As a western history buff, and biker, I have always seen the comparison of the cowboy and biker as true. The differences are the working cows for a living, and horse over motorcycle. Other than that, there are many things that are the same. And most of it involves clothing and art. The clothing is born of necessity. For the cowboy, working outside demanded tough clothes that would last and ward off the elements. One commonality was leather. For the cowboy, chaps were leather to keep weeds, brush and trees from tearing both his pants and the skin on his legs. For the biker, it keeps the cold wind from getting through to your skin and saves your legs in the event of a rough, momentary and direct relationship with the asphault. I'm involved in a shooting sport called Cowboy Action Shooting. Some of us try to be period correct in what we wear and our equipment. So it was natural for me to pick up a pair of 1860's circa "shotgun" style chaps for re-enacting, that I also wear in the cold weather months when I'm riding. Again linking my western history fascination with riding my bike.

From an historical standpoint, imagine my excitement in seeing chaps in the museum that matched the ones I was wearing almost exactly!



And believe me, when I 'went down' a few years ago and met the asphault, I was DAMN glad to have these very chaps on. My legs were free of scrapes and gashes, and the chaps were only a little scrapped up from the abrasion of the road. A true testiment to their design and quality.

 

It's no secret to most of my friends that I love firearms and pinups, and these were to be found in the museum as well. I said the Rangers were always up to date on their technology, and it shows in their firearms. Here we see an early Colt M1911. And it's not an A1 model, which indicates it's a model as early as 1898:



And here's the "pinup" I was talking about. Girls, guns and cowboy gear. Nice:



And last but not least, who could forget the Lone Rangers' role in all this as a kid? I'll bet most of you are unaware that the Lone Ranger movies and T.V. Show had the blessings of the Texas Rangers.



And yes, they did have a showcase with Walker, Texas Ranger. I didn't snap a photograph, but the Rangers gave their blessing here too. The Texas Rangers do a ton of work with Kids, and any time they can give the kids a hero that they can live up to, the help in any way they can.

 

So we left the Texas Ranger Museum behind, climbed on our trusty bikes, and motored on toward Oklahoma City, and the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Center. Though by some to be a small museum, it's acually huge. Dozens of galleries filled with the few artifacts that have survived from the old west. We Americans are so used to seeing artifacts from WWII, WWI, the Civil War and the Revolutionary War, that most don't stop to think that all of those took place in civilized and built up areas. Where artifacts were more readily collected and preserved, or kept in family attics until they were re-discovered by later generations.

And yet, cowboys, indians and western adventurers were more likely loners. And often times died in remote areas and far from anyone that would collect their artifacts. Or they used items until the actually fell apart, and were discarded along some lonely trail.

Having said that, it's amazing how many and at the same time, how few items were in the museum. Walking in to the main hall of the NCM, you see a huge statue of a defeated Indian. Sybolizing thier inability to stem the tide of settlers and the end of thier life as they knew it. It's an awe inspiring statue.



Several parts of the NCM have photography restrictions. Some for the preservation of the artifacts, some for copy write reasons. There are two galleries in the front of the museum full of photographs from rodeos across the coutry and across the years. One if full of cowboys, the other cowgirls. I've been to rodeos, and always thought that women were restricted and always had been, to barrel racing. But I found that to be untrue. Before the late 1940's, women participated in all the events, from bull-dogging, to bull riding. And from the captions on the photographs from the early 20th Century, they were pretty good at it. Sorry I don't have any photographs to post here, but I respected the museums wishes and didn't want to get kicked out.

There was a really great gallery full of Indian items and artifacts. I say it like that because there are very few surviving Indian artifacts that are real. So the gallery had a good mix of those, as well as new items that were faithful reproductions. And all of those were made by craftsmen of the respective tribes for each:

A warriors shield:


Hair piece from the Crow nation:



Beading was and still is very popular among the Nations. Both in thier dress, and for outsiders. Cowboys were always trying to both make friends with the Indians, as well as look their best when in town. This shirt is a surviving artifact, as are the qauntlets in the second photograph. Notice the popular "modern" tattoo of the nautical star:





I believe this dress to be a surviving artifact, but don't remember for sure:

 

Moving on to the next gallery, we came to the Hollywood room. Everything from early radio days and silent movies to singing cowboys and T.V. shows was in here. It was quite extensive, and just cool. As a kid, we only had three channels on our B&W T.V., and one of them was a public station. On Sundays they had a show called, "Matinee At The Bijou" and show early westerns, a cartoon and a news reel. So I knew all the old time singing cowboys. And my love of music was also fascinated by the displays of original western groups, singers, and memorabilia. You only have to listen to Bob Wills once, and you hear the roots of Rockabilly music:











Many may not know the story of Will Rodgers. There's more to him than a named hiway and a few movies. Look him up and just read ten minutes about him and you'll learn America could use more people like him now. Gene Autry and Roy Rodgers are two others that I would lump into that group. The three of them did more for families, children and hospitals in a few years than most do in a whole lifetime:

 

More from the Hollywood Gallery:

I believe these were from Tom Mix:



More:





Marshal Dillons revolver and holster:



And you can't go there without seeing the quintessential American Himself, The Dukes' display:







Some of you may not know this, but The Duke carried and wore a lot of his own clothing in his movies. If you watch them, he ususally has this Colt on his side in almost every one:

 

In the American Cowboy Gallery, there was the story of the American Cowboy, and how he evolved into what we now know as an American Icon:



And there were more items that survived the test of time. You could see the evolution of more things "rock-a-billy people" encorporated into thier style:




And more of my favorite chaps:





This was a "No-Flash" gallery, so this photograph is quite dark, but cool for me none the less. And yes, I know I'm a nerd:



So, anyone that's seen me riding in the colder weather has seen my "fringe fag" gloves as I call them. One more connection for me to the early American Cowboy, and evidence of the influence cowboys had on the modern biker. I purchased mine at a motorcycle swap and show from a motorcycle clothing manufacturer:

From the Museum:



Mine:

 

Many of you may not know, Shoebox Mags is from the great state of Montana. A state still very much filled with all things Western and Cowboy. And Cowgirl. And not the cheesy Hollywood type. Mags herself has ridden Round Up twice. And I'm not talking about the car show kind. The Museum has a whole gallery devoted to ranch life and the American Cowgirl:







And remember the comment I made about women riding Rodeo?



And a pair of womens gauntlets, beaded to the 9's:



And a pair of womens riding boots:

 

There is also a bunk house, where you can see the sparten living style of the American Cowboy, and about the harsh living:



At the end of the tour, there is a 10' high statue of The Duke. It's a "No-Flash" area, and we weren't able to figure out the camera. That's me on the left in case you weren't sure. Am I a dork or what?



Here's a better one, with less sun in the background.



I'm sure you are all wondering as to the relevence of this thread on the HAMB. After reading the entire post, I hope you can make the connection between some of the things we consider typically hot rod or rockabilly, and a slightly older part of our American Heritage. And find that there is more to our chosen lifestyle than the decade or so before the 50's, and the first half of the one after.

Without the American West, Cowboys, Indians and Cowgirls, we'd have nothing to cover our seats in (Mexican Blankets), no steel guitar or western twang in our songs, no western shirts (authentic or B-Movie style), no cowboy hats, gun rigs and six-guns for Pin Up models to hold and wear, no spirit of the open road (whether in an open wheel roadster or on a bike), the boots you might be wearing right now, and on and on.

Our music, clothing, and general attitude all make us different from the "civilians" as I like to call them. And we have the American West to credit for it. And for all of us, hot rod and rockabilly related museums can be more extensive than Nashville or a WWII Museum. For me, growing up without a dad around, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers taught me what to do right and to keep my word as best I could, and The Duke how to be an American and to stand my ground. Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed the thread.

Happy Trails

 

Kevin, very interesting. I definitely see the parallel. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Thanks for posting. A history lesson is always interesting and for you to tie it to some of the clothing that you wear was neat.
Later,
Dick

 

long read but very well worth it and thanks for postin it

 

wow what a cool post. i love the history part of our hobby just as much as the cars. thanks!! (i'm sure i dont have to say it but you should post this on the jockey journal too!)

 

Good suggestion. I'll transfer the thread now.

 

Nice job. It has been a long time since I've been to the National Cowboy Museum..... looks like I should make a trip back.

 

Thanks for the history tour ! Very interesting items there . I really enjoy Indian items ! Remember this land was taken from them !
Also enjoy the wepons of the fronteir and really all guns too !

 

Great post.

Many thanks for taking the time to write it.

As for the Dorkness, naahhh.

I'm sure Mags would back me up on that one.

As would this girl....

 

im glad you knew you were a dork so i didnt have to tell ya kevin... but if thats being dorky, then brother, im the biggest nerd on earth!!! great thread man!!! great!

 

cool,,I have those boots,,never seen another pair.

 

Good stuff. That looks like one heck of a museum.

 

A coupla minutes into your story and I thought it might bore me
Man was I wrong !! Great job, thanks for taking the time to post this. Bryan

 

Great Post....

IMO....WWII and its aftermath was more relevant to me than the Wild West, but I can see the connection nonetheless.

Thanks for posting...

Rat

 

My point was not that one was more relevant that the other, but that this had an influence as well. And that most folks might not make that connection or even realize it. I'm glad you enjoyed it none the less.

 

Let's have some music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIQU0L5awMY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prQgUO_2QNg&feature=related

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=33081164

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfOPYRweMKo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki3vb_gr09c

 

Absolutely one of the best posts ever! A great American story! Kevin, you never let us down!

Jack

 

Great write-up Kevin.

 

Very cool story and nice pics.Are you guys coming down again this year ?

 

Excellent post, Kev! Very cool and interesting...

Joel

 

That I did mate....good stuff !!

Rat

 

unfortunately not. We're going to Sheridan Wy. with out vacation this year. Going to see Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind In The Cave, Devils Tower, Big Horns, National Badlands, etc. Maybe 2010. I'll have my other scooter done by then. maybe I'll put it in the back of the 1922 Oakland Ute and come down that way.