In the wild west, cowboys were more than just animal herders. In fact, they even had a term called “The Cowboy Look.” This term started with livestock herders from the Spanish Vaquero. These herders required more than just herding skills; they also needed to have physical ability, which needed to be developed at a young age.
Most American Cowboys were white men. There weren’t a lot of African Americans, Mexicans, or American Indians, but they all worked as cowboys by the late 1860s. The look has become iconic since then. They look exactly like they do in the movies, where they wear a bandanna, leather gloves, chaps, boots, a pair of sturdy jeans, and of course, the well-known cowboy hat.
Old Tasacosa, Northern Texas
The popular belief is that being a cowboy was just as easy as getting a drink at the bar, riding a horse, or getting into a brawl. That's likely partly true. In this photo, we see a bunch of cowboys enjoying a drink and a quick chat with the bartender at the Saloon. This was in the year 1907 in Old Tasacosa, Northern Texas.
Back then, going to the saloon was a way to let off some steam and relax. Maybe play some poker, drink, and negotiate cattle. Like the establishments we have today, some saloons were open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and were not just popular among cowboys, but it was also a sweet spot for gold diggers, soldiers, travelers, and, believe it or not, lawyers. Certainly looked like the place to be!
Bob’s Saloon
As we mentioned, saloons were a popular go-to place back in the old west. One of the most popular establishments located in Jordan, Montana, in the early 1900s, was Bob’s Saloon. In this photo, we see a group of cowboys just taking a breather outside the saloon in 1904. The photo was taken by LA Huffman.
The owner, Robert Leavitt, was a cowboy, too, and was also one of the first settlers in Jordan. It makes you wonder what these guys would do inside a saloon all day. Many western saloons offered their clients various types of entertainment, which included dancing, card games, dice games, and bowling. Have you ever watched saloon scenes on TV? It’s pretty accurate. Other than the live entertainment, there were also piano players and theatrical skits. Cool!
Gould and Curry and the Savage
Other than the saloons, the shootouts, and the outlaws, mining for gold was also a huge pastime or a permanent job. Gould and Curry Mining was a huge part of the Wild West. Lots of towns had jobs in the field of mining. In this photo, we see the silver mine in Virginia City, Nevada. There were two major mines back then: Gould and Curry and the Savage.
The miner that you see in the photo was approximately 900 feet underground, and sadly, it was harder to mine than you think because he was burning a magnesium wire to make it easier for him to see. No, it’s not like today’s mining, where you plug a computer and a bunch of wires into a gadget and wait for it to earn you some money. Nope! Here, you had to do it the traditional way. You had to dig for your wealth. After the discovery of the silver deposits, Virginia City became a boomtown. The city grew to 25,000 residents at its peak. When the mine’s output started to go down, so did the residents. Only 850 people live in Virginia as of 2010. Now, that’s what you call fearless.
The First-Ever Saloon
We all know that saloons were the most popular go-to place back in the old west because they served a wide assortment of folks that included not just cowboys but also fur trappers, soldiers, miners, and many more. Are you curious to know where the first-ever saloon was established? You’ll never guess, but it was in Wyoming in 1822, but quickly popped into the American Frontier.
These were among the more popular establishments available to people in the west by 1880. Bartenders were the most respected men back then because they prided themselves in their saloons' appearance and their ability to pour their customers a drink. Most of these saloons were used for harlotry, gambling, and opium dens.