Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

In the mid-to late 1800s, born from the original Spanish vaqueros, the American cowboy drove herds numbering in the millions along trails like the Western and Chisholm.

He came to personify the romantic hero of the time. A man whose life in the saddle was rife with adventure, danger, some colorful misdeeds, gunfights (not as many as you think), hard drinking (thats true), and enough dust to offend a coal miner. Fording a river was a life-or-death endeavor. Hailstorms too. Stampedes? Your worst nightmare. On the trail, there was no shortage of pain, sickness, or ways to meet your maker. And if the trail didnt kill you, the temptations of the town at trails end just might. Or at least take the money youd earned risking your life from Albuquerque to Ogallala.

Barbed wire fencing, trains, regional stockyards, and a few harsh northern winters reduced the need for long cattle drives and in turn the cowboys who drove them. Dime Western authors and Hollywood screenwriters perpetuated the myth of the men who came to see the elephant and live a life of raucous adventure.

Its a time of legends never to be repeated again.

Western Denim Shirt (No. 6633). The DNA is as followspioneering American settlers mixed with early 20th-century factory workwear. The recipe finds its way onto the backs of bull riders, ranchers, and movie stars who drive race cars. 5 oz indigo twill. Pearl snap buttons. Classic western yoke details. Vintage off-center snap chest pockets. Imported.