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On a recent trip through Central Texas, I stopped at the old cattle crossing on Brushy Creek in Round Rock.

The town got its name from a distinctive round rock in the creek that served as a landmark for travelers.

During the cattle-drive era, thousands of head of longhorns passed through this area heading north toward Kansas. The crossing also carried wagon traffic, and traces of those old routes are still visible today.

It’s remarkable how much of the Old West is still sitting right alongside modern highways, largely unnoticed.

Thought y’all might enjoy seeing a little piece of cattle-drive history that’s still there.

One of the things I enjoy about cowboy culture is how much of its vocabulary survived long after the open-range era.

Cavvy. Remuda. Drag rider. Dally. Slick. Dogie. Rough string.

Some are still everyday language among working cowboys. Others have become regional or increasingly uncommon.

What’s one you grew up hearing, or still use today, that would probably need explaining to somebody outside cowboy country?

A cowboy might earn $30 a month, and spend more than that on a good saddle.

So what happened to the rest of his money?

Some went to boots, hats, clothing and tobacco. Some disappeared in the saloons and gambling halls of cattle towns. And some cowboys saved, sent money home, or put their wages toward livestock or land.

This week on Way Out West, I took a look at cowboy payday and what it tells us about the working life of the Old West.

What Did Cowboys Do With Their Money?

https://podcast.ridewayoutwest.com/cowboy-wages/

The son of Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, Quanah became one of the most consequential Native American figures of the Southern Plains.

After the Red River War and the end of the Comanches’ traditional way of life on the plains, he emerged as an important leader in navigating the radically changed world that followed.

He became a rancher and businessman, dealt with presidents and cattlemen, and worked to preserve Comanche interests and identity while adapting to reservation life.

One of those figures of the American West whose life doesn’t fit neatly into the usual “Old West” boxes.

“Cookie” wasn’t just the guy making supper. On cattle drives, the chuckwagon cook was responsible for keeping a crew of hungry cowboys fed, often with limited ingredients, rough conditions, and no grocery store for a few hundred miles.

He cooked over a fire, managed the provisions, and turned staples like beef, beans, coffee, biscuits, dried fruit, and whatever else was available into meals that could keep men working long days in the saddle.

Out on the trail, Cookie and his chuckwagon were pretty much the kitchen, pantry, dining room, and unofficial headquarters of the outfit.