Cowboys, Gentlemen and Cattle Thieves: Ranching on the Western Frontier [Hardcover]

Warren M. Elofson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

Prostitution, gunfights, barroom brawls and cattle rustling - while prevailing images from the American old West - have typically been absent from histories of the Canadian frontier. In "Cowboys, Gentlemen, and Cattle Thieves", Warren Elofson demonstrates that the Canadian frontier was less restrained, law-abiding, and insulated from death and violence than has been believed. He challenges traditional views that Canadian ranching society was a microcosm of the 'Old World', arguing that the greatest influence on ranchers and settlers was the need to deal with the frontier environment. Elofson helps us feel the dust, sweat, cold, and danger on the round-ups as well as the disheartening after-effects of stampedes. He describes the massive losses incurred when herds were subjected to winter storms, wolves, prairie fires, disease, and rustlers, illustrating the dangers of ordinary life for both cowboy and settler."Cowboys, Gentlemen, and Cattle Thieves" underscores the immense contribution of American 'frontiersmanship'. Men and women, horses and equipment came north from Montana and other states; among them were legendary cowboys like John Ware, owner of the Bar U outfit George Lane, and notorious outlaws like the Sundance Kid. Elofson makes it clear that the frontier was ultimately developed by the men and women who started family ranches and farms. By adopting intensive agricultural practices, they carved a permanent place in rural western Canada, insuring that they and others like them would occupy the land long after most of the 'cattle barons' had faded into the records of history. Warren M. Elofson is professor of history at the University of Calgary. He has farmed and ranched in Alberta all his life and has written several articles on western Canadian agricultural history. He is the author of "The Rockingham Connection" and the "Second Founding of the Whig Party".

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The picture Elofson paints of the beef-raising era is gritty, sweaty, and comprehensive. His ideas are provocative and stimulating. His point, that small ranches adapted more effectively to southern Alberta's environment, is well taken and adds an important element to our understanding of the ranching era." A.A. den Otter, Department of History, Memorial University of Newfoundland "Elofson offers a refreshing view of the subject. Of special interest and value is his analysis of the inevitability of the demise of 'pure' ranching, and its subsequent transition to mixed farming." D.N. Sprague, Department of History, University of Manitoba

About the Author

Warren M. Elofson is professor of history, University of Calgary. He has farmed and ranched in Alberta all his life and is the author of The Rockingham Connection and The Second Founding of the Whig Party.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 202 pages
• Publisher: Mcgill Queens Univ Pr; First Edition edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773521003
• ISBN-13: 978-0773521001
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,421,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.