[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 142 (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING BANDERA, TEXAS AS THE COWBOY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LAMAR SMITH

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2014

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in 1852, despite the danger posed by 
Indian raids at the time, a group of entrepreneurs acquired land on a 
cypress-lined bend in the Medina River. The following year, members of 
the group surveyed the town of Bandera and opened a sawmill and 
commissary. The town quickly became a thriving settlement due to the 
success of the founders' water-powered lumber mill.
   In the years that followed, local farmers and ranchers prospered, 
supplying products to United States Cavalry troops at Camp Verde, 
growing and ginning cotton, and raising cattle, sheep, and goats.
   In the 1870s, as the threat of Indian attacks receded, the county 
became a staging area for cattle drives and its population grew 
markedly. It is estimated that between 1874 and 1894, seven to 10 
million longhorns and one million horses were driven by 30,000 cowboys 
to a staging area near Bandera, a major gathering point connecting with 
the Western Trail. During this time, Bandera became known as a place 
where cowboys could relax and buy supplies.
   Dude ranching began in 1920 when the Buck Ranch took in paying 
summer guests, with the Bruce Ranch taking the overflow. In the 1930s, 
the dude ranching industry continued to expand and over 30 dude ranches 
were operating near Bandera.
   Rodeos began in the 1920s when cowboys who worked on ranches 
displayed the skills they used at roundups and on cattle drives. The 
first advertised rodeo near Bandera was held at Mansfield Park in 1924. 
Bandera cowboys became rodeo world champions and were inducted into the 
National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
   The citizens of Bandera are heirs to a rich western heritage. Today 
this charming town continues on as a living testament to the courage, 
talent, and vision of the men and women who shaped the Old West. Since 
1920 the community has been a popular tourist destination, each year 
drawing visitors from around the state and beyond to attractions that 
include area resorts, dude ranches, rodeos, and hunting and camping 
areas.
   The wild and rugged town of Bandera has long displayed the qualities 
that earned it the designation, ``Cowboy Capital of the World'' in 
1948.
   Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the rich history of Bandera, 
Texas and pay tribute to its citizens' many contributions to the Lone 
Star State.

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