When we think of the Old West we often think in black and white – as in the black and white movies Hollywood cranked out in the 1950’s. View those movies and think that those “ancient” movies is what the old west looked like. In this modern age it is easy to believe these media images are the real deal, like some selfie of yesteryear. But of course, these black and white films need to adjust their lighting to tell the complete story.
A third of the cowboys of the “Old West” were black; mostly freed slaves, most of whom were expert cowboys and valued employees respected by employers and fellow cowboys alike; dismissed from history. Robert Lemmons is among these black cowboys, acknowledged as the greatest mustanger of them all.
At birth in 1848, Robert Lemmons was the slave child to John English, taken to Carrizo Springs in southwest Texas and later freed from slavery. He began his early life at a land dominated by mustangs called Dimmit Country. He was employed to Duncan Lemmons; the man whose family name Robert adopted, having been nurtured with love to maturity. Mr. Lemmons’ intuition about the potentials of the barely 20 years old Robert didn’t take long to manifest into an uncanny ability to literally “become a horse” as he could read their minds, anticipate their actions and gain their trust.
A third of the cowboys of the “Old West” were black.
There was a surge in cattle business throughout Texas resulting in an increased demand for mustangs as cow ponies. Mr. Lemmons became a mustang businessman and Robert was his key to success. Robert Lemmons stands distinct among the trainers of his time, with the view of understanding, that training should be based on gaining trust and developing a partnership rather than one based on the drives to exhaust the mustangs into submission.
Working alone, Lemmons would silently infiltrate the mustang herd, ride with them day and night, and then subdue the lead stallion. Once in control of the herd’s direction, he’d lead the mustangs to a nearby pen. “I grew up with the mustangs…I acted like I was a mustang…made them think I was one of them,” Lemmons explained. His fame soon spread far and wide; was in high demand and was paid handsomely for his services. The mustangs he delivered were undamaged and uninjured, calm and malleable, as beautiful as they had been in the wild, opposed to the lame, exhausted and malnourished ones gathered by the usual roughshod methods.
By the age of thirty-three, Lemmons had accumulated a modest fortune and purchased land for his own spread near Carrizo Springs. He gradually increased his land holdings to over 1,200 acres and ran a fair-sized herd, along with sheep and goats. He registered his 4R+ brand and became a gentleman rancher. He learned to read and write and married Barbarita Rosales, with whom he had eight children. He later used his considerable stock of horses and cattle to assist his neighbors financially through the nation’s Great Depression.
Robert Lemmons died on December 2, 1947 at the age of 99 years old. To the end, he expressed his love for the wild mustang and his readiness to ride amongst them again.
FREE Robert Lemmons Craft
Are you looking for an entertaining and educational activity to do with your kids? Look no further than this free downloadable printable craft. It will help teach your children about the famous cowboy, Robert Lemmons in a fun and hands-on way! This activity can be done at home or in the classroom and is perfect for ages 4-7.
The materials needed for this craft are included in the download, so all you need to do is print out the PDF file and you’re ready to get started! Learn more and download HERE.