In 1866 Charles Goodnight a Texas Ranger and Indian scout teamed up with the pioneer cowboy Oliver Loving to seek a fortune by establishing a new cattle trail from Texas to Colorado. The perils of their quest are stranger than fiction inspiring the novel Lonesome Dove, a song by Clint Black and countless other cowboy stories. Tom Thomas, CU Colorado History professor will tell the true story of their drives complete with the intrigue of how 2,000 cattle were driven by 18 armed cowboys for two thousand miles on an undeveloped trail. Desert crossing, mountain climbing, the Navaho (recently moved to reservations), outlaw Comanche, rustlers and the US government, all get involved in the story. Once their trial was established over Raton Pass it made fortunes for many Colorado businessmen including John Wesley Iliff. This evening’s talk complete with historic images is a truly fascinating story told by an equally entertaining historian.

ADMISSION
$10 ($7 CCA & Boulder History Museum Member)
Order Online - SOLD OUT

Co-sponsored by Colorado Chautauqua Association.