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Quintessential
Cowboys
Quintessential
Cowboys
F
OR SOME, THE IMAGE OF THE COWBOY LOOKS MORE LIKE
JOHN WAYNE OR ROY ROGERS, but the reality is far deeper
and richer than the glamorized perception of the Old West.
"That's Hollywood," says Christy Stensland, executive director for
the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center. "For
Montana, cowboys have always been diverse."
Stensland points out that those who worked cattle came from all walks of
life. Outward appearances and social norms were less important than competency.
In this regard, these four inspiring characters, who are all inductees in the Montana
Cowboy Hall of Fame, exemplify the toughness and tenacity of Montana's Western
heritage.
These are but brief glimpses into the rich lives of these quintessential cowhands
who exhibited the grit and tenacity that made them stand out in an already im-
pressive crowd. For more detailed accounts of their lives, visit the Montana
Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage website at montanacow-
boyfame.org!
BELKNAP "BALLIE" BUCK
Growing up as a Metis, someone with Indigenous and Eu-
ropean parentage, with an Assiniboine mother and white
father, Belknap "Ballie" Buck straddled both worlds with
style. Born in 1872, his mother, Spotted Hail Stone,
named him Wolf-on-a-Hill, but he was raised primar-
ily by his father, Army Captain Daniel Buck, and his
stepmother, Susan. At eight, his father sent him to
a horse operation where his innate talent was ob-
vious from this young age.
As Ballie matured, his father wisely
told him, "You're going to be big and strong,
but unless you're a gentleman, you'll just
be big." Ballie took it to heart, and was
renowned by those who worked with or
around him.
by AMY GRISAK
Quintessential
Cowboys
Celebrating
the
Diversity
of
Montana's
Cowboy
Culture.
BELKNAP
"BALLIE" BUCK
PHOTO COURTESY GLENBOW MUSEUM ARCHIVE
