Many of us grew up glued to Westerns, watching heroic figures gallop across the screen while the vast majority of those on screen were white. Yet the real frontier was a kaleidoscope of cultures, and scholars now estimate that roughly one in four cowhands were Black. In this roundup of the ten most remarkable black cowpunchers, we’ll explore how they broke broncos, delivered mail, captured outlaws, and even invented new rodeo tricks. These are the 10 African American legends who helped shape the Old West.
10 African American Cowboys: An Overview
10 Addison Jones
Dubbed “the most noted Negro cowboy that ever topped off a horse,” Addison Jones earned fame for his uncanny talent at breaking wild broncos—a perilous art that required a rider to cling on as the animal bucked wildly, often tossing the rider for good. While most men quit this grueling work in their thirties, Addison rode on until he was seventy, seemingly able to read a horse’s thoughts simply by meeting its gaze. He was equally adept at riding, roping, and driving cattle, making him a true triple‑threat on the range.
Historian J. Evetts Haley once described one of Addison’s signature roping feats: he would cinch a rope tightly around his hips, herd a horse into a corral corner or open pasture, then at full gallop lasso the animal around its neck. Where another rider might be dragged to death, Addison’s sheer will and rope‑hand skill would flatten the beast onto the ground, leaving onlookers in awe.
Local lore from Roswell, New Mexico, tells of the day Addison married: every nearby ranch sent a gift, but each chose the same present—nineteen cooking stoves—leaving the newlyweds with a mountain of metal. Though little is known about his private life, his prowess earned him a mention in the folk song “Whose Old Cow?” Unfortunately, the song’s lyrics contain dated racial slurs, so it has largely fallen out of the modern repertoire.
9 Mary Fields
Better known as “Stagecoach Mary,” Mary Fields was a force of nature in Montana’s rugged high country. She boasted that a single punch could knock any man out, and newspaper accounts of the era claimed she broke more noses than any other resident of central Montana. Always armed with a six‑shooter tucked beneath her apron, Mary was as comfortable with a rifle as she was with a hammer, and the town of Cascade even declared her birthday a school holiday.
Born into slavery in Tennessee, Mary earned her freedom after the Civil War and later worked aboard the famed steamboat Robert E Lee during its legendary race against the Natchez, where crews even tossed ham and bacon into the boilers to boost pressure. By 1885 she had moved to Cascade to work for the nuns of St. Peter’s Convent, handling heavy labor such as hauling supplies, carpentry, and stonemasonry. One of her most celebrated moments came when wolves besieged her supply wagon at night; she stood guard with her revolver until dawn, protecting the cargo.
Mary’s fiery temperament eventually led to her dismissal by the local bishop, but she quickly rebounded by winning a mail‑carrier contract at age sixty—making her only the second woman ever hired by the U.S. Postal Service. Beyond the badge, she tended a garden, gifted bouquets to the local baseball team, and even babysat future Hollywood star Gary Cooper. After retiring, she attempted to open a restaurant but gave away meals to those in need, and when her house burned in 1912 the whole town rebuilt it for her. She died in 1914 from liver failure, leaving behind a legacy of grit and generosity.
8 Charlie Willis
Charlie Willis entered the world enslaved in Austin, Texas, in 1847, but rose to prominence as a bronco‑busting virtuoso and seasoned cattle drover. At eighteen he began taming wild horses for the Morris Ranch in Bartlett, and by twenty‑three he had married Laura Davis, together raising four sons and three daughters. From age twenty‑four onward, he traversed the legendary Chisholm Trail—over a thousand miles of dusty prairie—transporting cattle to Kansas railheads.
Charlie’s most enduring claim to fame is the folk tune “Good‑bye, Old Paint.” Preserved today at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, the song was first collected in 1947 by musicologist John Lomax, who recorded fiddle player Jess Morris performing it. Although the tune was initially credited to Morris, Lomax later clarified that Charlie had taught the lyrics to the younger musician. The title “Old Paint” supposedly honored Charlie’s trusted horse on the Chisholm Trail.
Charlie lived a long life, passing away in 1930 and being laid to rest beside his Bartlett property. His contributions to cowboy music and trail‑blazing remain celebrated by historians of Western culture.
7 Isom Dart
The historical record on Isom Dart is murky. Some accounts paint him as a notorious rustler, while others portray him as an ordinary rancher who crossed paths with the infamous Pinkerton detective Tom Horn. On October 4, 1900, Dart emerged from his cabin in Brown’s Hole, Colorado, only to be gunned down by an unseen shooter; two spent shells were later found beneath a nearby tree, and the murderer was never formally identified.
Dart had settled in Brown’s Hole two decades earlier, establishing a ranch that some whispered was actually a front for the outlaw Ned Huddlestone, the sole survivor of Wyoming’s Tip Gault gang. In the valley, he allegedly teamed with small‑scale ranchers Matt Rash, Jim McKnight, and “Queen Ann” Bassett to rustle cattle from the massive holdings of baron Ora Haley. Some historians argue that Haley deliberately tried to drive out the smaller ranchers, prompting him to hire Tom Horn to investigate rustling rumors.
Undercover, Horn infiltrated Rash’s ranch, sending cryptic letters warning Dart and Rash to leave town. In July 1900, Rash was found dead, his final words illegible. Dart refused to abandon his homestead and was slain a few months later. Though the case remained unsolved, Horn would later be executed in 1903 for the murder of a fourteen‑year‑old boy.
6 The Texas Kid
John “The Texas Kid” Hayes remains an enigmatic figure, remembered chiefly for his audacious stand against segregation. Born in Waco, Texas, he roamed the frontier hunting down “Whites‑Only” signs on saloon doors. When he spotted one, he would stride inside, demand a drink, and if denied, would charge his horse through the establishment, blasting the lights before galloping away.
Another towering black cowboy, Jess Crumbly of Cheyenne—nicknamed “Flip” for his ability to send opponents sprawling—stood at an impressive 6 ft 4 in and weighed about 245 lb. Like Hayes, Crumbly refused to be barred from any saloon, drinking wherever he pleased.
The broader struggle against segregation in the West saw numerous acts of defiance, culminating in 1878 when Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry opened fire on a saloon in San Angelo, Texas, after locals assaulted their sergeant.
5 Bass Reeves
Following the Civil War, Indian Territory—now Oklahoma—earned a reputation as the nation’s most lawless region. Outlaws fled there in such numbers that a Native American children’s chant warned, “What was your name in the States?” Of the roughly 200 U.S. Marshals killed on duty, a staggering 130 perished in Indian Territory. When Judge Isaac C. Parker, known as the “Hanging Judge,” arrived in 1875 to impose order, he recruited the extraordinary Bass Reeves as a deputy marshal.
Born into slavery in Arkansas, Reeves escaped after punching his owner during a card game. He lived among the Creek and Seminole peoples, mastering several indigenous languages. As a marshal, his fluency and rapport with tribal communities gave him a decisive edge over outlaws who threatened to kill any lawman crossing the “Dead Line” into Indian Territory.
Reeves’ record is staggering: over 27 years he captured more than 3,000 fugitives, killed over a dozen, and once returned from a circuit with a dozen wanted men tied behind his wagon. On one occasion he confronted three notorious outlaws, killing two and forcing the third to surrender. He also intervened in a lynch mob, rescuing the intended victim, and later quelled a budding race war by arresting every participant. Tragically, his most personal case involved arresting his own son, who was sentenced to life for murdering his wife.
4 Cherokee Bill
Crawford “Cherokee Bill” Goldsby epitomized the outlaw archetype of the Old West. The son of a Cherokee mother and an African‑American Buffalo Soldier from the 10th Cavalry, Goldsby allegedly committed his first murder at twelve, shooting his brother‑in‑law over a domestic dispute. Though his youth spared him severe punishment, he later killed again at eighteen and fled his hometown.
Authorities tracked him to Oklahoma’s Indian Territory, where he joined the Cook brothers’ gang. A violent showdown ensued, resulting in the death of lawman Sequoyah Houston, after which Goldsby escaped. When his sister Maud sheltered him, Goldsby grew enraged at her abusive husband, eventually killing him as well.
Back with the Cook brothers, the gang embarked on a crime spree, robbing banks and trains across Oklahoma. Their most daring feat involved holding up the Missouri Pacific depot, then riding hard for two hours to rob a railway agent in the next town. They later wrecked the Kansas City and Pacific Express, murdered a railway agent in Nowata, and ambushed a train, shooting an employee as the doors opened.
Goldsby’s capture led to a trial before Judge Isaac Parker, who sentenced him to death for murdering a bystander during a robbery. In a final desperate attempt, a smuggled pistol allowed him to try a breakout, but a standoff with guards ended when fellow inmate Henry Starr negotiated his surrender. Goldsby was hanged, his last words reportedly, “This is about as good a day to die as any.”
3 Nat Love
Nat “Deadwood Dick” Love secured his place in legend by penning his own autobiography, The Life And Adventures Of Nat Love, Otherwise Known In Cattle Country As Deadwood Dick. Though historians regard his flamboyant prose as highly embellished, the book offers a vivid portrait of a self‑made cowboy. According to Love, he left Tennessee at sixteen, seeking frontier adventure, and quickly proved his mettle breaking horses for the Duval Ranch crew in Kansas City.
The trail boss promised him a job if he could tame a notoriously untamed horse named “Good Eye.” Nat succeeded after a grueling ride, earning $30 a month and soon rising to chief brand reader and “battle buyer,” a role that took him to Mexico where he became fluent in Spanish. He also honed his marksmanship, eventually joining the Gallagher ranch in Arizona, where he fought rustlers and hostile Native Americans.
One Fourth of July, Nat’s herd reached Deadwood, South Dakota, where a town‑wide cowboy contest offered a $200 prize. He swept every event—roping, riding, bridging, saddling, and shooting—earning the nickname “Deadwood Dick.” Later, he retired as a Pullman porter, chronicling his exploits, though independent verification of many of his claimed feats remains scarce.
2 Bill Pickett
Bill Pickett, of Black and Native American ancestry, rose to fame as a rodeo pioneer in early‑20th‑century Texas. He invented “bulldogging,” a daring technique where a rider would rush a bull, grab its head, and bite down on the upper lip, causing the animal to recoil in pain and become easier to wrestle to the ground. Inspired by actual bulldogs that subdued cattle, Pickett’s method became a rodeo staple before later concerns over animal cruelty led to its removal.
Beyond his innovative wrestling, Pickett dazzled crowds with the Miller Brothers’ 101 Ranch Show and delivered a spectacular performance at Cheyenne Frontier Days, becoming the first Black cowboy featured in a motion picture. His life ended tragically in 1932 when a horse kicked him in the head; his death was announced on Will Rogers’ radio program. In 1972, Bill was posthumously inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame.
1 Bob Lemmons
Bob Lemmons earned renown for his unrivaled skill at capturing wild mustangs. After being born into slavery, he secured his freedom and migrated to West Texas, where the open range teemed with untamed horses. Employed by rancher Duncan Lammons—who bestowed upon him the surname Lemmons—Bob learned the intricacies of horse handling while tending cattle.
Mustangs were coveted, and Bob’s unique method involved gaining the herd’s trust over time. While a crowd would spook the herd, Bob worked alone, gradually infiltrating the group without alarm. He would then mount the leading stallion; once the lead was broken, the rest of the herd would follow, allowing him to round them up with remarkable efficiency.
This lucrative expertise enabled Bob to amass enough wealth to purchase his own ranch, where he raised both horses and cattle. During the Great Depression, he and his wife Barbara became celebrated for their generosity, assisting neighbors in dire need. Bob passed away in 1947, just shy of his hundredth birthday, leaving a legacy of horsemanship and community spirit.