Were cowboys called cowboys back then?
I was watching a cowboy movie and thinking about this. Was the word “cowboy” assigned to those who fit the category after they were no longer the standard way of life or did they call themselves that at the time?
“I need some new boots” or ” I need some new cowboy boots?”
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Good point. Outlaws. ranchers, trappers, bounty hunters, the Kid etc
From my quick armchair research, it was current in the West by 1881, and seems to have become a household word in Chicago during the 1880s.
Statements after the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral:
Wyatt Earp – Nov. 17, 1881 – “It was generally understood among officers, and those who have information about criminals, that Ike Clanton was a sort of chief among the cowboys….” link
Mrs. M.J. King – Oct. 30, 1881 – “I inquired what was the matter, and they said there was going to be a fuss between the Earp boys and cowboys…” link
Chicago Tribune archive search for “cowboy”
1860 – 1869
6 results
1870 – 1879
15 results
1880 – 1889
1023 results
http://www.tombstone1880.com/archives/wyatt.htm
^ This.
Though, it certainly wouldn’t have been “I need some new cowboy boots”. I think most people around Reconstruction and the years after would have been glad to have boots that were meant for human feet and were free of holes, regardless of the appearance.
I think the term “cowboy” was originally synonymous with “cattleman”, although it was generally used for the hired hands who handled the cattle, rather than the ranchers who owned them.
The term “cowboy” originated in 1623.
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