Woods, Seth 1980-05-00

Seth Woods, former manager of the Masterson Ranch, discusses early cowboy life on the ranch.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Seth Woods

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: May 1980

Location: None Given

Interviewer: Elizabeth Shrank

Length: 2 hours 20 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Grocery shopping for the chuck wagon (1910-1920) Seth Woods Ranch manger at the Masterson Ranch since 1925 Meat storage at the ranch Meat storage on the chuck wagon Yellow House Canyon Windmill Blew down (1954) XIT Ranch workers discussed Sam Oates Bob Duke Land owner and operator Chuck wagon food supply list During spring and fall cattle roundup Storage of bacon Creation of the chuck wagon Chuck wagon at Masterson Ranch Spring and fall cattle roundup Guarding the cattle During the night Night horse Grubian horse Description Incident of being pitched Began guarding cattle at age 8 Size of herds Dalhart, Texas Woods raised there Old hotel located in Clayton, New Mexico Entertainment for cowboys Cowboys’ Christmas Ball at Dalhart Anecdote "Old Paint" (song) Written by Jess Morris Chuck wagon Compartments.

Tape 1, Side 2: Chuck wagon (continued), Coffee grinder and coffee, Supply list, Cooks, Food eaten, Ranch work day, Cowboys began early, Present day, Stamford Rodeo, Incident in 1926, Truscott, Texas, Location of Ranch headquarters, Interviewer at Pitchfork Ranch, Interview conducted there, Ranch owners, history, Family members, Chuck wagon used on range, Hoodlum wagon, Description, Origin of name, Keeping horses on the range, Rope corral, Description, method for constructing, Type of horses, Pen used, Disadvantages.

Tape 2, Side 1: Keeping horses on the range, Horse wrangler, Horses left loose at night, Woods’ duties as a child, Jimmy Woods, son, Injured by a horse, Owned a saddle shop, Recovery from injuries, Accident, Woods’ brother in World War I, Training, Company, Battle incident, Took German machine gun, Army occupation after the war, Woods’ family, Paternal grandfather fought in the Civil War, Maternal grandfather was a shoe cobbler, James Woods, father, Family, Anecdote about spurs, Owned a ranch, Location, To Dallam County, Texas (1902), Christmas entertainment.

Tape 2, Side 2: Lovella Oates, sister, Sam Oates, husband, Worked for the railroad, Injured in a wreck, Arch Sneed, At XIT celebration (reunion) (1948), Bob Duke, Mrs. (Cordelia Sloan) Duke, Book written about XIT (10,000 Miles of Fence), J. Evetts Haley, author, Southwest Collection, Photographs, Seth Woods, With Halsa ranch at Muleshoe, Texas, To California (1922), With brothers and families, Through the desert, Anecdote, Brother, Was in the Army, Returned to Texas (c. 1924), Lived at Dalhart, Winter weather, Blizzard (1911-1912), Cattle froze to death, Blizzard (1918), Cut fence to save cattle, Roof came off the barn, Incident involving horses, While looking for cattle, Various photographs discussed, Story about a dance, Cooking on the range, Barbecue.

Tape 3, Side 1: Cook on the range (continued), Tricks used, Boji, Strange canyon sound, Incidents, anecdotes, Water supply, Dependent on rain, Water tanks, Process for catching water, Equipment used, Track in a rock described, In a canyon.

Tape 3, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1900-1980

Bulk Dates: 1910-1960

Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.