Most people are familiar with the tales of cowboys in the Old West leading herds of cattle from Texas to places such as Kansas. Movies such as Lonesome Dove have characterized cattle drives from Texas to Montana and movies such as Monte Walsh (with Tom Selleck) have characterized the ruggedness and individuality that made the American cowboy a unique breed on the stage of world history.
Yet few are aware that before the Old West cowboy entered the stage there was another type of cowboy in Florida. Florida’s first cowboys were known as Cracker Cowboys. The origin of the name is lost to history...
