Frank H. Maynard
Encyclopedia
Francis Henry Maynard, known as Frank H. Maynard (December 16, 1853 – March 28, 1926), was an old-time cowboy
of the American West who claimed authorship of the revised version of the well-known ballad
, "The Streets of Laredo
". After a decade of roaming the West, Maynard settled down with his wife, the former Flora V. Longstreth (1860–1931), to work as a highly successful carpenter and building contractor in Colorado Springs
, Colorado
. Yet, his interest remained in reminiscenses of his time as a cowboy and the desire to tell his special story for posterity.
in Emporia
, Kansas
. In 1923, while attending the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo
in Colorado Springs, Maynard met the Illinois
journalist
Elmo Scott Watson
, a former reporter for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Telegraph
. Watson learned that Maynard claimed credit for having revised the composition of "Cowboy's' Lament," a western poem and song better known as "Streets of Laredo". Maynard was working as a nightwatchman at the rodeo, not for extra wages, but to be near the cowboy culture of his youth.
Watson's article about Maynard, published in January 1924, brought national attention to both men. Watson, then a professor
at the University of Illinois soon to switch to Northwestern University
in Evanston
, Illinois, took the view that while Maynard did not write the lyrics to "Cowboy's Lament," he nevertheless adapted it from an Irish
ballad
. "The matter of authorship of a ballad is a perplexing one ... In a sense the ballad represents the contribution of a succession of bards, rather than the work of a single poet," explained Watson. Yet, it is plausible that Maynard adjusted the poem so that the mentioned "ranger," a reference to the cowboy on the prairie, rather than a lawman, became the central character of the poem.
in Johnson County
in eastern Iowa
, the second of five children of Horace Maynard (1822–1890), no relation to a Tennessee
politician
of the same name, and Georgiana Maynard (born 1829; date of death unknown). At the age of sixteen, Maynard left home to look for adventure, first along the Platte River
. He lived for a time in Towanda
in Butler County
, Kansas, with a widowed maternal aunt. The other Maynard family members soon moved to Butler County, and for a time young Maynard and his father hauled freight from Emporia to Wichita
, Kansas. In 1870, Maynard went on his first buffalo
hunt in Kingman County
, Kansas.
In the spring of 1872 at the age of eighteen, Maynard was "officially" a cowboy, a livelihood that he maintained until his marriage in 1881. In the spring and summer of 1872, he helped to drive a herd of horses, which had been wintered in Kansas to Jacksboro
in Jack County
in north central Texas
. On the return to Kansas, he joined other drovers on a cattle drive. One of the cowhands on the drive was Rube Arp, a native Texan and former Confederate
who befriended the young northerner and son of a veteran of the Union Army
from threats by others on the drive. Maynard clashed with a former Confederate from Arkansas
known only as "Slusher" because of Slusher's practice of downing large quantities of rotgut whisky
. After several clashes, Maynard left the drive until he was informed of a plot to kill him. He took refuge at Fort Richardson
near Jacksboro, became ill, and was treated for two weeks by an Indian
family before he could resume his trip north to Kansas. Maynard was later reconciled with "Slusher."
Chapter of the Modern Woodmen of America and was the treasurer of the organization by 1890. He became a partner in a speculative venture, the Buckeye Gold Mining and Milling Company located near Cripple Creek
, Colorado.
The Maynards belonged to the Trinity Methodist Church in Colorado Springs though Flora's brother-in-law, Forrest Rose, was the pastor of a smaller Methodist church a couple of miles closer to them. Flora's desire to attend a large congregation was an irritation to her sister, Blanche, Forrest's wife. Flora was sensitive about family complaints when she had married Maynard because of his past as a roaming cowboy who might not make the transition to a sedentary life-style. Maynard was said to have lived a "good Christ
ian life but without outward religious forms; he didn't have any pious posturing."
Flora Maynard was vocal, not diplomatic, about her demands in the household. While Frank preferred outdoor events, Flora was partial to indoor social affairs. She rejected Frank's interest in camping
. There are two surviving photographs of a group of women on a mountain trail up Pikes Peak and another at Steamboat Spring
. Family members over the year recall having seen Frank's camping wagon parked and falling apart. Despite the differences, Flora seemed to have real affection for Frank. In a letter she expresses loneliness while Frank was away on a construction project in Grand Junction
in western Colorado.
, Marshal
of Dodge City
and brother of Bat Masterson
. Marshal Ed Masterson was killed in a gunfight on April 9, 1878, in Dodge City, Kansas. Maynard wrote the author Jack London
, who urged him to write short articles for magazines before trying to produce a book-length manuscript of Maynard's days in the Old West. In 1911, Maynard produced Rhymes of the Range and Trail, copyright
ed and self-published, probably in few copies.
Gerald Rose, Maynard's nephew, spent much time with his uncle because of their shared interest in the outdoors and in the West itself. Maynard is believed to have spent much of his time in retirement either in his workshop or visiting with friends to reminiscense about the past. It was during this later time that he met by chance Elmo Scott Watson, who offered him advice not unlike that of Jack London in putting Maynard's ideas on paper.
A few months after Watson's article on Maynard appeared, E. D. Baker of McGill
, Nevada
, began writing to Maynard to share their past experiences on the trail, including the sharing of songs and poems. At the time Maynard wrote his articles and poems, old-time cowboys with interesting stories were plentiful to the point of annoying. A century later such accounts are rare. Maynard's memoir hence allows people in the 21st century to "vicariously experience" the events that Maynard recorded.
In his memoir, Maynard relates about many events of the West, including stampede
s, grasshopper
pestilence
s, how to kill buffalo with a single shot, white outlaws posing as Indians, instances of genuine friendship on the plains, mistaken hangings, and his acquaintance with prominent western figures, such as Bill Tilghman
, Wyatt Earp
, and Buffalo Bill Cody.
Maynard was ill for much of the last year of his life, apparently a victim of cardiovascular disease
and other ailments. The Maynards are interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
of the American West who claimed authorship of the revised version of the well-known ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, "The Streets of Laredo
Streets of Laredo (song)
"Streets of Laredo" , also known as the "Cowboy's Lament", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying cowboy tells his story to a living one. Derived from the English folk song "The Unfortunate Lad", it has become a folk music standard, and as such has been performed, recorded and adapted...
". After a decade of roaming the West, Maynard settled down with his wife, the former Flora V. Longstreth (1860–1931), to work as a highly successful carpenter and building contractor in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Yet, his interest remained in reminiscenses of his time as a cowboy and the desire to tell his special story for posterity.
Cowboy's Lament
Maynard left a memoir that was discovered, edited, and published in 2010 under the title Cowboy's Lament: A Life on the Open Range, by Jim Hoy of the Center for Great Plains Studies at Emporia State UniversityEmporia State University
Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...
in Emporia
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. In 1923, while attending the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo
Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo
Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo is a Colorado rodeo sanctioned by the PRCA .The rodeo is a long standing Colorado tradition dating back to 1937...
in Colorado Springs, Maynard met the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Elmo Scott Watson
Elmo Scott Watson
Elmo Scott Watson was an American journalist and college professor, whose longest educational stint was at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois...
, a former reporter for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Telegraph
The Gazette (Colorado Springs)
The Gazette is a newspaper based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It is published daily by Irvine, California-based Freedom Communications...
. Watson learned that Maynard claimed credit for having revised the composition of "Cowboy's' Lament," a western poem and song better known as "Streets of Laredo". Maynard was working as a nightwatchman at the rodeo, not for extra wages, but to be near the cowboy culture of his youth.
Watson's article about Maynard, published in January 1924, brought national attention to both men. Watson, then a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the University of Illinois soon to switch to Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois, took the view that while Maynard did not write the lyrics to "Cowboy's Lament," he nevertheless adapted it from an Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
. "The matter of authorship of a ballad is a perplexing one ... In a sense the ballad represents the contribution of a succession of bards, rather than the work of a single poet," explained Watson. Yet, it is plausible that Maynard adjusted the poem so that the mentioned "ranger," a reference to the cowboy on the prairie, rather than a lawman, became the central character of the poem.
Early years
Maynard was born in Iowa CityIowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
in Johnson County
Johnson County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 130,882 in the county, with a population density of . There were 55,967 housing units, of which 52,715 were occupied.-2000 census:...
in eastern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, the second of five children of Horace Maynard (1822–1890), no relation to a Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of the same name, and Georgiana Maynard (born 1829; date of death unknown). At the age of sixteen, Maynard left home to look for adventure, first along the Platte River
Platte River
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...
. He lived for a time in Towanda
Towanda, Kansas
Towanda is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,450.-21st century:In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was constructed a few blocks west of Towanda , running north to south through Butler County, with much controversy over tax...
in Butler County
Butler County, Kansas
Butler County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 65,880. Its county seat and most populous city is El Dorado. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area.-19th century:It was named in...
, Kansas, with a widowed maternal aunt. The other Maynard family members soon moved to Butler County, and for a time young Maynard and his father hauled freight from Emporia to Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Kansas. In 1870, Maynard went on his first buffalo
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
hunt in Kingman County
Kingman County, Kansas
Kingman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,858. The largest city and county seat is Kingman.-History:...
, Kansas.
In the spring of 1872 at the age of eighteen, Maynard was "officially" a cowboy, a livelihood that he maintained until his marriage in 1881. In the spring and summer of 1872, he helped to drive a herd of horses, which had been wintered in Kansas to Jacksboro
Jacksboro, Texas
Jacksboro is a city in Jack County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,533 at the 2000 census. Jacksboro is located at the junction of U.S...
in Jack County
Jack County, Texas
*Bryson*Jacksboro*Jermyn *Joplin *Perrin *Gibtown-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jack County, Texas-External links:*...
in north central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. On the return to Kansas, he joined other drovers on a cattle drive. One of the cowhands on the drive was Rube Arp, a native Texan and former Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
who befriended the young northerner and son of a veteran of the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
from threats by others on the drive. Maynard clashed with a former Confederate from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
known only as "Slusher" because of Slusher's practice of downing large quantities of rotgut whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
. After several clashes, Maynard left the drive until he was informed of a plot to kill him. He took refuge at Fort Richardson
Fort Richardson, Texas
Fort Richardson was an United States Army installation located one mile south of Jacksboro, Texas. Named in honor of Union General Israel B...
near Jacksboro, became ill, and was treated for two weeks by an Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
family before he could resume his trip north to Kansas. Maynard was later reconciled with "Slusher."
Life in Colorado Springs
After nine years as a cowboy, Maynard married and began work as a carptenter. It is unclear how he learned the trade, but he was financially successful in his career. As his business grew, so did his social and professional contacts. He joined the Pikes PeakPikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
Chapter of the Modern Woodmen of America and was the treasurer of the organization by 1890. He became a partner in a speculative venture, the Buckeye Gold Mining and Milling Company located near Cripple Creek
Cripple Creek, Colorado
The City of Cripple Creek is a Statutory City that is the county seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States. Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located southwest of Colorado Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. The Cripple Creek Historic District, which received National Historic...
, Colorado.
The Maynards belonged to the Trinity Methodist Church in Colorado Springs though Flora's brother-in-law, Forrest Rose, was the pastor of a smaller Methodist church a couple of miles closer to them. Flora's desire to attend a large congregation was an irritation to her sister, Blanche, Forrest's wife. Flora was sensitive about family complaints when she had married Maynard because of his past as a roaming cowboy who might not make the transition to a sedentary life-style. Maynard was said to have lived a "good Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
ian life but without outward religious forms; he didn't have any pious posturing."
Flora Maynard was vocal, not diplomatic, about her demands in the household. While Frank preferred outdoor events, Flora was partial to indoor social affairs. She rejected Frank's interest in camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
. There are two surviving photographs of a group of women on a mountain trail up Pikes Peak and another at Steamboat Spring
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
The city of Steamboat Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The city is also known as "Steamboat," "The Boat," or "Ski Town USA". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.The city is an...
. Family members over the year recall having seen Frank's camping wagon parked and falling apart. Despite the differences, Flora seemed to have real affection for Frank. In a letter she expresses loneliness while Frank was away on a construction project in Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
in western Colorado.
Interest in writing
Maynard began writing articles and poems about his western experience, particularly by 1911. He put new words to what became "Cowboy's Lament" as early as 1876. Maynard sang one of his poems over the grave of his friend, Ed MastersonEd Masterson
Ed Masterson was a lawman and the brother of the American West gunfighters Bat Masterson and James Masterson.-Lawman career:...
, Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
of Dodge City
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
and brother of Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
. Marshal Ed Masterson was killed in a gunfight on April 9, 1878, in Dodge City, Kansas. Maynard wrote the author Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
, who urged him to write short articles for magazines before trying to produce a book-length manuscript of Maynard's days in the Old West. In 1911, Maynard produced Rhymes of the Range and Trail, copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
ed and self-published, probably in few copies.
Gerald Rose, Maynard's nephew, spent much time with his uncle because of their shared interest in the outdoors and in the West itself. Maynard is believed to have spent much of his time in retirement either in his workshop or visiting with friends to reminiscense about the past. It was during this later time that he met by chance Elmo Scott Watson, who offered him advice not unlike that of Jack London in putting Maynard's ideas on paper.
A few months after Watson's article on Maynard appeared, E. D. Baker of McGill
McGill, Nevada
McGill is a census-designated place in White Pine County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,148 at the 2010 census.-Geography:McGill is located at ....
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, began writing to Maynard to share their past experiences on the trail, including the sharing of songs and poems. At the time Maynard wrote his articles and poems, old-time cowboys with interesting stories were plentiful to the point of annoying. A century later such accounts are rare. Maynard's memoir hence allows people in the 21st century to "vicariously experience" the events that Maynard recorded.
In his memoir, Maynard relates about many events of the West, including stampede
Stampede
A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose....
s, grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
pestilence
Pestilence
Pestilence may refer to:*Pestilence, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse symbolizing plague in some interpretations of the book of Revelation*Pestilence , a Dutch death metal group...
s, how to kill buffalo with a single shot, white outlaws posing as Indians, instances of genuine friendship on the plains, mistaken hangings, and his acquaintance with prominent western figures, such as Bill Tilghman
Bill Tilghman
William Matthew "Bill" Tilghman was a lawman in the American Old West.-Early life :Bill Tilghman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on July 4, 1854. He became a buffalo hunter at age 15 and claimed he killed over 1000 bison over his five years of activity...
, Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
, and Buffalo Bill Cody.
Maynard was ill for much of the last year of his life, apparently a victim of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
and other ailments. The Maynards are interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.