Texas Jack (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
Texas Jack Jr., adopted son of Texas Jack Omohundro
, is best known for running a Wild West show
and circus where he gave Will Rogers
his start as an entertainer.
Not long after the American Civil War
, Texas Jack Omohundro found a five year old boy, orphaned when his parents were killed by native Americans. Omohundro cared for him and he took to calling himself Texas Jack Jr., dropping the "Jr." in later years after Omohundro's death in 1880.
Texas Jack became a sharpshooter and rough rider in shows around the world, including South Africa
. By 1899 he was in England with a show called "Savage South Africa". A couple of years later he returned to Africa and then started "Texas Jack's Wild West Show & Circus".
In 1902, Will Rogers met Texas Jack, hoping to get some kind of job wrangling the tents or the horses, but when Jack asked him if he could do a rope trick
, Rogers obliged and was hired as an entertainer.
Texas Jack died in Kroonstad, South Africa, in 1905. He was survived by his common law wife, Lyle (or Lil) Marr, who was a sharpshooter in his show.
Texas Jack Omohundro
John Baker Omohundro , also known as "Texas Jack," was a frontier scout, actor, and cowboy.He was born at Pleasure Hill, near Palmyra, Virginia, to John B. and Catherine Omohundro. In his early teens, he left home, made his way alone to Texas, and became a cowboy...
, is best known for running a Wild West show
Wild West Shows
Wild West Shows were traveling vaudeville performances in the United States and Europe. The first and prototypical wild west show was Buffalo Bill's, formed in 1883 and lasting until 1913...
and circus where he gave Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
his start as an entertainer.
Not long after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Texas Jack Omohundro found a five year old boy, orphaned when his parents were killed by native Americans. Omohundro cared for him and he took to calling himself Texas Jack Jr., dropping the "Jr." in later years after Omohundro's death in 1880.
Texas Jack became a sharpshooter and rough rider in shows around the world, including South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. By 1899 he was in England with a show called "Savage South Africa". A couple of years later he returned to Africa and then started "Texas Jack's Wild West Show & Circus".
In 1902, Will Rogers met Texas Jack, hoping to get some kind of job wrangling the tents or the horses, but when Jack asked him if he could do a rope trick
Trick roping
Trick roping is an entertainment or competitive art involving the spinning of a lasso or lariat. It is particularly associated with wild west shows or western arts in the United States....
, Rogers obliged and was hired as an entertainer.
Texas Jack died in Kroonstad, South Africa, in 1905. He was survived by his common law wife, Lyle (or Lil) Marr, who was a sharpshooter in his show.