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Moo-la LbNA #44160

Owner:Lone Star Quilter
Plant date:Oct 22, 2008
Location:
City:Stephenville
County:Erath
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: 8R
Last found:Nov 25, 2012
Status:FFFFFaFFFFFFFa
Last edited:Oct 22, 2008
The REAL Cowboy Capital of the World (sorry, Bandera) is located in what's referred to as the Cross Timbers region of the state. How can a small county named “Erath”, 70 miles south of Fort Worth and almost 2 hours from Abilene, make such a bold claim? Easy! The Cross Timbers region has been a thoroughfare to the American Cowboy since Americans crossed the Mississippi westward. The lush, timbered basins of the Trinity, Brazos and Bosque Rivers (the timber ranges "crossed" at this juncture, hence the name "Cross Timbers") yielded thousands of unbranded Longhorn cattle. Essentially, it's where the longhorns came to graze. The famous Goodnight-Loving trail originated from the Cross Timbers region; the Great Western Trail passed right through the heart of the Cross Timbers area. One old-timer told me that one of those trails started right where the Sonic Drive-In is located on Washington Street in Stephenville and insisted there should be an historical marker (or at least a letterbox) placed there. This Cross Timbers area is one of very few places in the United States that is directly involved in the evolution of the “professional cowboy.” During the period from 1930 to 1950, the ranch cowboy discovered that the general public was enamored with the idea of the Cowboy. A significant number of movies produced by Hollywood glamorized the myth of the Cowboy and the public yearned to get more of him. To meet this need, rodeos were held in Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden, etc. These rodeos played to packed houses, even during the Great Depression. Since the first indoor rodeos were held in Fort Worth at the Cowtown Coliseum, much of the expertise for these big-building rodeos came from the Cowboys of the Cross Timbers area, many of which called Stephenville their home. This being the Cowboy Capital, you are quite likely to find all things Cowboy just as you had hoped, in every direction you turn. For example, here's where you'll find the largest private Country and Western club in the state, with live CW bands and two steppin' all night long. Then there's the Cross Timbers Country Opry, a thriving equine industry, and the fact that Stephenville is the county seat of Erath County, the largest milk producer in Texas. Hey, where you find cowboys, you gotta find cows. And selling all that milk, about $23,000,000 annually, now that’s a lot of Moo-la! Which brings us to this letterbox:

Directions:

Get yourself to the courthouse in Stephenville, Texas. You’ll surely admire this beautiful 1893 structure. Just across the street is the Cowboy Walk of Fame, if you’d care to visit. Might be worth your while. Then, look for the big black and white dairy cow standing right on the courthouse square.

To the box:

From the cow, go southeast on S. Graham St., crossing the Bosque River, and turn right into Stephenville City Park. Go past the softball fields on the left and the tennis courts on the right, then immediately turn right and through the low-water crossing and look for a red brick pavilion on the left. Turn into the parking area there and notice that this small plot is called Century Park and was built to honor local pioneers. After parking, walk through the pavilion to the sidewalk that runs along the banks of the river. Go left a short distance to a green barricade and stop, facing it. Immediately to the right you’ll see a leaning oak tree about 6 steps away. At its base under bark, you'll find Moo-La! Please replace all as you found it or better, to be sure the box won’t be accidentally seen by walkers, joggers or picnic-ers. This is a popular park, so be stealthy. Thanks.