Besides Stephenville, Texas, there are several cities across the nation that refer to themselves as the "Cowboy Capital of the World." Whoa! Now, wait a minute! How can Dodge City, Kansas, Banderas, Texas and Oakdale, California ALL claim the same title as Stephenville? Somebody ain't tellin' the truth.

Git a rope.

True, Oakdale, California had the first outdoor rodeo in the West, started early in the fabulous 50's. Nineteen fifties, that is. What's so "Cowboy" about the era of Rockabilly, Elvis, 3-D movies and the hoola-hoop?

Banderas, Texas got its start as a staging area for the great cattle drives of yesteryear. The town is known for its "dude" ranches which came into being when ranching fell upon hard times. When was that? During the Great Depression of 1929. One enterprising rancher decided to open up his ranch to city-slickers as a means for generating earn extra money and a new industry was born. Perhaps it should be called the City Slicker Capital or the Dude Ranch Capital, since that's what Banderas has hung its hat on.

Dodge City, Kansas is known by several nicknames including Queen of the Cowtowns, Wickedest Little City in America and Buffalo Capital of the World. C'mon, Dodge, surely you don't need another moniker, do ya? Famous for the likes of Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp and Boot Hill, these days, Dodge is keeping its heritage alive through historical preservation programs. Dodge, stop "dodging" the issue....honor your past but stop living in it. That's just sad.

WILL THE REAL COWBOY CAPITAL PLEASE STAND UP?

Enter Stephenville, Texas! The REAL Cowboy Capital of the World located in what's referred to as the Cross Timbers region of the state. How can one small town, 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 and insisted there should be an historical marker 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