Glenn
Walcott (1888-1970)
Born December 28, 1888, Custer City, Wyoming, Glenn came to Idaho
from Buffalo, Wyoming in 1909 at the age of fifteen.
Glenn was a veteran of World War II.
He worked on cow outfits in the Snake River Valley for several years
before moving south for some excitement; Glenn hired on with the
Drummonds rounding up wild horses on the Owyhee Desert. He took
a liking to the life style and made the desert his home. In the
fall and winter months when not running wild horses he would trap
coyotes and sell the pelts in the spring. Glenn would also braid
rawhide and twist horsehair mecates in his spare time.
Mid-age found him settling down with the purchase of the homestead
at Tent Creek just below Starr Valley about 80 miles east of McDermitt,
Nevadac using the brand Bar T 5 for his horses and livestock. Glenn
built his own house and lived there for several years before selling
out to Cordossia.
Through the early years he became an excellent bronc-rider and entered
many top contests in the West, many times starting out from Starr
Valley and riding horseback to the Pendleton Roundup in Oregon.
The trips would take several days coming and going. Usually Glenn
was in the money and well known for his talents. One of his honors
in bronc riding was placing first at the Nampa Stampede in September
1925 at Nampa, Idaho. It was said by other Buckaroos that Glenn
won many bets by placing a silver dollar between his feet and stirrups
while riding a bucking bronco and never losing it during the ride.
Although he like riding broncs, his livelihood was catching wild
horses, sometimes roping them and tying them down after catching
a bunch on water. One story claims Glenn busted into a bunch of
wild horses off water & tied down three head, using his reata,
mecate and reata strap.
Glenn worked for cattle ranches after leaving Starr Valley, primarily
the Circle A Outfit in Paradise Valley, Nevada, which was owned
at the time by Frank McCleary and he lived at the Little Humboldt
Ranch some 85 miles northeast of Winnemucca, Nevada for better than
fifteen years. Later on for the same outfit he moved out on the
Owyhee Desert where he pumped water from wells for the Circle A
cattle.
Glenn
Walcott & horse on the Little Humboldt Ranch in Nevada
His last years were spent at the Chuck and Frankie (Whitby) Dougal
Ranch south of Jordan Valley, Oregon. Glenn was also a blacksmith
and made many of his own inventions, such as his mecate making machines
and gate latches.
Glenn always claimed he would ride a bucking bronco when he was
one hundred years old.
No matter where he lived he loved Nevada, and it was always home
to him and he knew the Owyhee Desert just like the palm of his hand.
Many said he could take you across the desert blindfolded and know
exactly where he was.
Glenn passed away on April 14, 1970 in Boise, Idaho and was laid
to rest in Jordan Valley, Oregon.
Glenn Walcott was inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September
1990.
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