OAKDALE – The “Cowboy Capital of the World” is Stephenville, Texas.
Wait, what?
Aren’t those signs pretty much everywhere in Oakdale – home of the one of the largest rodeos in the area and the last bastion of the cowboy lifestyle still prominently displayed and practiced?
Yes, they are.
The two communities of similar size have traded more than a few barbs in recent years over which has the right to use the title, and while the Texas town might seem like a better fit – situated about an hour south of Fort Worth makes Stephenville prime cowboy country – it doesn’t take away from the cattle-driving heritage of Oakdale’s past and those that still practice it to this day.
After all, it isn’t everyday that you have an actual mustang galloping full-speed down the length of the sideline at your home football game while carrying the American flag at the crescendo of the Star Spangled Banner.
So if being a cowboy – or at least looking like one – is your thing, then here are a few local places that you need to check out:
• Bucksworth Western Wear – Everything about this place is authentic, from the general store looking exterior to the brands and styles that they stock and offer inside. Looking for a new pair of western boots? They’ve got ‘em. Need a belt to augment that buckle you won in Nevada last weekend? They’ve got those too. While chain western wear stories have become more prevalent, places like this locally owned joint provide more than enough to suit your needs. 2100 E. F Street. (209.848.2888).
• Conlin Supply – If you need to pick up something for the ranch and want to grab something for yourself while you’re there – a new pair of boots or some workwear – this locally owned business provides you with an abundance of options. For nearly three-decades the store, which aims to provide both home and ranch-related offerings like workwear and boots as well as fence boards and wire and animal supplies, has been an Oakdale staple. One trip down and you’ll see why. 576 Warnerville Road. (209.847.8977).
• H-B Saloon – This isn’t technically a place where you can buy anything except for a beer or a stiff whiskey drink. No boots. No floral print shirts with extra thick collars. But the very essence of the bar itself ties in with Oakdale’s cowboy heritage as it’s an homage to the cattle brands that were used to help identify free ranging herds or to distinguish those that managed to slip away. It’s easy to picture a man in a 10-gallon hat wearing a duster and drinking two-fingers of some bourbon you’ve never heard of. Maybe if you’re lucky, that’s exactly what you’ll find. 401 E. F Street. (209.847.2985).
• Oakdale Cowboy Museum – This is it. This is the Holy Grail of the Oakdale Cowboy. This is where you learn everything you’ve always wanted to know about how and why they settled in the region, which types of cattle were herded and what sorts of implements were necessary in those days to maintain a large number of cattle. The museum itself looks like an old whistle stop station along a set of railroad tracks (that’s what it was) and it serves as the perfect postcard setting for historical context. 355 E. F Street. (209.847.7049). www.oakdalecowboymuseum.org.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
