Joe Matheson was a blacksmith apprentice in the Committee of One Hundred's apprenticeship program.
This Ozark Folk Center 50th Anniversary Legacy Photo is in honor of
Dr. Catherine Shoults from Bill Moss.
Joe Matheson was a bonafide cowboy before he was a blacksmith! Joe raced chuck wagons, chariots, and was an all-around cowboy for Cliff Claggett's Wild West Show that was based in Canada but performed throughout the United States. Al Nixon, who was from Canada and later moved to Stone County was a partner with Cliff. Summer shows were in Canada and winter shows were in Texas. The horses needed to acclimate between the two climates and Joe brought them to Al and Lucille's Pony Peak Ranch in the fall where they wintered until the Texas shows opened in early spring.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was full of crowd pleasing action.
Joe in a chuck wagon race at Del Camino Downs in Mission, Texas in 1967.
Joe was a chariot racer, said to be the oldest of the equine sports.
Following a devastating accident while working timber in northern Canada, Joe was in bad shape as he lingered in the hospital. Literally fearing that he wouldn't recover, he called Al Nixon and asked if he could come to Pony Peak to convalesce. Al picked him up at the airport and Joe was with the Nixons for the next couple of years. He recovered, met wife-to-be Kayt, and raised three sons.
Joe learned blacksmithing at the Folk Center, went on to start The Village Smithy, and next became a partner in Stone County Ironworks. Joe died in 1993, and befitting to a cowboy a simple pine coffin was trimmed with a hand crafted iron rose. Of course, Happy Trails to You was sung and he remains in our hearts--generous and kind to the last.
Entry by Lenore Shoults with input and photos from Sharon Rosa and special thanks to Lucille Nixon for keeping scrapbooks!
The Committee of One Hundred Tribute Wall recognizes contributions to the preservation of Ozark folk culture.
If you would like to help preserve the folk culture of the Ozarks, consider a
The Committee is made up entirely of volunteers so, except for transaction fees, all of your donation funds music, craft, or the herb gardens and, as a 501c3 entity
your donation is tax deductible!
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