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.
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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