African American Cowboys

Jess Stahhl set records for Saddle Bronc Riding at the Pendleton Round Up in the early twentieth century. African Americans and American Indians often broke records and held first place rodeo titles at the annual games in Pendleton. Early estimates of the number of African Americans who were involved in the western cattle industry were incredibly high. However, the actual number of African American cowboys was closer to 1,000. According to the 1890 census, there were 55 non-white stock raisers, herders, and drovers in Oregon. This number included African Americans as well as Chinese, Japanese, and Native Americans.