Frank Reaugh
Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(December 29, 1860 - May 6, 1945) Graphic historian of Longhorn cattle, western trails, and range. Born in Illinois. Son of George W. and Clarinda Morgan Reaugh. In 1876 moved to Kaufman County, where on trail beside the family cotton farm was born his love for wild range cattle. Earning his way, studied in St. Louis and in Europe. Settled (1890) in Dallas, where style matured and he was influential. His significant works in pastel hang in Austin, Dallas, and other cities. Recorded - 1971
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Frank Reaugh (1860–1945) fell in love with wild range cattle as a boy on his family's Kaufman County cotton farm, where trail herds passed close by in the 1870s. Working his way through art study in St. Louis and Europe, he settled in Dallas in 1890 and became the great pastel chronicler of the Texas Longhorn, the western trails, and the open range just as they were vanishing. His paintings now hang in Austin, Dallas, and beyond.
Why it matters
Reaugh preserved the fading world of the open-range cattle frontier in art, giving later generations a firsthand visual record of a defining chapter of the American West.
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- · Frank Reaugh
Themes & tags
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