"The Poet Ranchman" Larry Chittenden
Stamford, Jones County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(March 23, 1862 - Sept. 24, 1934) Author of "Cowboys' Christmas Ball" - cited for literary merit by National Folklore Society. Born in New Jersey, Chittenden first came to Texas as a sales agent. In 1884 he visited S. M. Swenson at this site; in 1887 began developing 10,000 acres of family-owned land 16 miles southwest of here. Through rough ranch life he caught spirit of the land. With publication of his "Ranch Verses" in 1893, fame was assured. He lived in Jones County for many years; gave his own library and an endowment to Anson High School. His burial place is in New Jersey. (1970)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Larry Chittenden, a New Jersey-born sales agent, first came to this Jones County site in 1884 and by 1887 was developing 10,000 acres of ranch land nearby. Rough ranch life gave him the material for his 1893 "Ranch Verses," including the celebrated "Cowboys' Christmas Ball," which won him lasting fame as "the Poet Ranchman." He endowed the Anson High School library before his death in 1934.
Why it matters
Chittenden helped turn the working cowboy's world into American literature and folklore, shaping how the nation imagined its own frontier.
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Related people
- · Larry Chittenden
- · S. M. Swenson
Themes & tags
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