Billy McGinty (cowboy)

William M. McGinty (January 1, 1871 – May 21, 1961) was an Oklahoman cowboy.[1]

As a cowboy in Kansas and the Indian Territory, he became acquainted with fellow cowboy Bill Doolin and others who would later turn outlaw.[2]

A Rough Rider with Theodore Roosevelt and hero at San Juan Hill,[3][4] he also toured with Buffalo Bill's Congress of Rough Riders.[5] He was the first bronc buster in a movie, filmed during an act for the 1889 Paris World's Fair.[6]

In the 1920s, he became the leader of the McGinty's Oklahoma Cowboy Band, which later became Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys, the first nationally famous cowboy band.[7]

He served terms as president of the Cherokee Strip Cowpunchers Association and in 1954 he was elected life-time president of the Rough Riders Association.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.[8]

References
  1. Thrapp, Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography, p. 905: "McGinty took part in one cattle drive in 1889, from the south Plains to Montana, but most of his career was spent breaking horses, sometime more than 400 a season."
  2. Shirley, West of Hell's Frings, pp. 142-143: " 'I [McGinty] got a glimpse of Daugherty's guest later, at a distance, and recognized Bill Doolin. I had worked with him on the Bar X Bar in the Triangle country. I didn't know about his trouble then, so said nothing'."
  3. Walker, Rough Rider, pp. 137-189: "A favorite among the cowboys was 'Little Billy' McGinty, a wiry Oklahoma wrangler and bronc buster. Among the many stories that circulated about McGinty, a favorite concerned his absolute and unwavering inability to stay in step on the parade ground. After repeated chewings-out, the hangdog Little Billy finally implored, 'Let me git my pony. I'm purty sure I kin keep in step on horseback!' "
  4. Roosevelt, The Rough Riders, pp. 162-163: "Little McGinty, the bronco buster, volunteered to make the attempt, and I gave him permission. He simply took a case of hardtack in his arms and darted toward the trenches. The distance was but short, and though there was a outburst of fire, he was actually missed. One bullet, however, passed through the case of hardtack just before he disappeared with it into the trench."
  5. Russell, The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill, p. 419: "In 1899 the Rough Riders of the World included sixteen of Roosevelt's Rough Riders, among them Tom Isbell and William McGinty."
  6. Stewart, "McGinty Boosted for Cowboy Hall": "You could say too that Billy did the first bronco busting shown on a movie film, with a special act arranged for the 1890 Paris world's exposition. In addition to winning a challenge 'world's championship' a bronc busting at Southhampton, N.Y.; in a match with Bert Bryan of Arizona."
  7. McRill, "Music in Oklahoma by the Billy McGinty Cowboy Band", pp. 66-67: "Youngblood was a town-promoter of no mean ability and talked with the group and came up with the idea of calling the band 'The Billy McGinty Cowboy Band.' This was a very natural conclusion since Billy McGinty was known nationwide as one of the very early cowboy of Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona."
  8. "Hall of Great Westerners". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved November 22, 2019.

Bibliography
  • Chlouber, Carla. "Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys: The Country's First Commercial Western Band". Chronicles of Oklahoma, (Winter, 1997–98) 75:4 356-383.
  • Kite, Steve. "Billy McGinty & His Cowboy Band Take to the Air" (transcription). Oklahoma Audio Almanac. Oklahoma State University, May 9, 2001.
  • McRill, Leslie A. "Music in Oklahoma by the Billy McGinty Cowboy Band". Chronicles of Oklahoma, (Spring, 1960) 38:1 66-74.
  • McRill, Leslie A. "The Story of an Oklahoma Cowboy, William McGinty and His Wife". Chronicles of Oklahoma, (Winter 1956)34:4 432-442.
  • Otto Gray's Oklahoma Cowboys. Early Cowboy Band. British Archive of Country Music, CD D 139, 2006.
  • Roosevelt, Theodore. The Rough Riders. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1899.
  • Russell, Donald B. The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill. University of Oklahoma Press, 1979. ISBN 978-0-8061-1537-5
  • Shirley, Glenn. West of Hell's Fringe: Crime, Criminals, and the Federal Peace Officer in Oklahoma Territory, 1889-1907. University of Oklahoma Press, 1990. ISBN 0806122641
  • Stewart, Roy P. " 'McGinty Boosted for Cowboy Hall': Country Boy". Daily Oklahoman. June 5, 1956, p. 3.
  • Thrapp, Dan L. Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography. University of Nebraska Press, 1991. ISBN 0-8032-9419-0
  • Walker, Dale L. Rough Rider: Buckey O'Neill of Arizona. University of Nebraska Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8032-9796-3
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