Bones Hooks: Pioneer Negro Cowboy

Born in northeast Texas in 1867, Matthew �Bones� Hooks was a true pioneer who not only built a town, schools, and churches, but also broke down racial barriers as one of the first black cowboys to work alongside whites as a ranch hand. After his retirement as a cowboy, Hooks heard of a horse nobody could ride. He challenged the horse�s owner to let him try and his success became known across the country as The Ride. Throughout his life, Hooks negotiated between both sides of the tracks, using his uncommon charm to gain the support of the wealthy to provide resources for the poor. He helped many people buy homes, educate their children, and start businesses in his adopted hometown of Amarillo, Texas. His is the seldom-heard story of how blacks pioneered the American West.