Artist's Inspiration:

Rawhide

“Rawhide”, made of rusty tools and other found objects, was inspired by men like my dad, grand dad, and distant cousin who spent their lives cattle ranching in Central Oregon . Grand dad, Charlie Congleton, left Kentucky for Denver and then Oregon in 1904. He took a train to Shaniko, old horse stage to Prineville, and finally the mail stage to Paulina December 26 th 1904 at the ripe old age of 20. He intended to connect with his cousin Billy Congleton who was homesteading in Paulina Valley . After working for area ranches a few years Charlie got a good enough recommendation from those ranchers to become appointed the first forest ranger of the Paulina District of the Blue Mountain West Forest Reserve that is now the Ochoco National Forest . He bought 160 acres near Paulina in 1914 which expanded to 11,000 over time.

By 1927 the ranching effort reached critical mass and was able to support him and his family of 5 full time. He and wife Glee raised Ross, Ila, and Lowell (dad) along Beaver Creek which flows into the Crooked River . In 1956 Charlie was named Crook County Cattleman of the Year and he was affectionately known as the “Mayor of Paulina”. My father took over the ranch operation in 1948 & spent the rest of his working life there where he and mom ( Florence ) raised Duane, Walt, and me.

The steel material of this sculpture is fitting to pay tribute to these men acquainted with hardship and hard work. We built miles and miles of fence over thousands of acres with only a shovel and crowbar.

Across his shoulder blades is the casting of an antique Singer sewing machine that celebrates my dad's extraordinary singing voice as well as saxophone playing. This old buckaroo has a vice (bench) in his gut. It is right behind the horse bridle abs. It really shouldn't be there – he's not proud of it … but every cowboy I've ever known has at least one!

“In an increasingly complex world we crave the apparent simplicity of the cowboy. He doesn't like tangled things – ropes, minds.” The artist

“If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no.”

(James 5:12)