By Gretchen Beilfuss Witt

Rowan Public Library

The cowboy of the American West is one of the best-known cultural icons of the United States. He is a central figure in the American mythology reflecting the courage, honor and individualism with which Americans identify.

But the original cowboy is a much different figure than either the tough, straight-talking hero or the lawless, wild villain spreading mayhem on the frontier.

At the beginning of the range-cattle industry, they were generally young men — the average age was 24. Nearly one cowboy in three was either Mexican or black.

The hours were long, dirty and difficult and the pay was minimal. Many of the cowboys were former soldiers — mustered out Union soldiers tired of the overworked dairy farms of the Northeast, Confederate veterans looking for any work, or freed slaves.

By some definitions, the true heyday of the cowboy really lasted only one generation, beginning at the close of the Civil War and ending in the mid-1880s. Others will say the story of the cowboy began much earlier when cattle were first brought to the Americas by the Spanish in 1494 and extends even to the present day.

David Dary in his book, "Cowboy Culture: A Saga of Five Centuries," traces the history of cattle and the vaquero in New Spain. He follows the evolution of Mexican cattle ranching as it stretches up into the United States and its eventual spread across the American West after the Civil War. The history continues up to the turn of the century.

William Savage Jr. has put together a collection of commentaries about cowboys and the life they led in "Cowboy Life: Reconstructing An American Myth." Baron Walter von Richthofen, a cattle rancher in the American West and uncle of the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, and Joseph Nimmo Jr., the chief of the U.S. Bureau of Statistics in 1886, are among those whose fascinating views are included.

Richard W. Slatta, a professor at N.C. State University, presents a lovely illustrated history of the cowboy considering both the "golden age" of the late 1800s and the modern cattleman. In "Cowboy" he takes a look at ranching and the changes over time as well as the cowboy image as it is related to food, apparel and popular culture.

Books devoted to cowboy antique collecting, black cowboys and artistic works portraying the American cowboy at his work and even rodeo heroes like Ty Murray can be found in our collection. While checking out the books at the library, visit the display of cowboy postcards and other memorabilia shown in the case on the third floor of headquarters.

Holiday hours: Headquarters, East and South branches will be closed for Christmas Monday, Dec. 24 through Wednesday Dec. 26. For New Year's, all branches will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 31 and be closed Jan. 1.

Tuesday movies: Headquarters library, Tuesdays, 7 p.m., holiday movies; this week, the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol." Free admission and refreshments.

Displays: Headquarters — Kwanzaa by Eleanor Qadirah. East — Rowan Doll Society. South — Gingerbread house contest.

Literacy: Call the Rowan County Literacy Council at 704-216-8266 for more information on teaching or receiving literacy tutoring for English speakers or for those for whom English is a second language.

Web site: www.rowanpubliclibrary.org.