A Guide to the Milt Hinkle Papers, 1959-1972, undated

Biographical Note

Born on the XIT Ranch in Bovina, Texas, Milt D. Hinkle (1881-1972) was the son of George Hinkle, a buffalo hide dealer and saloon owner. Hinkle spent the majority of his childhood in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Grapevine, Texas, where he started working on a ranch at the age of nine. Six years later, he attended his first rodeo and won first place in bronc riding. Hinkle launched a career as a rodeo personality and traveled with various shows, such as the Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show. In addition to bronc riding, he learned how to bulldog and worked as a peace officer and a bodyguard. During the 1920s, Hinkle moved to Kissimmee, Florida, where he founded the Silver Spurs Rodeo show and continued performing until he sustained injuries while bulldogging that left him partially crippled in 1931. Later in life, he authored several articles on his life, rodeos, and the "Old West," which appeared in the magazines True West, Old West, and Frontier Times. Around 1967, Hinkle published A Texan hits the Pampas, which describes his experiences as a cowboy and rodeo performer.

Scope and Contents

Comprising correspondence, printed materials, creative works, newspaper clippings, and photographs, the Milt Hinkle Papers, 1959-1972, chronicle Hinkle’s experiences ranching in Texas and his career as a rodeo performer. Correspondence with Western Publications, Inc., concerns the publication of Hinkle’s articles in the magazines True West, Old West, and Frontier Times. Printed materials consist of a rodeo program and a broadside pertaining to Hinkle, while creative works include drafts of article on his life and rodeos. Additionally, newspaper clippings contain articles about Hinkle and photographs depict cowboys and scenes from rodeos as well as Hinkle.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Milt Hinkle Papers, 1959-1972, undated, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light" project, 2009-2011.

Detailed Description of the Papers