ROBERT LEMMONS

Texas cowboy Robert Lemmons was a legend in his time, with a unique method of catching wild mustang horses. Born into slavery in Lockport, TX in 1848, he became a freedman at age 17 at the end of the American Civil War. By age twenty-two, he earned a small fortune of $1,000 and bought a ranch near Carrizo Springs TX, learning to read and write. He married Barbarita Rosales, a Chicana, and had eight children. The  Lemmons amassed 1,200 acres with impressive holdings of horses and cattle. The family became well known for helping neighbors during the Great Depression. 

The photograph featured in the art piece was taken in approximately 1936.