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January 2013 - Vol 5, Issue 1
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Feature Story
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 The Schroeder Saddletree Factory Museum
By James H Nottage
Not all of the objects we associate with the American West are products of the region in whole or in part. Even Western stock saddles have been made elsewhere in the world in their entirety and with components from elsewhere. Today, there are a small number of specialists who manufacture saddletrees to serve the needs of saddle makers working in the age-old creation of rigs for cowboys. A few of the best of custom saddle makers in the West continue to create their own finely crafted saddletrees of the highest grade, designed to accommodate the demanding needs of both horse and rider. In the 1800s, saddle makers scattered throughout the American West followed the same pattern. Some created their own trees, the frameworks essential to shape and function of the saddle. Some purchased trees from specialist shops and many turned to major factories, including a significant number of them located in Madison, Indiana. By 1880, there were a dozen saddletree factories operating in this southern Indiana community, producing tens of thousands of trees per year, employing 120 men and women and competing with other centers of tree manufacturing in Leavenworth, Kansas, St. Louis, Missouri, Newark, New Jersey, and New Braunfels, Texas. One source estimates that the combined production of these factories in 1879 was over 150,000 trees. One firm was founded by Ben Schroeder who was born in Prussia, immigrated to the U.S. in 1864 and opened his factory in Madison, Indiana, in 1878. The peak of his shop's production saw it shipping 6,000 to 12,000 saddletrees per year throughout the United States and to Canada and South America. According to interpretive materials available at the original site of the factory, the company produced 250 styles of saddletrees, and in the course of its history "made between 300,000 and 500,000 saddletrees, nearly two million clothespins, and countless stirrups, hames and work gloves." The shop closed permanently as a manufacturer in 1972 with the death of the last family member.
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Featured Photography by Nadine Levin
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The photo this month is by Nadine Levin - Old West
Nadine grew up in Washington, DC. Riding horses into her teens, Nadine preferred watching Westerns to playing with dolls. She has always loved taking photos and studying photography, and once her children were grown, she jumped in full-time. She finds beauty in nature and in the animals that share her world, and Nadine offers us this beauty for January. If you like Nadine's photos, please tell her yourself. She will be showing some of her fabulous photos at the High Noon Antique Show right next to our High Noon booth in the Palo Verde Ballroom (2 The Alamo Trail is the exact address) and would love to see you! www.nadinelevinphotography.com |
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Did You Know?
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1. The Pommel is the portion of a saddle that fits over the withers. The saddle horn of a Western saddle is mounted on top of the pommel. Derived from the Latin word pomum, meaning apple or swelling.
2. A communal dwelling, especially of the Iroquois and various other North American Indian peoples, the long house consists of a wooden, bark-covered framework often as much as 100 ft. (30.5 m) in length. 3. The Long Branch Saloon really did exist in Dodge City, Kansas. One of the owners, William Harris, was a former resident of Long Branch, New Jersey and named the saloon after his hometown in the 1880s. The Long Branch Saloon still exists in Dodge City and can be seen at Dodge City's Boothill Museum.
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All is well this month.
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Linda's Feed Bag
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Pekin Duck with
Mandarin Sauce
Pekin duck sounds like a fancy dish, but it's actually just as easy to prepare as chicken. Also known as Long Island Duck, Pekin is the most common duck meat served in the U.S. This recipe uses a citrus-ginger sauce to flavor the duck and it is a wonderful alternative to turkey or ham at holiday meals.
Ingredients  2 pekin ducks, 5 lbs each
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 - 11 oz cans mandarin oranges
4 tbsp cornstarch
6 cups light chicken stock, divided
1 cup orange juice
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp ginger (fresh grated if possible)
2 tbsp sugar
Instructions
To prepare the ducks rub them inside and out with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper. Place the ducks breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan and loosely cover them with foil to prevent them from browning too quickly. Cook in a preheated 350° F oven for about 2 hours. After ninety minutes of cook time remove the foil.
While the ducks are in the oven, you can prepare the citrus-ginger sauce. Drain one can of mandarins and place the fruit in a blender. Add the second can, both juice and fruit. Blend until smooth.
In a small bowl, mix four tablespoons of cornstarch and four tablespoons of chicken stock until the cornstarch is dissolved.
Pour the remaining chicken stock, the cornstarch mixture, one cup of orange juice and four tablespoons of lemon juice into a deep pot. Give that a good stir and add two tablespoons each of honey, soy sauce, and sugar, along with four teaspoons of grated ginger, and the mandarin puree.
Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sauce boils and starts to thicken.
When the ducks have about 40 minutes of cooking time left, remove them from the oven, using a set of tongs to tilt the ducks up to drain any juice that's gathered on the inside. Next, transfer them to a baking dish and pour the mandarin sauce over both of the ducks. Return to the 350° F oven and roast for the final 40 minutes.
Serve with rice, snow peas and broccoli, and perhaps a good Chinese beer!
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Help us "Put on the Feed Bag!" Appetize us with your favorite cowboy cuisine. Send us a recipe or culinary creation - keeping the traditions of the American West alive is about the great food too! From ribs to rhubarb, campfire food to a great bowl of chili - we Wild West epicureans want to know.
Submissions welcome at SmokeSignals@highnoon.com.
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Bits & Pieces
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 High Noon 2013Dealer Updatefrom "T"Howdy Dealers, Yeehaw! January is finally here, and we all know what that means! It's show time! Confirmation packets have been mailed via the US Postal Service and are headed your way. If you're traveling and won't be around to receive your packet prior to the show, I'd be happy to email the contents of the packet to you - just give me a call at the office or shoot me an email. (Click Here)If you haven't received your confirmation packet yet, and would like to see where your exhibit space is at the show, you can go to our website to see the booth and table dealer lists, and the hot-off-the-press 2013 fire-marshal-approved show floor plan. As usual, we are full to capacity and so excited about the upcoming show and auction and seeing you, our High Noon family once again. Happy New Year and I wish you all a great show! T
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Wake Up and Join Us in Mesa!
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In the News
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 New Movie on the Real Life of John Wesley Hardin
For the first time ever, the most accurate and detailed motion picture has been written on the life and times of Texas gunman, John Wesley Hardin. The movie will begin shooting in May, 2013. The production, titled Hardin, is a screenplay written by Producers Larry Zeug and his wife, Linda Head. It will star, in the leading role, producer, actor and writer, Justin Ament. Adapted from a story by noted western arms author, George Layman and well-known historian, Drew Gomber, filming will take place in Brackettville, Texas at the Alamo Village movie set. This true story is based upon John Wesley Hardin's autobiography and years of research into his family history.
Hardin will depict the troubled life of one of America's most notorious gunslingers, from his earliest years as a teenager to his demise in 1895. The production will be filmed in the United States, specifically in the great state of Texas, where most of Hardin' life story took place. Using authentic, period firearms and clothing with attention to historical details, the production is slated to become a testimony to the man who once claimed, "I never killed a man who didn't need killing".
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Who's Who at High Noon
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Nestor and
Maggie Salgado
and the Amazing Nestorettes
Let's be honest here, while the High Noon Auction may set world records, the High Noon Show has the most amazing dealers and merchandise, people come in from across the country to be part of this one-of-a-kind weekend and the team at High Noon in Los Angeles works all year to make this event happen.... not one door would open, not one dealer would be set up and, in short, the High Noon Western Americana Weekend wouldn't rock the West if it wasn't for Nestor and Maggie Salgado and, who we like to lovingly call, their Nestorettes. And it's been this way for over 20 years. Security, porters, office staff... they all arrive and, today, they are three generations strong providing the backbone to the High Noon weekend.
In a time when families are so fragmented, it's enriching, yet almost a mystery how a family, now 75+ strong, stays so close and, from the youngest to the oldest, are all just good, hardworking and some of the most fun individuals you will ever know. So, how did Maggie and Nestor Salgado do it? High Noon interviewed them for a peak behind the power of the Nestorettes...
It's 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning in December and Maggie and Nestor are off to Christmas shop, picking up the last of the gifts for their 13 grandchildren. On the way, that familiar thump, thump, thump is heard and yes, it's a flat tire. But in true Nestor and Maggie spirit, that doesn't deter them from the phone interview. Maggie grabs the phone while Nestor is changing the tire and Nestor is shouting comments from the undercarriage. It's this infectious esprit de corp from this couple who has taken the meaning of family and integrity, and created their own little dynasty.
It goes back over 40 years when Nestor left his home in Texas at the age of 17 to head to Arizona and work on a large cotton and citrus ranch. Nestor recalls as he was leaving his father said to him, "Nestor, you are going to go to Arizona and get married." "NO!" Nestor recalls saying. "Not me - I'll never get married!" But then he saw Maggie, whose family lived at the ranch and "it was love at first sight." What's even more wonderful was his follow-up comment: "Every day is still that first sight." Maggie comments that although Nestor has 18 brothers and sisters, he believes he's the best looking of all of them..."
And so it goes, he and Maggie married - the proverbial high school sweethearts and went on to create the most incredible family unit we've seen and are honored to know.
Together, they had six children, (Mario, Andy, Nestor, Jr, Veronica, Rebekah and Isaiah) who have now produced 13 grandchildren. But that's not where it ends. It's the brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews that are all part of this powerful clan. "There's about 75 of us all together," says Maggie. About half of them are at the core behind the High Noon event.
Since it's the holiday season, a peak into how this family celebrates says a lot about who they are. Take Thanksgiving for instance. Nestor and Maggie both talked excitedly about their Thanksgiving tradition. Nestor's brother has a large backyard and each year they dig a six-foot pit and roast 12 (yes 12!) turkeys. Before the massive spread with all the fixings is served, the entire family holds hands and says their prayers of thanks. Then the feast unfolds but, the post-dinner games sound pretty intense. It's horseshoes that Nestor talks about. For the past five years, he's held the title but had to acquiescence this year to his nephew.
Just four weeks later, they do it again for Christmas but this time, it's Christmas Eve at Maggie and Nestor's when Maggie and her sisters become the tamale queens creating a massive sumptuous feast for the clan. "Those tamales are so good!" shouts Nestor from the flat tire. The family celebrates and eats until midnight when a group cheer goes up and lots of hugs are had to wish each other a Merry Christmas. "Then we open our gifts. It's just the most fun time for all of us." (Yes, everyone gets his/her own gifts and, according to Nestor, Maggie starts Christmas shopping in January, as it takes her all year.)
So what's the secret behind a family that works, plays and loves each other so much? According to both Nestor and Maggie, the answer is respect and integrity. "We've raised our children to respect themselves and everyone around them and live their life with a love of God and integrity in everything they do. We feel so lucky our family turned out the way it did."
But how did the High Noon connection occur? About 30 years ago, Nestor went to work for the City of Mesa at what was then, the NEW Mesa Convention Center. As coordinator of event operations, he got to know all of the event producers very well and, once again, when he met Linda, Joseph, Audrey, Theresa and Danny, it was love at first sight. "They are just the most amazing and special people," said Nestor, making sure I promised to put this line in. "High Noon is part of our own family and we just love them."
Even though Nestor is retired now, he still works part time for the City of Mesa and once each year, he, and his clan of Nestorettes, come in and commandeer the operation of High Noon.
When asked about how he's enjoying his retirement, still yelling from the flat tire, he has plenty to say but, in short, he is in love with being retired. "Everyday, Maggie tells me to get up and do something. I tell her I earned the right to sit around - I've paid my dues." But sitting around isn't really what Nestor does. During Spring Training he works for the Chicago Cubs and if he's not doing that, he loves working on cars, collecting old cars, running around with his brothers, traveling, going on cruises from Cancun to Cabo - yup, their life is pretty darn good and it all due to their love of family and respect for each other.
As for Maggie? She's always been involved in the retail business and currently works for Macy's. A closing comment as the holidays were impending... "Thank goodness for those employee discounts, with 75 presents to buy to go under that 12 foot tree, it helps!"
Nestor and Maggie Salgado and the Nestorettes - we can't wait to see you in January!
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In the News 2
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Saddle Up for the Spectacular 23rd Annual
High Noon Western Americana Weekend!
January 26 and 27, 2013  Mesa, AZ - It's almost here, just a few weeks away, when the Best of the West ride into Mesa, Arizona showing them what the real world of Western Americana is all about. Journey back in time through the art and artifacts of the Americans and the Indians who built a legacy so powerful it still captivates the world today. It only lasts two days, but it's two days that will change your life. On Saturday and Sunday, shop till you drop at the renowned High Noon Western Americana Antique Show where over 150 of the country's finest exhibitors featuring the best in historic to contemporary fill the Mesa Convention Center Exhibit halls making this event a Western Americana shopping experience of a lifetime. It's art, it's history, it's clothing, jewelry and boots, it's furnishings, it's cowboy, it's vaquero - it's a shopping experience to fulfill the dreams of every cowboy and cowgirl! For the complete list of exhibitors, show hours and info, please visit http://www.highnoon.com Saturday evening, January 26th at 5pm sharp, the world-class and record-setting High Noon Auction will begin in the Ballroom of the Marriott Mesa Hotel. Not your ordinary bidding and buying event, the High Noon Western Americana Auction is like none other in the world. Steeped in history and the richness of the American West, this year's sale will be highlighted by the rare and historic Simón Bolívar Al Liberatador saddle which is being offered for $50,000 to $100,000. Of equally impressive note, Bohlin and Keyston collectors will vie for parade saddles smothered in silver, which are being offered in the $80,000 to $125,000 range. Headlining the important Western art to be offered will be Viva La Revolucion, the signed watercolor on paper by Edward Borein. This important work is being offered for $40,000 to $60,000. If your passion runs to bits and spurs, then this is the auction to attend. If American Indian puts a feather in your cap, then the extraordinary and historic works by North Plains, Sioux and Navajo, to mention just a few, won't leave you disappointed. In all, over 300 lots will be offered at the spectacular High Noon Western Americana Auction. For complete information, to order an auction catalog and for bidder registration, please visit www.highnoon.com or call (310) 202-9010. Saddle up everyone and we will see you in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday and Sunday, January 26 and 27, 2013, at the Mesa Convention Center and Marriott Mesa Hotel! Last Call...Make your reservations at the Marriott now for your discounted High Noon room rate. http://www.highnoon.com/hnshowauction.htm
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Expressions
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Reel Cowboys of Western Cinema A Century of Silver Screen Heroes on Horseback
No. 10 in the series
By Gary Eugene Brown
We've looked at the backgrounds of a few stalwart men who would go on to become cowboy heroes in picture shows that played Saturday afternoons at the Bijou. Some of the first, like William S Hart, were stage actors, who loved the West and wanted to play the role of a cowboy in early photoplays. In pursuit of making their dreams become reality, accompanied with a true love of the West, a few classically trained thespians transitioned from being just a "reel cowboy" to become a genuine buckaroo on ranches they had purchased with their new found wealth. Then there were the "real cowboys" like Art Acord, who became "reel cowboys" in old Hollywood. They looked the part and rode as though they had been born to the saddle. However, they quickly discovered that being a screen cowboy wasn't all that easy. This here acting job required certain skills which were foreign to them. Also, having punched cows for a living over many years in the heat, rain and cold, at a dollar a day and found to eke out a living; after a long days shoot out on location was over, they preferred other options that didn't remind them of work. They chose to return to their palatial homes in Beverly Hills, where butlers helped them chuck their dogger heeled boots and silver spurs in exchange for comfortable shoes and then climbed into their custom designed Duisenberg for a night out on the town, instead of saddling up Old Paint for a sunset ride.
Our hero in this chapter was a sure enough, real cowboy and a champion rodeo star to boot; one that enjoyed the life of being a cowboy both on and off the screen. As an aside, according to the legendary Tom Mix, real hired men on horseback from Gower Gulch, didn't take to being called "cow-boys". After all, they were not "boys" and preferred to be called "cowhands". Likewise, they referred to the former stage actors playing leading men in westerns as "drugstore cowboys". In fact, our featured hero acquired a nickname in his youth that stayed with him for life. It was based on a job he had delivering prescription medicine for Owl Drugs. As such, does that make him the first real "drugstore cowboy"? He was known by all as:
 HOOT GIBSON Edmund Richard Gibson was born on August 6, 1892 in Tekamah, Nebraska. The family moved out to Southern California when he was seven. Still a boy, he gravitated to the life of a working cowhand. Hoot would offer to put a handle on the wildest bronc around so that even a frail, spinster school marm could ride the broom tail to church on Sunday mornings. At 15, Hoot Gibson joined up with the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch in Bliss, Oklahoma and later with the Dick Stanley - Bud Atkinson Wild West Show, with his pard Art Acord. The two, wild eyed bronco twisters ventured to Southern California where they both obtained stunt work in D W Griffith's Two Brothers (1910). Hoot also secured bit parts in Tom Mix one and two reelers at Selig Polyscope and both he and Art hired out to do stunt work at Inceville, along with their former 101 ranch, bunkhouse cowhands.
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Send us your stories...
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Upcoming Events
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NOW Thru February 17, 2013 Family Traditions: The Art of John, Terri Kelly & Bill Moyers Cartersville, GA NOW Thru February 17, 2013 Through Navajo Eyes Prescott, AZ January 9-13, 2013 49th Arizona National Horse Show Scottsdale, AZ January 23, 2013 7th Annual Cowboy Collectors Gathering Prescott, AZ January 26-27, 2013 High Noon Western Americana Antique Show & Auction Mesa, AZ Feburary 2013 Buffalo Bill's Birthday Celebration Cody, WY February 2, 2013 The Story of Joe De Yong - Presentation by Bill Reynolds Santa Barbara, CA February 7-14, 2013 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo San Antonio, TX February 8-10, 2013 21st Annual Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering Sierra Vista, AZ February 14-17, 2013 Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering Ellensburg, WA February 21-24, 2013 13th Annual Saddle Up Pigeon Forge, TN February 23, 2013 Hopi Farming in Harmony Los Angeles, CA February 25 - March 17, 2013 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Houston, AZ February 25 - August 25, 2013 Dreams & Visions: The American West and the Legacy of Imagination Tulsa OK March 1 - June 2, 2013 2nd Annual Cowgirls with a Camera Exhibit Wickenburg, AZ March 9-10, 2013 Antiques, Objects & Art L.A. Glendale, CA March 20, 2013 Old Bags Luncheon Fort Worth, TX April 18-21, 2013 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Santa Clarita, CA May 3-5, 2013 Genoa Cowboy Festival Genoa, NV June 21-23, 2013 Brian Lebel's Denver Old West Show/Auction Denver, CO July 12-14, 2013 3rd Annual Will James Roundup Hardin, MT Send event submissions to SmokeSignals@highnoon.com
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Don't Fret About the Future - Invest in the Past!
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Mission Statement
Smoke Signals blows your way from High Noon Western Americana of Los Angeles, CA, producers of
the High Noon Antique Show & Auction held each January in Mesa (Phoenix), Arizona since 1991.
Our magazine was founded in 2010 from our desire to share thoughts and facts with and from our High Noon family. We write about what we know (cowboy and Indian artifacts), highlight dealers and collectors, their thoughts and memories. We also love to feed our readers with great recipes. We offer free western music, a look at factoids intrinsic to our interests, give you insight into the newest books and tell you what is going on across the United States.
And hopefully we educate along the way.
Linda Kohn Sherwood, Editor
Send us a Smoke Signal
Smoke Signals is for and about all of the wonderful people in our High Noon family. If you have news you want to share, hot tips on what's going on in the Western Americana world or just a suggestion of something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at smokesignals@highnoon.com
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Chief Publisher: High Noon Western Americana
Chief Editor: Linda Kohn Sherwood
Chief Art Director: Robin Ireland, Ireland Graphic Design
Chief Graphic Designer: Curtis Hill, Art Direction Services
Chief Writer: Jayne Skeff, JSLA Media Solutions
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