Cowboy Legacy -- Pioneer trails Westward 1800 - 1935

Connecticut to Iowa 1800 - 1845

About 1800, Oliver Bailey (1738 - 1822) (my sixth great grandfather), who had served in both the French Indian and Revolutionary wars, began our family's westward movement.  Oliver and most of his children migrated from Connecticut (where the Bailey family had been established for more than 160 years) to Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  Thomas Bailey (1765 - 1854), Oliver's second eldest son, stayed in Pennsylvania.  Thomas' eldest son Smith Bailey (1789 - 1862)(my fourth great grandfather) moved on to Franklin County, Ohio in 1821.  

Orange Bailey (1811 - 1905) (photo above), the eldest son of Smith Bailey, (my third great grandfather) was born 1811, in Canton Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Ohio.

Orange Bailey (obituary above) married Lydia Waggoner in Ohio, 1832.  In 1845, they migrated and homesteaded in Iowa Territory.  Orange died in 1905.  He is the longest-living Bailey ancestor thus far discovered.  He lived to be 94 years old.  He outlived two wives and several of his twenty children. 

Iowa to Nebraska before 1870

David Solomon Bailey (1837 - 1915) (photo above) was Orange Bailey's second eldest son and my second great- grandfather.  He was born in Ohio 1837.  He moved to Iowa Territory with his parents in 1845. 

David Solomon Bailey served with the 3rd Iowa Cavalry 1864 ( he lost a leg in the battle at Brice's Crossroads).  He moved his family and homesteaded in Elkhorn, Nebraska before 1870 (census record), and died there in 1915.

Nebraska to Idaho 1903

David Jackson Bailey (1865 - 1949), my great grandfather and the eldest son of David Solomon Bailey was born in Iowa in 1865.  He moved to Nebraska with his parents before 1870.

David Jackson Bailey homestead in Liberty Township, Valley County, Nebraska 1884, where he battled the elements farming for nearly twenty years.  Drought, wind, and dust storms finally got the best of him, so he moved his family and homesteaded in Kendrick, Latah County, Idaho in 1903.  He died in Lewiston, Nez Perce County, Idaho in 1949.

Montana to California 1912 - 1935

(left to right) Velma, Muriel, Hazel, Lydia (grandma), Frank (granddad), and Vernon

Frank Jackson Bailey (1886 - 1968), my grandfather, was born in Liberty Township, Valley County, Nebraska in 1886 (in a sod house).  He married and homesteaded in Kalispell, Flathead County, Montana in 1912.  Seeking a better opportunity and wanting to be closer to his parents, he removed to (and homesteaded) in Kendrick, Latah County, Idaho in 1918.  He lost his farm and moved to Los Angeles, California during the Great Depression.  He died in Los Angeles, California, in 1968.  His daughter (my mother) was born in Montana, but all of his descendants for the next several generations have been native Californians.  Frank Jackson Bailey was the last Bailey pioneer completing a 135-year (coast to coast) journey westward.

Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas -- Rex Allen

Rex Allen (1920 - 1999) was a cowboy actor, singer (recording artist), and songwriter.  He was best known as the "Arizona Cowboy."  His horse Koko, a chocolate chestnut with a white mane and tail, was billed as "The Miracle Horse of the Movies."  Rex was well known as the narrator for many Disney nature films.

Rex Allen's Santa Susana Filmography:

Arizona Cowboy (1950) - Rex Allen (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Border Saddlemates (1952) - Rex Allen (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Down Laredo Way (1953) - Rex Allen (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Hills Of Oklahoma (1950) - Rex Allen (photo above) Republic

Iron Mountain Trail (1953) - Rex Allen and Slim Pickens (Burro Flats)(Iverson Ranch) (photo above) Republic

Old Oklahoma Plains (1952) - Rex Allen and Slim Pickens (Iverson Ranch) (photo above) Republic

Old Overland Trail (1953) - Rex Allen/Slim Pickens (Burro Flats) (photo above) Republic

Phantom Stallion (1954) - Rex Allen/Slim Pickens (Burro Flats) Republic

Red River Shore (1953) - Rex Allen/Slim Pickens - Republic

Rodeo King and the Senorita (1951) - Rex Allen (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Shadows of Tombstone (1953) - Rex Allen (Burro Flats) Republic

Silver City Bonanza (1951) - Rex Allen (Iverson Ranch) (photo above) Republic

Thunder in God's Country (1951) - Rex Allen (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Utah Wagon Train (1951) - Rex Allen (Burro Flats)(Iverson Ranch) Republic

In 1958 and 1959, Rex starred in a half hour television titled "Frontier Doctor."

Cowboy Chic -- Saddles and bridles for decoration

To my way of thinking no "cowboy chic" home is complete without a saddle on a stand, and some artistic cowboy gear and horse trappings hanging on the walls.  Saddles and fancy bridles add a touch of buckaroo class to the ol' rancho.  That's why I almost always had some Old West antiques for sale with my furniture.  In this photo (above) taken at the "Cowboy Traditions Show" in Tucson I had a fancy Visalia Saddle and Bridle on the iron stand at the far left.

Old time slick fork saddles on one of my saddle stands (like the one above) always look good in a family room, den, or even a highfalutin barn.

Add a touch of art like the Jo Mora cowboy poster (above); then throw in some chaps, a couple of fancy bridles, and a cowboy hat or two and you've got a cowboy chic room.

Not everybody can afford one (and this one is NOT all that flashy), but if you can find a Bohlin or Visalia parade saddle (above) it's just like money in the bank, and it adds a perfect Western touch even in a living room.

This 1930s Visalia saddle (above) sold for $3000.00 without the saddle bags, and the rawhide reata (lasso) sold for an additional $195.00.  Those two items kept ol' Sunup and the boys in hay for almost a year :-)

Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas -- Gene Autry

Gene Autry (1907 – 1998) first gained fame in the 1930s as "The Singing Cowboy" on the radio.  Later he became a cowboy film star in the movies and on television.  Autry was also owner of the California Angels baseball team from 1961 to 1997.

Gene visited Chatsworth more than most B-Western stars, and has a significant list of film credits working on the Iverson Ranch, Brandeis Ranch, Burro Flats, Chatsworth Lake, and Corriganville.

Gene's Santa Susana locations filmography:

Phantom Empire, The (1935) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette (Iverson Ranch)(lobby photo above) Mascot [serial]

Apache Country (1952) - Gene Autry/Pat Buttram (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Back in the Saddle (1941) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Beyond the Purple Hills (1950) - Gene Autry (Corriganville)(photo above) Columbia

Big Show, The (1936) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Big Sombrero, The (1949) - Gene Autry (Corriganville) Columbia

Call of the Canyon (1942) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette/Sons of the Pioneers - Republic

Colorado Sunset (1939) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette (Corriganville) Republic

Cow Town (1950) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Cowboy Serenade (1942) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Down Mexico Way (1941) - Gene Autry (Corriganville) Republic

Gene Autry and The Mounties (1951) - Gene Autry (Corriganville) Columbia

Hills of Utah, The (1951) - Gene Autry/Pat Buttram (Iverson Ranch)(Corriganville) Columbia

Indian Territory (1950) - Gene Autry/Pat Buttram (Corriganville)(photo above) Columbia

Last Round-up, The (1947) - Gene Autry (Corriganville) Columbia

Loaded Pistols (1948) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Men with Steel Faces (1940) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette (Iverson Ranch) Mascot

Mexicali Rose (1939) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette (Corriganville) Republic

Mountain Rhythm (1939) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Mule Train (1950) - Gene Autry/Pat Buttram (Corriganville)(Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Night Stage to Galveston (1952) - Gene Autry/Champion/Pat Buttram (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Oh, Susanna! (1936) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette - Republic

Old Barn Dance, The (1938) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette - Republic

Old Corral, The (1936) - Gene Autry /Smiley Burnette (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Old West, The (1952) - Gene Autry/Pat Buttram/Gail Davis (Corriganville) Columbia

Pack Train (1953) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Columbia

Prairie Moon (1938) - Gene Autry (Brandeis Ranch) (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Republic

Public Cowboy No. 1 (1937) - Gene Autry - Republic

Rancho Grande (1940) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Red River Valley (1936) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette - Republic

Rhythm of the Saddle (1938) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch)(Corriganville) Columbia

Riders in the Sky (1949) - Gene Autry/Pat Buttram (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Rim of the Canyon (1949) - Gene Autry - Columbia

Robin Hood of Texas (1947) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Republic

Round-Up Time in Texas (1937) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Rovin' Tumbleweeds (1939) - Gene Autry (Burro Flats)(photo above) Republic

Shooting High (1940) - Gene Autry - 20th Century-Fox

Silver Canyon (1951) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Columbia

Singing Cowboy, The (1936) - Gene Autry (Brandeis Ranch)(Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Republic

Sioux City Sue (1946) - Gene Autry (Chatsworth Reservoir)(Corriganville)(photo above) Republic

Sons of New Mexico (1949) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

South of the Border (1939) - Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette - Republic

Texans Never Cry (1951) - Gene Autry/Pat Buttram (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Under Fiesta Stars (1941) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Wagon Team (1952) - Gene Autry (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Western Jamboree (1938) - Gene Autry - Republic

Winning of the West (1953) - Gene Autry/Champion/Smiley Burnette/Gail Davis – Columbia

Gene also starred in "The Gene Autry Show" TV Series throughout the 1950s.

Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas -- Tom Mix

Tom Mix (1880 - 1940) was arguably the greatest cowboy superstar of silent film era--he certainly had a flashier wardrobe.  He made over 300 films between 1910 and 1935.  His horse was also a celebrity, and was billed as "Tony the Wonder Horse."  Mix did most of his own stunts, and suffered many injuries as a result.

Tom's Santa Susana Pass locations filmography:

The Miracle Rider (1935) - Tom Mix (Iverson Ranch) Mascot [serial]

Desert Love (1920) - Tom Mix (Chatsworth) Fox

Do and Dare (1922) - Tom Mix (Chatsworth)(photo above) Fox

Flaming Guns (1932) - Tom Mix (Chatsworth) Universal

The Fourth Horseman (1932) - Tom Mix (Iverson Ranch) Universal

In 1935, Tom Mix was still an A-list star when he made The Miracle Rider (photo above) his last film and his only sound serial.  Tom was paid $10,000.00 a week to make the serial in four weeks of filming.

Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas -- William S. Hart

William Surrey Hart (1864 - 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer.  He was considered to be one of the first great motion picture cowboy stars.

Technically speaking, Hart's ranch home (above), “La Loma de los Vientos” in Newhall, California, is in the Santa Susana Mountains.  The fabulous home built during the 1920s is in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style.  Today it's state owned and operated museum which I highly recommend visiting.

One of my favorite early Western scenes is in The Narrow Trail (1917).  See my post: Meanwhile, back at the ranch -- Lone Ranger Rock

http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/11/meanwhile-back-at-ranch-lone-ranger.html  then click on the YouTube link at bottom of the post to see the clip.

Bill's Santa Susana Pass locations filmography:

The Narrow Trail (1917) - William S. Hart (Iverson Ranch)(photo above)

O'Malley of the Mounted (1921) - William S. Hart (Chatsworth) Artcraft

On the Night Stage (1915) - William S. Hart (Iverson Ranch) 

Three Word Brand (1921) - William S. Hart (Iverson Ranch and Chatsworth Lake)(photo above) Famous Players-Lasky

The Tiger Man (1918) - William S. Hart (Iverson Ranch)

Riddle Gawne (1918) - William S. Hart (Iverson Ranch) (photo above)

No mention of Bill Hart would be complete without mentioning "Fritz" his beloved pinto horse (above) :-)

Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas -- Wild Bill Elliott

If you've been following my blog then you've probably noticed my "Meanwhile, back at the ranch" posts--a continuing series about "rock stars" (landscape features) on the old Iverson Movie Location Ranch in Chatsworth, California.  I thought you might also enjoy learning about filmographies of the many six-gun heroes who have performed on locations in the Santa Susana Mountains near Chatsworth, California.

"Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas -- Wild Bill Elliott" is the first of a series about my favorite Hollywood cowboys.  I have a special interest in Gordon Nance (1904 - 1965) aka Wild Bill Elliott because I still have wonderful memories of Sunday, October 10, 1954, when my red dun quarter horse Sandy and I participated in the first annual West Valley Junior Equestrians Horse Show at Wild Bill Elliott's ranch in Calabasas (photo below).

Bill was a really warm and friendly fellow who genuinely liked kids, so it was no surprise when he offered to make his ranch available to West Valley Junior Equestrians.

Bill's Santa Susana Pass locations filmography:

Valley of Vanishing Men, The (1942) - Bill Elliott - Columbia (photo above) [serial]

Across the Sierras (1941) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Beyond the Sacramento (1940) - Bill Elliott (Corriganville) Columbia

Bitter Creek (1954) - Bill Elliott (Corriganville) Allied Artists

Bordertown Gun Fighters (1943) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Bullets for Bandits (1942) - Bill Elliott (Corriganville) Columbia

California Gold Rush (1946) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) (photo above) Republic

Calling Wild Bill Elliott (1943) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Republic

Cheyenne Wildcat (1944) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Colorado Pioneers (1945) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Conquest of Cheyenne (1946) - Bill Elliott - Republic

Death Valley Manhunt (1943) - Bill Elliott - Republic

Devil's Trail, The (1942) - Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter - Columbia

Fabulous Texan, The (1947) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Fargo (1952) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Monogram

Forty-Niners, The (1954) - Bill Elliott - Allied Artists

Frontiers of '49 (1939) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

Gallant Legion, The (1948) - Bill Elliott (Garden of the Gods) Republic

Great Stagecoach Robbery (1945) - Bill Elliott - (photo above) Republic

Hands Across the Rockies (1941) - Bill Elliott with Dub Taylor (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Hellfire (1949) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Hidden Valley Outlaws (1944) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes (Corriganville) Republic

Homesteaders, The (1953) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch)(Corriganville) Monogram

In Early Arizona (1938) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

In Old Sacramento (1946) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Kansas Territory (1952) - Bill Elliott with Fuzzy Knight - Monogram

King of Dodge City (1941) - Bill Elliot and Tex Ritter - Columbia

Last Bandit, The (1949) - Bill Elliott (Brandeis Ranch) Republic

Law Comes to Texas, The (1939) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

Lone Star Vigilantes (1942) - Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter (Corriganville) Columbia

Lone Texas Ranger (1945) - Bill Elliott - Republic

Longhorn, The (1951) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Monogram

Man from Thunder River, The (1943) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Republic

Man from Tumbleweeds, The (1940) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Marshal of Laredo (1945) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Marshal of Reno (1944) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes - Republic

Maverick, The (1952) - Bill Elliott - Allied Artists

Mojave Firebrand (1944) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes (Iverson Ranch) Republic

North from the Lone Star (1941) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

North of the Rockies (1942) - Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter - Columbia

Old Los Angeles (1948) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Republic

Overland Mail Robbery (1943) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes (Corriganville) Republic

Phantom of the Plains (1945) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Pioneers of the Frontier (1940) - Bill Elliott with Dub Taylor (Iverson Ranch)  Columbia

Plainsman and the Lady (1946) - Bill Elliott - Republic

Prairie Gunsmoke (1942) - Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Prairie Schooners (1940) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

Rebel City (1953) - Bill Elliott - Allied Artists

Return of Wild Bill, The (1940) - Bill Elliott (Corriganville)(photo above) Columbia

Roaring Frontiers (1941) - Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter (Corriganville)(photo above) Columbia

San Antonio Kid, The (1944) - Bill Elliott - Republic

Sheriff of Las Vegas (1944) - Bill Elliott - Republic

Sheriff of Redwood Valley (1946) - Bill Elliott and Bob Steele (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Son of Davy Crockett, The (1941) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

Sun Valley Cyclone (1946) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Taming of the West, The (1939) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

Topeka (1953) - Bill Elliott (Corriganville) Allied Artists

Tucson Raiders (1944) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Vengeance of the West (1942) - Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Vigilante Terror (1953) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch)(Corriganville) Allied Artists

Vigilantes of Dodge City (1944) - Bill Elliott - Republic 

Waco (1952) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Western Street & Silvertown) Monogram

Wagon Tracks West (1943) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes (Iverson Ranch)(photo above) Republic

Wagon Wheels Westward (1945) - Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Wildcat of Tucson, The (1940) - Bill Elliott - Columbia

Wyoming (1947) - Bill Elliott with George 'Gabby' Hayes - Republic

Disclaimer: Movie titles listed in this post have been compiled from many sources and have not all been independently verified by me.  Many of these Western titles listed were filmed on the Iverson Ranch, but some were lensed in other areas of the Santa Susana Pass, including the Brandeis Ranch, Bell Moving Picture Ranch, Burro Flats, Corriganville, Chatsworth Lake and Chatsworth railroad locations.