This is a sculpture that consists of 17 bronze panels, three longhorns, pointed wire, and a Texas star that represent different aspects on the history of the trail. The sculptor Troy Kelley has added his own artist interpretation to this history, and has held to the facts of the trail as well. For me it was a unique piece because it was really tall with many panels, each having different stories to tell.
The artist, Troy Kelley is a painter and sculptor in Salado, Texas. His work is usually realistic, and covers different subjects in cast bronze. This piece is seven feet tall consisting of 17 individual panels; each panel is approximately 16 x 24 inches. However, recently he has been creating a series of sculpture cast in clear urethane.
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To reach Abilene, Kansas it usually took three months. A Texas cattle raiser neighbors and question them if they wanted to contribute to the drive and it cost $1-1.50 per person contract their cattle to the drover.
Panel X
The chuck wagon. The chuck wagon was the hub of the trail drive. The men watch forward to the end of the day, when they would gather to rest and eat. Not only did the chuck wagon served as storage for bedrolls, it also had food, rope, ammunition, spare equipment, guns, etc.
Panel XI
Woman on a pedestal. Many women rode up the trail. One well-known lady was from Georgetown, Harriet Standifer Cluck.
Panel XII
Crossing the river was always very dangerous for the cowboy and the herd alike. Here, one longhorn has successfully crossed the creek, but the others seem to be struggling. In fact, the sculpture Troy Kelly has put one of the beasts upside down, which indicates that he didn’t make it.
Panel XIII
A lightning storm and stampede hit in Belton. In 1875, a herd was camped in what is now Confederate Park in Belton. An electrical storm occurred one morning, that caused the cattle to panic – a stampede ensued.
Panel XIV
The cross states, “Bill Northrup killed April 1875.” Here appears the Cowboy Bill