One of the upstairs bedrooms in the Surgeons Quarters at the Fort Dalles Museum in The Dalles, Oregon, is the Western Room which displays historical Western memorabilia.
Shown above is a bear skin coat from the early 1900s which would have been worn by freight wagon drivers.
Saddles
For most people, the Old West conjures up images of cowboys riding horses. Riding horses, of course, in the Old West required saddles.
Shown above is a ladies’ saddle. In western cultures, women were required to ride sidesaddle as straddling the horse as required with a regular saddle was consider unladylike and vulgar.
Shown above is another ladies’ saddle.
According to the museum display:
“Concessions to fashion ensured that the immense riding skirts, as well as special corsets, kept the rider erect, rigid and uncomfortable. Additionally, the sidesaddle was labour intensive. A man could mount alone. Yet it took two men to help one lady get onto her side saddle.”
While a man riding in a western saddle could control the horse with pressure from the thighs, knees, and heels (very important in herding cattle), a woman riding sidesaddle was total dependent on the reins. From the perspective of the horse, having the majority of the weight on one side often caused injuries to the horse’s back.
Shown above is a Whitman Cavalry Saddle, often called an “officer’s saddle.” First made about 1875, these saddles have pommel pockets or map pockets. Most frequently, the Cavalry Saddle was made without a horn.
Guns
Another important stereotype of the American West involves the importance of firearms. The display of long guns—both rifles and shotguns—includes both muzzle loading guns and cartridge guns.
The “six gun” (a six-shot revolver) is commonly associated with the Old West.
Many people reloaded their own ammunition.
Museums 101
Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of museum displays. More from this series:
Museums 101: The Timber Industry on the Oregon Coast (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Settlers in the High Desert (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Buckaroos (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Electrification (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Saddles and More (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Victorian Life (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Mining Town Organizations (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Hulda Klager Farmhouse (Photo Diary)
