3/19/2010:
On this date in 1865, North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Famer, James William Follis, was born on a ranch outside of Stevensville, Texas. The son of a retired Confederate Army cavalryman, Follis was well versed in horsemanship, and became an expert rancher at a young age. When he was just seven years old, Follis assisted his family in driving their cattle all the way to Trinidad, Colorado, where they eventually decided to settle. Despite his young age, some claimed that Follis "rode herd just as though he were a grown man."
When he was fifteen, Follis set out on his own. After working for a cattle company in New Mexico for two years, a restless Follis yearned to explore the West and see what the rest of the territory had to offer. While driving a herd of cattle through Colorado, the young cowboy heard about the famous "Three Seven" outfit that operated in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. He travelled north to Wibaux, Montana, sought employment with the outfit, and was hired in 1883, beginning a fifteen-year career with the Three Sevens.
Less than a year after joining the outfit, Follis was promoted to foreman. He also served as a representative for the company, with the power to buy and receive cattle. Under the direction of Follis, the Triple Seven ran twice as many cattle as most outfits in the area: approximately 30,000 head per year. Respected and admired by his fellow ranchers, some called Follis the "Cowboy's Cowboy," for his extensive knowledge of the cattle ranching business and superb roping skills. While employed with the Triple Seven outfit, Follis also had the chance to work with Theodore Roosevelt during the Little Missouri River Livestock Roundup of 1884.
In addition to his busy career as a rancher, Follis found time to serve two terms as Sheriff of Billings County from 1899 to 1903. At the age of seventy-three, the hearty cowboy finally retired from active ranching. In his final days, Follis could often be found at his ranch in Dickinson, entertaining guests with stories of the old days in the west and weaving tales of excitement and suspense in his prominent Texas drawl.
Follis died on November 15, 1950 and was inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2000.
Dakota Datebook written by Carol Wilson
Sources:
50 Years in the Saddle: Looking Back Down the Trail, vol. 3. Dickinson and Grafton: Quality Quick Print and Associated Printers, 1990.
http://www.northdakotacowboy.com/Hall_of_Fame/Ranching/follis_james.asp