The Real Bluford Duck That Was Mentioned In Lonesome Dove!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ค. 2018
- He was one of the lesser known outlaws yet he became famous later on due to a mini series called Lonesome Dove. The character in that series was loosely based on the actual man.
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One minor correction to the video. In the series Lonesome Dove Blu Duck was Comanche not Choctaw as I stated in the video. I have not seen the series in years. In real life Bluford Duck was Cherokee.
I have but I haven't made a video. I visited before I made videos. I will be making one on her this year though. She was quite the character.
Yeah it's a big unsolved murder. There has been a lot of speculation on it. There was a lot of associations with criminals.
@Lucas Stidman I read a book one time about the hierarchy of outlaws around 1910. They all seems to have some association.
Keep your Ducks in a row.
I like the series as well, but that was not the only historical inaccuracy, still a great show. I've watched it a few times.
lonesome dove is the best movie ever
It was a fantastic miniseries with a great cast.
Certainly the best western ever! A Pulitzer prize winning novel by Larry McMurtry
!
No doubt one of the best
I devoured the book and then fell in love with the series. About ten years ago I was fortunate enough to sit and have coffee with Gus himself. I say that because Robert Duval was barely acting. He portrayed Augustus as himself apparently. What a treat.
@@dobypilgrim6160 you lucky duck! (pun intended) =) I love Robert Duval, especially as Gus. ♥.
The more I watch your channel the more it's my favorite because you give detailed information of the old west people and graves.
Thank you Roni! I think there is a lot out there that hasn't fully been told in other videos or not at all on many of these characters. Thanks for watching!
The name "Duck" is probably a clan name rather than - strictly speaking - a family name. Scattered across the former Cherokee territory of North Georgia, Western North Carolina and East Tennessee are found many small communities called Ducktown, Rabbit Town, Frogtown, Turtletown, Owltown , Turkeytown and possibly others that I haven't noticed. These names reflect the sites predominantly populated by different clans within the Cherokee nation. The Indians are long gone, of course, since the ethnic cleansing that occurred in the 1840s and '50s, apart from reservation areas near Cherokee, Bryson City and Tellico Plains.
The assertion that Blue Duck "ran" with Belle Starr is based entirely on posthumous legend and has no basis in contemporaneous fact. The only time Blue Duck and Belle Starr ever met was when Blue Duck's attorney asked Belle Starr to pose for a photograph to help support the application for a presidential pardon.
Man, life back then makes me wonder how easy we have it today.
Oh yeah! There are lots of things we don't have to worry about!
Interesting info Rhetty! I find this kind of vlog extremely engaging... The fact that people have walked by this grave and never known the history that lies 6 feet under! Good Job!
Thank you! It's always amazing to find out what's all around you.
Well, all I can say is that the 'Blu Duck' character in Lonesome Dove has to be maybe the evilest character in any Western movie or series.
Richard "Dick" Duck owned that property and started that cemetery back in the 1880's if not before 1880; I understand that it was a family cemetery starting out and Dick Duck left the property to the City of Catoosa and Rogers County for other burials as needed. That's the story I've been told by a gentleman at the City Clerks office when I was doing some photo work at Dick Duck for "Find A Grave"
Thank you for the insight. I figured that all those Ducks are related. Any idea how Dick was?
Thank you! Great video! I have lived in Oklahoma for 44 years, all my life, and I had never heard this before.
You're welcome and I appreciate you watching! There is a lot of history in Oklahoma!
I enjoyed that tremendously man. First time I’ve heard of him. I’m glad you shared this
Glad to have you along for the journey! Thanks for watching!
Hello Rhetty, Very interwsting story about this outlaw and I enjoyed it very much! Thanks and great job!
Thank you Really! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Another good one...I was born and have lived in Tulsa most my life but didn't know some of the stuff I've learned from your channel ! Keep it up!
Thank you Ron. I know there is a lot of history up your way. I have some more things up there I'd like to document.
Great job on this video! Blue duck is my great great great grandpa, and when I tell people that they think he was a rapist because of lonesome dove! Thank you for the accurate representation
I do like the miniseries but they got it completely wrong on him. Would have been better if they had just made up a character name as well. That's awesome that he's your relative though. I would bet there is not many that can claim that. Thanks for watching and commenting.
troy gunckel He was a stone cold psychotic killer and you find relief in the fact he wasn’t a rapist ? Peculiar to say the least.
@@hemipower3308 you caught me, it makes my day to think he was a killer. I hope I dont lose sleep because my opinion is different than yours.
The Lonesome Dove series had a lot of fabrication in it.
Hemi power who was your great great great grandfather?
Luv these vlogs I luv old west history. Thank you for doing this
Thank you Mary! I love the Old West. I appreciate you watching.
Hi Rhett, thanks so much for sharing 🤗☺️.
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
I’m going to watch Lonesome Dove again, it’s been over 25 years since I saw that movie 👍🏽 great videos. I’ve been thinking about doing a video at our local cemetery here in Santa Rosa, Ca. We have a lot of famous people here. We have Luther Burbank- Robert Ripley and many others.. my grand parents are buried real close to Robert Ridley....
It's a great mini series. It's been awhile since I've seen it as well but it sure is good. You should do the videos where you are. Definitely some good ones that you just listed! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Frederick Forrest was great in that role. One of the all time scary villians.
I have this mini series on DVD it's my dad's favorite, I was in middle School when it was on TV. 📺 Thanks for sharing 😊
Another nice 'ducky' video. Very Interresting. Thank you.
I really liked the Scottish outing video too. Much luv to you & fam.
Thank you Shelton!
Ha ha, you’re talking about the Marshall catching him and the sirens are going off in the background… How much better can That get?😂😂😂👏🏼🥰😘
It was pretty good timing! 😁 Thank you for watching!
RhettyforFun 💖
That was interesting, thank you for sharing with us.👍
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
Can certainly count on you to find a bit of history and bring it to light.
I do love history and especially stories like these that have been lost over time.
Lonesome Dove had him as a Comanche half breed.
Yes you're correct on that.
Half Comanche via Buffalo Hump and half Mexican via an abducted girl.
Thanks, I love that type of history.
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
Great job, my friend. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you and I appreciate you watching!
@@RhettyforHistory You bet!
Another awesome video with a great story! I can't wait to see the next adventure :)
Thank you! I feel the same way about your adventures!
Your hard work of researching and bringing us these stories is very inspiring.
That means a lot coming from you!
Did you really say, "Take a gander at Bluford Duck"? Rather a "fowl" choice of words. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself)! Great job! This was one of my favorites, short sweet and to the point. BRAVO, sir!
Haha! Been a lot of jokes on this one. I understand why though. Thank you for watching!
Great video - thanks so much
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
thank you so much you do a wonderful job
Thank you! I appreciate you watching!
Great upload thank you
You're welcome. Thanks for watching Zeb!
great upload and ya got a new subscriber !
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and subscribing!
Lonesome Doves character, Blue Duck was a serious bad ass. This man was probably a serious bad man in real life, but not to the movie standard.
You're right about that. Exaggerated a little but I'm sure it was for interest of the reader and viewer. Thank you for watching.
Oh my RhettyforFun! I'm so glad I left that comment, even though this post is a year old. On your next trip to the TX Panhandle please block out substantial time to see Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, TX. It's not your average rinky dink small town outfit. They have major Indian ceremonial garb, plus too many implements & artifacts to display at one time. Many dioramas of typical scenes of Indian and early settler life.
One of Goodnight's more auspicious deeds was keeping enough American bison at his ranch to save the breed from extinction at the time of the mass slaughter meant to starve the Indians onto reservations. Then there's that little ole Goodnight-Loving trail thing, which was the basis for the Lonesome Dove series. Charles promised to take Oliver's body back to his family home, after he delivered the herd they had assembled, to the railhead in Denver or KC,KS
Goodnight is said to have been the most honest man in TX. He often gave up his rightful share of profit on cattle deals so that no one who did business with him could ever say they lost money. There are scores of books written about him by regionally famous authors, but I believe the most factual account is a little book written long before the Lonesome Dove craze brought his name to national prominence. If I can find my copy I'll comment again with the title.
Edit: I believe the book I have is Charles Goodnight: Cowman and Plainsman, pub 1949.
Thank you for sharing all this information! It's highly fascinating and right up my alley with things I like to cover. I definitely need to make my way out to that area to do a video on it. Thanks again!
I second that. This museum is wonderful. I've been there a number of times (4x I believe). And since you'd be very close, might as well head to Palo Duro Canyon, too. Another great experience.
I have been to the canyon which I love but not the museum. Definitely on my list to do though! Sounds right up my alley!
Thanks for getting all of your ducks in a row before you made this video
Interesting thanks. Really enjoyed it
Thank you Nancy!
Anything is possible..r you with me ? I've never heard of this guy but..I have heard of Belle..what an interesting outlaw tale..thanks
You're welcome. There is a lot of outlaws in this area of the country. At some point I'll cover Belle. Thanks for watching.
Just finished reading Lonesome Dove. It’s interesting to learn the history and inspiration behind the characters/story, but I’d rather meet Bluford Duck any day of the week before I met Blue Duck!
Found the headstone! amazing!!!!!
Sounds like a lovely group of people
Do you have any idea who commissioned this headstone? Sounds like someone really loved him to add the bit about blooming in heaven. If engraving costs are anything like they are today, it would have cost extra, too. I'm glad I found your channel today! I subscribed.
♥.
I'm not sure who did it but I would guess family and that possibly the tribe might have assisted. That's a good question and point though. Markers are not cheap. Thanks for watching and subscribing.
@@RhettyforHistory my pleasure! =)
Thank you Rhetty, I haven’t heard of Bluford Duck, so this was extremely interesting. ❤️Jodie 🇦🇺
Have you ever heard of the series Lonesome Dove? It was a popular book and television series. It sort of took some actual figures and then embellished them but people really liked the series. Thank you for watching Jodie!
@@RhettyforHistory No I hadn’t heard of that either, until you talked a bit about it in this video.
It could be something you would enjoy.
@@RhettyforHistory El Dorado was on as the midday movie last weekend, so my hubby and I watched it again. Rio Grande was on the next day, I taped it to watch this weekend.
I’ve seen it before BUT that was before I watched your video about Ben Johnson. Now I can’t wait to pay attention to his riding skills.
Thanks to you pointing it out.
I should have a little something coming on the El Dorado coming soon. Hopefully Saturday but if not then Monday.
I was reading Lonesome Dove was actually based on a true story. The cattle drive ,The Gus character and his mate trapped in the river bank ,then getting blood poisoning and losing his arm then dying. And taken back many miles by the cap for burial .( he was buried for the winter and dug up again in the spring for the journey)
Loved this
Thank you Rob
Cool information about this man. has anyone ever figured out why he turned to outlaws ways.? Great video.
Good question. There are a lot of outlaws that we really don't know why. I think it's just an opportunity really.
History buff here too. Enjoyed your presentation. One question though? Bluford's facial hair leads me to believe someone was right about his being less than full blood Cherokee - unless Cherokee men had facial hair?
After looking at your channel I see you've been across into NM and TX. i wondered if you've ever been curious about Charles Goodnight's colorful life in the central TX Panhandle? The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, TX is quite a treasure trove of early regional history - not to mention their dinosaur skeleton collection.
I need to revisit the Bellevue, TX cemetery where a few of my maternal forebears family are buried. They moved there from Nacadoches (yr?) and stayed long enough for two of the daughters to marry full blood OK Indians, then after several yrs (in 1896) sold out and moved the rest of the family west to the TX Panhandle. I'm the last living heir maintaining ownership of a portion of that land.
My maternal grandfather hopped a freight train in Moran, TX at age 14 yrs to seek work. He got a construction job in Lubbock, TX, worked there until he had money enough to buy a horse. At the time unfenced, unbranded cattle were free to the first guy who could herd them. He headed north out of Lubbock driving and adding to his little herd grazing across the open prairie.
Within days he encountered a man a'horseback, with the surname of Obertheer who offered to buy his cattle and offered a job caring for them. He sold and worked for Obertheer for years. He batched in a little prairie shack so poorly built that sleeping in the loft where all the heat from the stove rose, was mandatory in winter.
The custom of the time was to offer any passer by food and shelter. Unknowingly he had several famous outlaws spend the night with him during the time frame when lots of horse thieves were using wild and woolly eastern NM Territory as their sparsely populated sanctuary. After most visits US Marshals or local sheriff would be trailing a few days behind with tales of dastardly crimes committed. Accounts of some of his dodgy visitors are in the 1956 book, "The Moving Finger " by local author Lillie Mae Hunter - pub by Plains Publishing, Borger, TX.
From such humble beginnings this adventurous young man built a decent sized cattle operation in TX and NM, found the love of his life (whose kin are buried at Bellevue) and lost almost everything due to dust bowl drought and FDR's Great Depression. He left each of his seven surviving children enough land to prosper IF they could give up the ranch profession and go into farming. Two of the boys wanted to pursue ranching, so they inherited the NM ranch property.
Fortunately for those who chose to stay and farm, irrigation water from the Ogallala Aquifer began being tapped the year my grandfather died (1948). All of his children became every bit as prosperous as he'd been, with one head and shoulders above the rest. He was the one who figured out how to successfully combine ranching and farming together.
Keep having fun...
I did not know about Charles Goodnight at all. He does sound like an interesting one to cover though. I was near his grave in the Amarillo area I see as well as the museum you mentioned. Thank you for the tip on that.
Sounds like your family lived quite a life ranching. Interesting story on your family. Thanks for sharing.
As far as Bluford he could have been mixed. Generally it does seem they don't grow much. It could be whites said he was full or maybe he said he was full. That part we may never know.
Thanks for commenting and watching. I do hope to cover more in Texas this year.
RT3 BOX6 TX Most Indians plucked the hair from their faces, not many could grow anything more than a scraggly sparse facial hair anyway. (Eli Parker, a Seneca in the Grant administration managed facial hair, the "bearded Utes" sometimes grew whiskers, as did many old Indian men who no longer cared about their appearance) many full bloods of various tribes could manage a thin mustache, still, very few Indians Let facial hair grow at all.
Great video. I had read about him some but there just isn't a lot of info on him.
That's how many of those old characters are really. Thanks for watching.
Holly wood never gets it right ! Good vid !
No they are usually off quite a bit. Thanks for watching!
It wasn't just Hollywood......Larry McMurtry had the character in his novel...Blue Duck.....pretty much the way he was portrayed in the series....maybe he just liked the name.......
Here it's common to see geese in a cemetery, this is a reason to travel 2000 miles to see a Duck. Great episode!
I always thought his name was a translation from Cherokee meaning “Blue Duck.” I had no idea his name was Bluford lol
The half breed part was a nod to Quanah Parker who was a half breed.
I coulld tell you quite the story about lonesome dove considering they are my family.
Great video 👍.
Thank you!
In the movie and book, Blue Duck was the son of Buffalo Hump, a Comanche war chief, and Rosa, a captive.
Nicely done as to the historical facts, something Larry McMurtry didn't let interfere with telling a colorful tale
Yes he left a lot out. Thanks for watching!
McMurtry pulled together lots of Western tales to spin his yarns. Part of the fun of reading his stories is figuring out who he is using as a model for his characters. In Lonesome Dove, Augustus McCrae is based on Charles Goodnight. Mr Goodnight rancher on the Northern side of Palo Duro Canyon. His home outside Claude, TX, in Goodnight has been restored and open for visits. As an old man he married a young woman named Goodnight; they were not related but must have been kin, just like I consider all Keith's as kinfolk.
They got their Ducks in a row! 🤣
I love your video and just now subscribed to your channel,I'm a history buff.
Thanks for subscribing. I'm glad you liked the video. There is a lot of history all around us so I love to seek those things out and share them!
Im glad to find out that he was a cherokee not comanchee lonesome dove is a great series
I'd like to know if his body acctually lies at this site or is it like some burial sites in that he's not known to be here and it's more of a historical marker. If I'm correct Doc Holiday's burial site is such a controversial place.
Good question and I suppose we may never know if it is. But I believe that it bgg is there.
My mother Venita Fe Shannon whose dad was James Leslie COOKE and her mother was Thelma Hamilton on Thelma’s side they were related to Belle Starr
Great video! Im a former grave digger. If you ever have trouble reading old writing on a headstone, get powdered chalk and smear it on the stone. The recessed writing will be easier to read! Just a little trick i learned
I never use chalk because the rubbing can degrade the markers and certain ingredients in cheaper chalk can do the same. A flashlight being shown on the marker from the side is the best trick and it doesn't involve touching.
they got all their ducks in a row!
You beat me to it. Arrrgggg
Funny stuff! 😂🤣😂🤣
Good grief!
Belle Starr definitely wasn't a looker was she?
Even in those times.
Always fascinating my friend.
I wish you rainbows.
No she wasn't at all. Many of those women in the old west were rough. I'm not sure if it was the type of women involved just beauty standards and practices have really changed. Many seemed rough looking. Thanks for watching!
@@RhettyforHistory Put a picture of this lady over the fireplace and you can be sure the kids won't go near the fire. : - )
Great video
Thank you for watching
Somebody loved him 👋👍🙂
Yes they did.
Cool.thanks bro.i see your sharks hat.was wondering if your from the bay
No I'm not. I became a fan of them early on because for some reason they were the only team that would occasionally come on in Oklahoma. So I bought a hat in 1991 I think it was. Then a jacket. Had several things since. Now it's much easier to follow Hockey. Right now I'm cheering on the Blues against Bruins in the finals.
@@RhettyforHistory rite on.i remember when they first became a team.i was a youngster.my wife took me to my first game 2 years ago.got a puck.go figure.shes from indiana so shes a Blackhawks fan. Those games are a lot of fun.but great video.keep it up.
looks like they have all their ducks in a row
That's funny
Give you that one....
Fort Smith? At Judge Parker's convenience? They put that in True Grit!
A lot of Lonesome Dove's characters were based loosely on real people. Call and Gus based on Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving but if I remember correctly, they are reversed on the amputation from real life to the series. I believe it was Goodnight who got shot and had I think his arm taken off. I watch the entire series maybe twice a year starting at Deadman"s walk and I do watch Return To Lonesome Dove even though it is not technically part of the series. I also read the books with the exception of Comanche Moon as I have not purchased that book yet. Anyway, I did not know that Blue Duck was based on a real person and this is interesting to learn about. I knew Buffalo Hump was the Comanche that lead 2 raids all the way to the gulf. I think I read something about there being a real Mox Mox. If you know anything about him let me know.
I would have to do some research on Max. I really liked the series but I have not seen it in awhile. It is certainly a classic. I do think he drew inspiration from real life people but made them their own characters. He was good at what he did though. Thank you for watching!
Charlie Goodnight was loosely based on the Woodrow Call character, not reversed. Oliver Loving died from gangrene in Ft. Sumner, NM (near Santa Rosa) after an ambush along the Pecos River. Charlie would go on to create the Goodnight Ranch and sell it to caretakers whom still operate it today. The ranch had buildings near Pueblo, CO (which was considered Texas back then). He lived to see his 90s and founded a college.
Good video sir
Thank you!
If you’re ever traveling through Catoosa, Oklahoma you’ve taken a wrong turn.
Not if you are on Route 66 or there to see something else.
In Lonesome Dove he was half Comanche and half Mexican. Not Choctaw. They called him a "Comanchero" who were traders in that part of the country. I'm not sure if the term was used because of his half-breed heritage or if he was an actual member of the Comanchero people, who were not a tribe per say, just a group of traders.
Very interesting 💦
Thank you Sandy!
The picture of blue and Star was the only known meeting of the 2
Now that's a weird name for a cemetery .... wonder if their is still duck family in the area.
Good question. I'm sure somehow there are some. It's possible they may go by their Native name though.
WOW I did not know that Judge parker was a real guy. I thought it was just in the John Wayne movies.
Rhetty, have you been to Fort Smith yet?
Yes I have. I have two videos I have made in the Ft. Smith area. Lots of history there!
I was there about a month ago, which is why this vid made sense. I threw up a little vid, too, but your Fort Smith video is REALLY well done (I couldn't smell the whiskey, either!), so I'm linking your vid here for people who read the comments, since they go together:
th-cam.com/video/M_8H4o3Gp1c/w-d-xo.html
He was 35 when he died. A month away from 36.
Thank you for watching!
He's a Cherokee legend
The Lonesome dove blue duck, and the real life blue duck are totally different people. The comparison is a really bad one. The real life blue duck was not so despicable.
NM I see your correction. Good vid
Sounds like you know your history. Would like to get with you on a personal level. That's where my family came from. Before the trail of tears. And yes we are Cherokee. And the name was Crittenden. We rode with Stand waite
That's very interesting. Are you related to the congressman? There was a compromise proposal in his name. It didn't pass but is interesting.
I saw his pistol in the museum at Fort Smith Arkansas
Thats interesting to know. Thank you for watching.
Mentioned? Blue Duck was a pretty significant character...
There's a ducktown in Tennessee named after a chief Duck. The town had a thriving copper mining community. Maybe there's a connection with him.
There could be. Especially since the Cherokee came from the TN area.
Best film of all time
Thank you for watching
I noticed that the cemetery has all their Duck's in a row....
he developed tuberculosis in prison and died of that shortly after his release.
Yes you are correct. Thank you for watching!
Very interesting. However, you state that Duck was sentenced to death, then offered a plea bargain. There would be no reason for a prosecutor to offer a plea bargain after obtaining a conviction, nor would a judge likely agree to it.
Interesting
Thank you for watching.
Was all the ducks in a row?
I don't mind an outlaw who's not a rapist, just gotta say. thanks for the vid, i really enjoyed it.
Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome story. I have a little bit of Cherokee blood, not much. I'm 1/32nd Cherokee, but I've always been fascinated by native American culture. When we played cowboys and "injuns" as kids, I always quickly volunteered to be an "injun". I naturally identified with their spirit and wanted so badly to be Cherokee. In my young adulthood, I discovered that my third great grandmother was full blooded Cherokee. I was thrilled about that and I am proud of that part of my lineage. I used to go by Cherokeeman on youtube, but so many bliss-ninnies would make a stink about it because I'm not full blooded Cherokee. It's a shame that in today's politically correct world, we cannot celebrate all aspects of our heritage without some bliss-ninny squawking "cultural appropriation". So now, I celebrate my military veteran status by using the phonetic spelling of my name, Tango India Mike (Tim). No one can take away my name or my 20 years and 27 days of honorable military service.
I've always been drawn to the Native American Cultures even though I do not have a drop in me. I think their way of life was fascinating as well as their spirituality and culture. I'm fortunate to have a lot of these Nations around me here in Oklahoma. There is a lot of interesting history. Thanks for watching and even more importantly thank you for your service to our country!
Tango India Mike,
We must be blood brothers.
Seabees
20 yrs, 24 days and 20 minutes (-;
@@fjb4932 ooorah Frank! Semper Gumby (Always Flexible). Thanks for your service, brother. How did you know I am a SeaBee?
Thank you for your service as well.
@Lucas Stidman I never have considered the government cheese. No reparations for me. Just proud to be part Cherokee.
Thank you
You're welcome and Thanks for watching!
Quack, quack🦆
Blue Duck was said to have a girlfriend Belle Starr. I screenshots a pic of it and yes Lonesome Sove is the greatest movie EVER
There has been a rumor on whether or not they were romantically involved. I think it was purely gang related associated. I believe I included the photo of the two of them in this video but I can't remember. The other rumor is that she went two where Blue was being held and had the photo taken. It was sort of a publicity stunt and she was trying to get him out of his sentencing or a lesser sentence. So much is a mystery on Belle including her death. It can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction on her.
durn....looks like he's related to Charlie Pride !!
Is this the Duck Dynasty 😊
Got those "ducks in a row" 🤔
I see he has his ducks in a row.
No man just a grave