Oral history interview with Ollie F. Osborn

Collection

Identifier: SR 9350

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Ollie F. Osborn was conducted by Harriet Baskas in Union, Oregon, in September 1981. The interview was conducted as part of a series of interviews used in the radio program “Don’t Fence Me In, the Cowgirls of Eastern Oregon,” which aired on the Portland community station KBOO on December 8, 1981.

In this interview, Osborn discusses her career as a professional cowgirl on the rodeo circuit and in Wild West shows between 1913 and 1932. She talks about learning to ride as a child, describes various rodeo events, and discusses the cowgirls she toured with. She talks about passing up the opportunity to star in rodeo movies; describes the clothes the cowgirls wore; and shares funny stories from her rodeo days. She speaks about the death of Bonnie McCarrol in the 1929 Pendleton Round-up, and discusses the lack of women riders at the time of the interview in 1981. She closes the interview by talking about the inaccuracy of cowboy stereotypes; looking at photos from her rodeo days and discussing them; and discussing the differences in the treatment and payment of cowboys and cowgirls.

Dates

1981 September

Creator

Osborn, Ollie F. (Ollie Frances), 1896-1989 (Interviewee, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of Ollie F. Osborn. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

Biographical note

Ollie Frances Osborn was born in Union, Oregon, in 1896. She was a cowgirl and rodeo participant from 1913 to 1932. She died in 1989.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (1 hr., 25 min., 37 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Ollie F. Osborn conducted by Harriet Baskas in September 1981 as part of a series of interviews used in the radio program “Don’t Fence Me In, the Cowgirls of Eastern Oregon.” Osborn was a cowgirl and rodeo participant in Eastern Oregon from 1913 to 1932.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Harriet Baskas, August 1982 (Lib. Acc. 16054).

Existence and Location of Copies

Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.

Separated Materials

Two additional recordings that were acquired with this interview were separated and cataloged individually: the radio show "Don't Fence Me In, the Cowgirls of Eastern Oregon," SR 9348; and an oral history interview with Ella Ganger and Gladys Thompson, SR 9349.

Bibliography

This oral history interview was used in the creation of a program titled "Don't Fence Me In, the Cowgirls of Eastern Oregon," which aired on the Portland community radio station KBOO on December 8, 1981.