Our Pioneers — E. C. “Teddy Blue” Abbott
In his compellingly interesting book Cattle Kingdom , Christopher Knowlton introduces his readers to a thorough “Hidden History of the Cowboy West,” as he describes it. Of the many fascinating accounts he sets forth, perhaps even more amazing is the seemingly endless stories of the individuals who contributed to the growth of the American West. Some of those names we readily recognize. Most are unfamiliar, including our featured pioneer for this edition.
His name was E.C. “Teddy Blue” Abbott. In the April 2025 Fleckvieh Forum, I mentioned Abbott. It was 1886. Abbott was a veteran trail driver working for Granville Stewart on the DHS Ranch in Montana when they witnessed the “Snowy Owl” prophecy, described in the April article. They also witnessed the devastating results of that Native American prophecy that coming winter.
Abbott was born in England in 1860. In 1871, he came to the US with his parents, and they settled down in Lincoln, Nebraska. His father learned of the opportunities available in Texas to drive cattle north. Abbott and his father went by train to New Orleans, and then by boat to Texas. Abbott was only 11 years old when he began moving cattle by trail. His first trip started near the Red River. It wasn't long before he determined that the cowboy way of life was his calling. It remained so until his death.
This column has covered the hardships that cowboys experienced while moving vast herds of cattle north and west during the heyday of the cattle drives. While those hardships came with the job, once the work was completed, recreation followed. Abbott was a lead character in Knowlton’s stories, popping up multiple times throughout the book. And with this character a different side of the cowboy life was presented. How he got his nickname is a perfect example.
According to lore, it was in Montana when Abbott acquired the nickname “Teddy Blue.” After consuming large quantities of alcohol while attending a vaudeville show, when the curtain went up, Abbott grabbed a chair and rode it across the stage yelling “Whoa Blue!” Blue was a cowboy term for a gray horse. He received a roaring applause from the audience. From that point on his friends called him “Teddy Blue.”
A cowboy’s highest priority upon arriving in a cattle town was to get clean. Weeks on the trail and the absence of soap and water made this an essential priority. Cowboys often used communal bath houses and “communal” amenities such as toothbrushes, towels, hair brushes, mirrors, and combs. In his book Roughing It , Mark Twain described one such comb as apparently handed down ever since the age of Samson and Esau, gathering hair and “certain impurities.” Once all cleaned up, the cowboy joined hundreds of others wandering the streets searching for supplies, getting a haircut ($0.35), or perhaps having a black-and-white portrait taken, the latest fad. Abbott was no exception, and joined the ranks of the curious trail riders in their quest for rest and relaxation.
Abbott remembered this account: “I bought some new clothes and got my picture taken… I had a new white Stetson hat that I paid $10.00 for and new pants that cost $12.00 and a good shirt
and fancy boots. Lord, I was proud of those clothes! When my sister saw me, she said take your pants out of your boots and put your coat on. You look like an outlaw! I told her to go to hell and I never did like her after that.”
After all of the frills of getting the R&R process rolling, almost like herding the cattle they were accustomed to, the next stop for all cowboys was a local saloon. “Rot Gut” whiskey flowed like a river and its toll was often heavy. When the dust had settled and yet another cattle town adventure had passed, it was back to the trails where the cycle would start anew.
Abbott made several cattle drives north. He fell in love with Montana. He also fell in love with Granville Stewart’s daughter, Mary. When the winter of 1886–87 brought about the demise of the DHS herds, Abbott worked for other outfits. In 1889 he started his own operation, the Three Deuce Ranch. He had married Mary Stewart. Together they would raise eight children. Their hardships were extreme but similar to others of the time. He described farm work as much harder than trailing cattle. He added a few milk cows and sold milk to a boarding house in Maiden, Montana. With proceeds from his farm, he built up his beef cattle herd and in 1900 secured grazing rights to 2,000 acres. By 1919, he had $50,000 in the bank. Then, the next big cattle bust came: “I lost most everything. Such is life in the West,” he said. He started over.
Abbott lived long enough to see most cowboys put their guns away, but he refused to give up his. He wrote in his memoir: “A six-shooter’s an awful lot of company. Suppose you break your leg, you can signal. If you’re caught afoot, you can shoot a jackrabbit. If you’re held up you can defend yourself.” He continued: “A man has got to be at least 75 years old to be a real old cowhand. I started young and I am 78. Only a few of us are left now, and they are scattered from Texas to Canada. The rest have left the wagon. I hope they find good water and plenty of grass. But wherever they are is where I want to go.” Abbott passed away on April 7, 1939, just days after his memoir, We Pointed Them North: Recollections of a Cowpuncher, was published.
In 2008, the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted Abbott into their ranks, recognizing his lifetime of devotion to the cowboy way of life. He certainly is another fine example of the “Pioneers” we have featured for this column. Job well done, “Teddy Blue”! .
Editor’s note: This is the forty-ninth in the series Our Pioneers.
Is there a Simmental pioneer who you would like to see profiled in this series? Reach out to Larry Maxey or the editor to submit your suggestions:
