Cowboy Craft Capital: Pendleton Is the Place for Real-Deal Western Style

THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT “the West” still carries a cultural mystique. And no doubt that this aura has something to do with clothes and craft, with big hats and big buckles. The rich, earthy tang of leather. Raw steel and steaming felt. Fine goods, made for range and trail as well as Saturday night, shaped by calloused, talented hands. As a matter of fact, there is a place where this mythic style world is very much alive.

Start at the corner of Court Street and Main in downtown Pendleton, Oregon. I did, not long ago, for a walkabout through the Eastern Oregon town of about 17,000 souls, a ranching and rodeo hub that’s home to an exceptional community of talented makers, united by the calling to create practical manifestations of the Wild West.

Immersed in their process, I acquired a personal perspective of our shared heritage. You can’t get that ready-made off the shelf.

I parked at Hamley Western Store, established 1905. Upstairs, past a massive elk head mount, I heard the murmur of work: scraping, metallic clinks, taps and clunks. Hamley’s saddle shop is a sensory time machine, piloted by Tim Hawk and Larry Smith.

The shop is an anchor, holding fast to the time when leather was the material of choice for buckaroo life: chaps, tack, belts, lariats and, of course, saddles. Hawk was painstakingly tooling a leather belt, flourishes carefully etched in a strip of hide destined for a lifetime of wear. Smith put finishing touches on a saddle, carving a rancher’s brand into the cantle. Both learned their art by hanging out with their mentors, watching and asking questions. “It’s about connecting people with purposeful gear, art and function,” Smith said.

Crossing the street, I found a spot decorated with dusty rodeo photos, recounting a time when Richard Stapleman rode bulls, won buckles, then fell in love with bootmaking. Stapleman starts his process by carving a foot-shaped “last,” to fit each foot on every customer. Then hammers, knives, needles, nails, glue, leather and maker’s art combine in the final product.

“Hands and heart make a good boot,” Stapleman said, a sentiment I heard in variations around Pendleton.

In the West, hats, not eyes, are the window to your soul. Walk west on Court St. to Montana Peaks Hat Co., where Laura Wortman crafts headwear worn by movie characters and local ranchers. Her approach to fitting, color, brim size and crown shape makes every hat an expression of the wearer.

The Pendleton Round-Up was, literally, my first rodeo, so farther west on Court St. I paid homage to the grounds, then ducked into 23 Plus to meet leatherworker Joe Meling. He transforms leather into everything from belts to knife sheaths, handcarved and tooled, adorned with his own patterns. A reformed bull rider, Meling’s ebullient attitude echoed his former trade and “makin’ eight”: a successful ride, landing on your feet.

Fiber art lives at the other end of town. A storied name in Western style and craft, Pendleton Woolen Mill has roots tracing back to the 1860s, and the era of “trade blankets” used as currency with the region’s Indigenous tribes. The company as such has operated here since 1909, and remains under the same family ownership. Its woven heirlooms are unmistakable, the signature blankets often reflecting Native designs. Guided mill tours are the best way to see the process up close.

The artists I met in Pendleton were unanimous in their commitment to face-to-face, hands-on connections between themselves, their patrons and the past. “When they look in the mirror and I see that smile, I know it worked,” hatmaker Wortman said. This quiet small-town crossroads is the gateway to a day full of incredible personalities living their dream by making others’ come true. There’s a craft brewer and distillery, hiking and mountain biking, and museums. Native arts and local artists’ work are celebrated in several retail shops, including Hamley’s.

“Let ’er buck” is a another rodeo term: The chute gate flies open and you hold tight to a fierce bucking bronc. It’s also the promotional slogan for Pendleton. Grab the reins and take your own wild ride through Western arts and cowboy culture.

WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO KNOW

The Pendleton Round-Up, famed rodeo and tribute to Western history and culture, runs its 115th installment from Sept. 7 through Sept. 14. pendletonroundup.com

Round-Up Tips

Book early, up to a year in advance: lodging, rodeo tickets, restaurants and camping. RV parking is available at local schools. Book through the chamber of commerce. There’s a complimentary shuttle service to minimize parking headaches. 

The unique rodeo arena (turf rather than dirt) is gigantic. When buying tickets, get as close to the action as possible. Visit the Happy Canyon pageant and related activities celebrating Indigenous culture.

They no longer allow horses in the Let 'Er Buck Room, a legendary saloon under the south grandstand and site of the ultimate after-party. The author disavows any responsibility for this unfortunate policy change.

Culture Stops

Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts is one of the coolest art finds you’re going to get down a country road. Just outside Pendleton on the Umatilla Reservation, this bright and modern printmaking gallery and workshop emphasizes Native creators and top-flight works of graphic art. Elsewhere on the reservation, the Tamástslik Cultural Institute bills itself as the only museum on the Oregon Trail that interprets Western expansion from a tribal perspective. Its vibrant exhibits are highly regarded.

Camping & Driving

Travelers can camp in the nearby Umatilla National Forest or several
campgrounds in and near town, notably Lookout, Wildhorse and River Rock RV parks. Take Highway 395 southbound out of Pendleton to intersect with the gorgeous Blue Mountain Scenic Byway.