Looking Back: Check Your Weapons at the Gate

The History of Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion

by Kay Little, Little History Adventures

The renowned annual Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion held at Woolaroc started as two parties.

The first annual FP Ranch Wild West Show was held on September 1, 1926, behind the Woolaroc Lodge. All the guests were dressed in cowboy fashion.

Most of the stars were members of Frank and Jane Phillips’ family and their close friends. The show featured a performance by Billie, the trick goat, who was the only goat in the world who took daily Turkish baths and beauty clay treatments. Old Settler and Cyclone Clark were scheduled to be riders in the show until the leaders realized they could not stay on their horses, so they changed their act to fancy roping.

Grif Graham, a former area sheriff and Frank’s right hand man, was the Australian whip cracker. Chief Woolaroc and his bride, Minnie Littledear, who were actually Paul McIntyre and Jane Phillips, presented a modern Indian stomp dance.

The family cowboy party was such a hit that the Phillips wanted to have a picnic to thank the people who had helped them get their game preserve started. Many of the cowboys in the area had helped Frank bring in 120 head of buffalo and helped get rid of unwanted predators. So, in May 1927, Frank and Jane invited 200 people to a huge picnic at the FP Ranch, including several cowboys, their families, and many local dignitaries. Guests stayed all day and into the evening. The menu included an abundance of BBQ, many trimmings, and ice-cold lemonade. Peg-legged fiddler Henry Hall provided the music for several years. This party was called the Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion.

At the party, a “Kangaroo Court’ collected money, using trumped up charges and fines against the guests. The money was then used to buy a cowboy hat for Frank, as a thank you for the party.

Frank really liked the name given to the party, and he started planning an actual Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion.

In 1929, 300 guests attended the CTOR, some of them actual cow thieves, train robbers, and lawmen. Just as Frank had held the earlier parties to thank his friends, he wanted to thank some of the outlaws. Frank previously loaned money to some of the outlaws, including Henry Starr. He felt that the outlaws would repay the loans and he was right. Of course, much of that money was probably from other bank robberies. Because of the loans, Frank’s bank was never robbed.

Henry Wells was another outlaw with whom Frank had a special relationship. Frank invited him to poker games and dinner parties. He eventually hired Wells to work at the front gate. Wells and some of his friends would sometimes “rob” the guests of their fancy jewelry and money at the front gate. The guests would be so outraged when they arrived at the Lodge. When they expressed their anger to Frank, he would just laugh and point to the table, with all their “stolen” belongings. As you can tell, Frank loved pulling pranks on his friends.

Wells had also warned Frank that Pretty Boy Floyd was going to kidnap the grandchildren and shoot his way into Woolaroc. Frank had the family stay at Woolaroc after an attempted kidnapping and then hired several men to guard the front gate. Floyd did try to storm the gate, but was met with much gunfire, so he turned around and never came back!

This party was Frank’s way of saying thank you. He did have two rules — ALL weapons had to be checked at the gate and the lawmen were not allowed to arrest anyone. In the morning, the outlaws were allowed to leave hours before the lawmen.

The last original CTOR was held in 1930, with over 300 guests. It was remembered as the best one. The entertainment and food was great and the First Chance Saloon had plenty of drinks.

The most significant event of the day was when Frank’s good friend, Osage Chief Fred Lookout, honored Frank as the first white man to be named Chief. Lookout presented Frank with a horse, blanket, single eagle feather, and headdress. Frank was so proud and humbled.

In 2006, a group of people who love Woolaroc decided to revive the Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion as a fundraiser and to show people the beauty and fun of Woolaroc. A big difference is that there are no outlaws. It is now an annual event with up to 900 people in attendance. The party is held on the same grounds as the original parties, with lots of food, drink, music, dancing, and art to purchase. It boasts true Old West friendship, which would make Frank proud.

Many of the renovations at the lodge, museum, and grounds are accomplished using the money raised at CTOR.

Today, the party is advertised as the “best damn party in the state of Oklahoma!”

One Bartian who attended every CTOR from its beginnings until shortly before his death was Richard “Dick” Kane. When he was just 10 years old, in 1928, his mother made him dress up for the party, which he did not like because all the other children were in play clothes.

Fast forward to May 2010, a year after he died, and we see that Woolaroc dedicated a bronze of young Dick dressed as he was in the photo from the 1928 CTOR. This way, he is still at every Reunion.

Dick was a fixture at the reunions. He loved to dance and was usually the last one off the dance floor. He was known for being an encourager, a gentleman, a giver, quick to forgive, and lover of history — which included Woolaroc.

Unfortunately, CTOR will not be held this year because of Covid restrictions, but look for it to be back in 2021 as great as ever.

~ Thank you to Bartlesville Area History Museum and Woolaroc for the photos.