by Carol A. Winn
illustrated by William J. Geer
ISBN 978-1-877810-30-5
Hardcover, 64 pages, 6x9, 2000
Ages 10 - 14
In this true story, Charles Jesse "Buffalo" Jones undertakes a treacherous 1800s Texas trail ride, risking his life to rescue baby buffalos and save America's bison from extinction.
The animals he saved are ancestors of many of the 25,000 buffalos living today.
When Columbus discovered the New World in 1492, more than sixty million buffalos (technically called American bison) ranged from southern Canada through central Texas. During the 1870s, noisy black steam engines plowed through huge herds of buffalo and many travelers shot the slow moving creatures for entertainment, leaving hundreds of buffalo carcasses rotting alongside the railroad tracks.
Others shot buffalo for profit. Between 1871 and 1873, hunters killed as many as 1,250,000 buffalo each year and sold their hides to leather companies on the East Coast. By 1889, fewer than 600 buffalo remained in the wild.
When Charles Jesse "Buffalo" Jones, himself a renowned buffalo hunter, realized that the great herds were rapidly disappearing, he took action. With gumption and good humor, Jones rescued baby buffalos and took them to his ranch in Kansas. By the end of the nineteenth century, Jones owned the largest buffalo herd in North America.
Because of his efforts to prevent the extinction of the buffalo, Jones became known as the Preserver of the American Bison.
BUFFALO JONES is a fun, fast-paced, well-researched story packed with authentic details, numerous black and white illustrations, a glossary and bibliography. (Ages 10-14).
CONTENTS:
Part I: The Storm
Part II: The Chase
Part III: The Capture
Part IV: The Danger
Part V: Going Home
"Buffalo Jones was as tough as any man who ever rode on the frontier. When it came to saving the buffalo, he let nothing stop him, not even hungry wolves. This book is a fast-paced adventure story about a true hero of the American West. Readers will be unable to put the book down, and they will return again and again to read about Buffalo Jones."
-- Jerry Craven Ph.D., Professor of Literature,
West Texas A&M University
"Buffalo Jones, an important and unique historical figure, is largely unknown even in the American West. Carol A. Winn has done a remarkable job, not only of preserving the memory of Buffalo Jones, but of capturing his personality and the spirit that animates the west. This is a book that adults will want to read and discuss with their children."
-- Robert L. Flynn, Author, NORTH TO YESTERDAY and LIVING WITH THE HYENAS, Wrangler Award winners, National Cowboy Hall of Fame
"BUFFALO JONES is a carefully researched, historically accurate story which children will enjoy. It also carries a deeper message about human wastefulness and destruction and the possibility of living in closer harmony with our natural world."
-- David T. Horsley, Author, INTO THE WIND
"Buffalo Jones: The Man Who Saved America's Bison is the true story of Charles Jesse Jones who undertook the treacherous 1800s Texas trail drive, risking his life to rescue baby buffalo and save America's bison from extinction. The animals he saved are the ancestors of more than 25,000 buffalo living throughout the West and Midwest today. Charles "Buffalo" Jones was a renowned buffalo hunter who realized that the great herds were rapidly disappearing. With gumption and good humor, Jones took action by rescuing baby buffalo and taking them to his ranch in Kansas. By the end of the nineteenth century, Jones owned the largest buffalo herd in North America. Because of his efforts in preventing the otherwise inevitable extinction of the buffalo, Jones was acclaimed the "Preserver of the American Bison". Buffalo Jones is a fun, informative, fast-paced, true-life, highly recommended story packed with authentic details and enhanced for young readers ages 10 to 14 with numerous black and white illustrations."
-- "The Children's Bookwatch"
