Owyhee Odyssey

Author:  Martin Black Journey into the Owyhee through the recollections of legendary horseman Martin Black and hear a story that takes place in one of the last big open areas to be found in the West, sometime referred to as the Big Empty. In the early 1800s a fur-trapping expedition, including some Hawaiian boatmen, traversed waterways into this vast area never to be heard from again, later earning it the name, Owyhee. Turmoil in other areas drove people to look for better opportunities with the mining and livestock businesses in this raw land, still inhabited by natives, and home to some notorious outlaws. At the same time, cattle from California flooded into the area bringing Vaquero horsemanship, and horse populations flourished. The desert conditions made it an ideal area for horses to thrive. Descendants of horses that once supplied the army through the Cavalry remount program still roam today in some of the largest mustang populations in the United States. Black’s ancestors came west with hopes of a better life for their children. They did so by providing goods for the mines while they grew their herds. These families are now passing this vanishing culture and lifestyle to the seventh generation in the hopes that it will survive to future generations. Martin Black writes about his own life experiences, as well as stories handed down through four generations of his family as they carved out a living. Although they had to deal with Indians, outlaws, and lost homes and property to floods and fires, they never gave up. Today the original 1865 homestead is part of the oldest family-owned ranch in the state of Idaho, and the brand is the oldest continuously owned brand in the state. Softcover: 300 pages. Size   11 × 9 inches …