The American West is no less a melting pot today than it was a hundred years ago and that holds true for the Texas frontier as well. The National Multicultural Western Heritage Hall of Fame, located in Fort Worth, aims to make sure that the contributions made by Hispanic, Native, European, and African Americans to the settlement of the western American Frontier are recognized and celebrated. Often considered “the Forgotten Cowboys”, many of the early ethnic Texans who owned and worked ranches, drove cattle along the iconic cattle trails, and fought in skirmishes and wars alongside our more recognized Anglo cowboys made an equal contribution to the Texas we know today.

Vaqueros, whose ancestors had raised livestock on family ranches in Central and South America for centuries, Buffalo Soldiers stationed among the frontier forts of the 1800’s, and members of the Native American Comanche tribe, Great Plains masters of the horse, were responsible for some of the most important cultural attributes that established the character of 19th century America. The Hall of Fame preserves and interprets artifacts and photographs that help tell their story, thus expanding our knowledge and understanding of the development of the American West.