Forgotten Fame II: The Incredible Abernathy Brothers

Following on from my cousin, Jim Stockley's interesting post regarding the amazing story of the Abernathy brothers, I felt that it is worth giving this piece of history its own post. The Abernathy boys became famous for a short time when they travelled from Oklahoma to New Mexico and back again on horseback to welcome President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt back from him European visit. As my cousin pointed out, it might be the case that their 62 trans-American record has not been beaten. However, what makes the story even more incredible is the fact that Bud Abernathy was only nine and his younger brother, Temple, was only five. This was a very different age. It was an actual event in the mould of Mark Twain's most famous creations, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer (whose adventures I joyfully downloaded onto my ipod this year!)

From "The Weekly Wire":

"Bud was 9 and Temple only 5, the two boys set out with their father's blessing
to ride horseback from Frederick, Oklahoma, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and
back again...alone. They went not out of necessity, nor on some desperate
errand; they went for the fun of the adventure. It was 1909. In the next
four years, they would undertake even more prodigious travels through
America, becoming minor celebrities, securing corporate endorsements and
meeting President Taft in the White House."

For the full article, please click below:

http://weeklywire.com/ww/03-22-99/tw_book1.html