and over which droves of cattle by the mil- lions made their way to market in the 1800s. His relentless promotion of its importance to the Texas saga and the trail’s upcoming 150th anniversary in 2017 has brought national atten- tion. Cowboys and Western lore have long been romanticized in the American imagination — and in the world’s imagination, for that matter. The Chisholm Trail is a central theme, dramatic and adventurous, and its celebration should be a catalyst that draws thousands to experience its heritage.
Harman retired from the Fort Worth CVB at the end of 2006 but his legacy has remained. Pieces of his collection are on display in numer- ous museums, most notably the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Even after a debilitating stroke in 2013, he carries on. He’s a common face in Fort Worth’s ongoing debates regarding the Stockyards’ development, fighting to preserve its vital history and heritage for future generations to learn from and enjoy. Texas Historical Commission Chair John L. Nau III recently named Harman to a specially designated task force charged with commemo- rating WWI’s centennial in Texas (2017 to
80 AUTHENTIC TEXAS
2019). No doubt, his ardent collecting will help showcase Texas’ major role in the Great War when training camps and airfields established Texas’ military importance among the nations. The cartoons? They never stopped. In meet- ings, Harman often doodles as he listens, never missing a beat in the proceedings. Lined up, the hundreds of cartoons scribbled over the years chronicle his ongoing story. One of these days, this respected author will finally acquiesce and fill a book with his cartoons to the delight of admirers. Now, back to where this story began. Harman
received his first pair of cowboy boots when he was four years old. He was wearing them the day his life story could easily have been radically altered if not ended completely. His father was piloting the small airplane when it crashed on takeoff from a Texas airfield. Conscious but trapped in the wreckage and fearing the plane might blow, his father lifted him out of a broken window urging him to get away from the plane. It was harrowing, to be sure,” Harman recalls. “But we all survived.” Then, in typical Harman fashion, he adds, “But I missed my chance to become a real Texan by dying with my boots on.”
VISIT FORT WORTH
fortworth.com
VISIT FORT WORTH HISTORIC STOCKYARDS
fortworthstockyards.org
LAKES TRAIL REGION
COURTESY FORT WORTH CVB/
FORTWORTH.COM
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