Ramon Frederick Adams facts for kids

Ramon Frederick Adams was an American writer. He was born on October 3, 1889, and passed away on April 29, 1976. Ramon loved to write about the American West. He wrote many books about cowboys, cattle, and famous gunmen. Before becoming a writer, he played the violin. He also owned a candy shop for 26 years! Ramon wrote 24 books about the West. Some of his famous books are Six-Guns and Saddle Leather and Burs Under the Saddle. He was also part of important writing groups.

Ramon Frederick Adams, 1946

Ramon Adams' Early Life and School

Ramon Frederick Adams was born in Moscow, Texas. This happened on October 3, 1889. His home was right next to a cattle trail. Because of this, Ramon met many cowboys when he was young.

The cowboys often ate lunch at his family's house. They would tell Ramon exciting stories about their adventures. When he was 13, his family moved to Sherman, Texas. His father had a jewelry business there.

In 1903, Ramon started at Sherman Private School. This was a school just for boys. He then went to Austin College in 1905. He left college in 1909 but came back later. Ramon finished his studies and graduated in 1912.

While at college in 1907, Ramon worked on the school magazine. It was called Reville. He was the literary editor. During his college years, Ramon also learned to play the violin. He studied with a teacher named Carl Venth.

Ramon's Family Life

Ramon Adams met Allie Jarman while working. He was in the violin department at the University of Arkansas. They got married during the four years he spent there. Ramon and Allie did not have any children together.

Ramon's Different Jobs

Ramon Adams had a few different jobs in his life. He was a violinist, a candy shop owner, and an author. But most people know him best for his writing. He did a lot of research about the American West.

Ramon as a Violinist

After college, Ramon got a job. He worked in the violin department at the University of Arkansas. He stayed there for four years. In 1916, Ramon and Allie moved back to Texas. He became the head of the violin department. This was at the Wichita Falls College of Music.

After only one year, he opened his own violin school. Ramon taught violin for many years. He also played for orchestras in Dallas. This included the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He even played for theater orchestras. In the 1920s, Ramon broke his wrist. This injury stopped his violin career. It happened while he was starting a Model T Ford car.

Ramon as a Candy Shop Owner

After his violin career, Ramon and his wife opened a candy store. This was in Dallas in 1929. The store became very popular. It grew into a chain of stores. The Adams family owned the candy stores for 26 years. They retired from the candy business in 1955.

Ramon as an Author

Ramon Adams always loved western history. This interest started when he was a boy. He was very interested in cattle and gunmen. He wanted to find out what really happened in the West. He wanted to separate facts from myths. This passion made him write many books.

He published his first book in 1919. It was called Poems of the Canadian West. In 1923, a short story by him was in Western Story Magazine. His first book for the public came out in 1936. It was called Cowboy Lingo. This book talked about how cowboys used language.

Ramon also wrote a book called Burs Under the Saddle. In this book, he looked at other books about the West. He researched many old texts about gunmen and outlaws. Ramon found that many books used facts wrong or ignored them. His book is now an important part of American West studies. He wrote many books by himself and with others.

Besides writing history books, Ramon was a great bibliographer. This means he made lists of books. His work helped make more accurate books about the American West. He wrote five bibliographies. His two most famous ones are The Rampaging Herd and Six-Guns and Saddle Leather. The Rampaging Herd is about the history of the cattle industry. Six-Guns and Saddle Leather is about outlaws and gunmen.

Ramon is known for writing the first bibliography about outlaws and gunmen. It was Six-Guns and Saddle Leather. To get information for his books, Ramon traveled a lot. He talked to people who lived on the frontier. He recorded how people spoke and what their habits were. This helped save important information about the West.

By the time he passed away, Ramon had published 22 books. Two more were published after his death. So, 24 works are by Ramon Adams. Today, historians still use his books for their research.

He was a member of the Texas Institute of Letters. He also belonged to the Western History Association and the Southwest Writers.