We Pointed Them North

Recollections of a Cowpuncher

By: E.C. Teddy Blue Abbott, Helena Huntington Smith

Narrated by: M. P. MacDougall

E. C. Abbott was a cowboy in the great days of the 1870's and 1880's. He came up the trail to Montana from Texas with the long-horned herds which were to stock the northern ranges; he punched cows in Montana when there wasn't a fence in the territory; and he married a daughter of Granville Stuart, the famous early-day stockman and Montana pioneer. For more than fifty years he was known to cowmen from Texas to Alberta as "Teddy Blue." This is his story, as told to Helena Huntington Smith, who says that the book is "all Teddy Blue.

My part was to keep out of the way and not mess it up by being literary.... Because the cowboy flourished in the middle of the Victorian age, which is certainly a funny paradox, no realistic picture of him was ever drawn in his own day. Here is a self-portrait by a cowboy which is full and honest." And Teddy Blue himself says, "Other old-timers have told all about stampedes and swimming rivers and what a terrible time we had, but they never put in any of the fun, and fun was at least half of it." So here it is—the cowboy classic, with the "terrible" times and the "fun" which have entertained listeners everywhere. First published in 1939, We Pointed Them North has been brought back into print by the University of Oklahoma Press in completely new format, with the full, original text.

©1939 Copyright 1939 by Farrar & Rinehart, Inc. Assigned 1954 to the University of Oklahoma Press, Publishing Division of the University, Norman. All rights reserved. (P)2024 Ascend Audio LLC

A first hand account of life on the open range

One of the best books I’ve listened to, completely loved it. Listening to it was like watching a movie , falling in love with the character and wishing it wouldn’t end. Forget the Hollywood version of a cow-puncher, Teddy Blue tells it straight. Highly recommend this book. As it was published in 1939, the audio version didn’t come out until 2024 (if I remember correctly), I’m so thankful it did.

Life lived

Great first hand account of life of a trail hand. Great read for the history buff.

A Charming Journey into the Old West...

...And Teddy Blue is a true raconteur. Engaging from the onset, the fascinating characters and events of an almost mythical time related by someone who had "eyes-on" definitely rates 5 stars!

Amazing personal stories!

I loved hearing the stories that helped Larry McMurtry develop Lonesome Dove - the best Texas and western movie ever produced

The Real Deal

This puts you there! Like going back in time.

My G-G Grandfather rode the trails, driving cattle, from Texas to Ellsworth, Kansas. This started in 1867.

This book really helped me to picture his experiences.