April 2018 22 By Jim Olson, ©2018 www.WesternTradingPost.com Spur collectors everywhere will surely recognize the name of Johnnie Mullins (sometimes incorrectly spelled Johnny Mullens). Several well-known spur makers from the first half of the 1900s made a “Johnnie Mullins” spur. The Crockett version is probably the most recognized, but perhaps that is because they produced so many. Other well-known spur makers making this pattern included Kelly Bros. and McChesney (Nacona). At one time or another, he performed as a bronc rider, steer roper, trick rider, and arena director in shows all across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In addition to the 101 Ranch, he performed with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, the Circle D Wild West Show (which was smaller than the 101 Ranch or Buffalo Bill shows but said to be a wilder show) and he spent time doing trick riding for the Ringling Bros. When he was with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show he met and became friends with Tom Mix—also a Wild West Show performer at that time. While doing a show in Indiana, a movie company from Chicago leased the entire outfit to make a “moving picture” (silent movie). Johnnie and Tom Mix were featured, along with about twenty cowboys and cowgirls and about fifty Native Americans. It was called “Ranch Life in the Great Southwest.” Another picture which Tom Mix and Mullins starred in was called “Two Boys in Blue.” Shortly after making these films, Tom Mix headed out to California to pursue a film career and Mullins stayed on with the Wild West Show. The two men remained friends until the death of Tom Mix in 1940. Mullins and Mix spent the night “whoopin’ it up” in Juarez, Mexico just days before Tom was killed in that fatal, single-vehicle crash near Florence, Arizona. Other famous men who were counted as Mullins friends include the cowboy actor, William S. Hart, Buffalo Bill, Will Rogers, Charles Russell, Will James, Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Warren Harding and the Prince of Wales. After gaining a solid reputation as a performer and arena director, Mullins was called by his old friend, Guy Weadick, (who had also worked in the 101 Ranch Wild West Show) to come to Canada and help organize the first Calgary Stampede. Mullins was in charge of the cowboys as arena boss and Weadick did the promoting. Mullins also rode broncs there each year from 1912-1917. In 1972, he was invited back to Calgary by management to be an honored guest during their sixty-year anniversary. He was one of fourteen present who had been there in 1912 for the inaugural show. During the teens and up through the end of the Great Depression era, Mullins was an arena director and stock contractor at many of the best rodeos. In the 1920s he ran the Madison Square Garden rodeo for several seasons. A few of the other shows he ran, and or brought the stock to were: Tucson, Arizona; Bozeman, Montana; the Philadelphia World’s Fair; Deer Lodge, Montana; San Antonio and Midland, Texas; Roswell, New Mexico; Bisbee and Douglas, Arizona. Mullins and S.D. Myers (the saddle maker) also helped start the El Paso Kids Rodeo to benefit area youth. Everywhere he went, Mullins was respected as a top hand and a man who could, “get the job done.” During World War I, Johnnie rode broncs for a contractor who supplied horses for the U.S. Army. He would ride anywhere from one-hundred to one-hundred-fifty horses per day for the Army officers to view. Most of them bucked! Just who was Johnnie Mullins? And why his name is forever branded on a certain style of spurs? Johnnie Mullins was born in Granbury, Texas, August 27, 1884, to Thomas Patrick Mullins and Nannie Terrell-Mullins. Both of his parents were of pioneer stock. Johnnie was one of ten children. His father died when he was a young boy leaving his mother with nine children at home (the oldest was running a ranch in Indian Territory by this time). When Johnnie was in about the eighth grade, he was sent to his oldest brother (Ed), in Indian Territory (near present-day Wagoner, Oklahoma). He learned to be a cowboy. In his younger days, he worked on ranches in New Mexico, then South Dakota and Montana. He soon got tired of the cold North country however and returned to New Mexico once again to break horses on the historic JAL ranch. Rodeo historian, Willard Porter said, “At seventeen, Mullins already had a reputation as a top horseman and horse breaker and he also knew a few things about a cow.” While working with the JAL ranch, the Miller brothers, of Oklahoma, came to purchase stock for their ranch. They were also looking for cowboys to be in their 101 Ranch Wild West show, so they talked Mullins into joining up. It did not take much coaxing, probably, because he had already tasted the thrill of arena competition in Juarez, Mexico (where he won the bronc riding) not long before. Mullins was off to a new career in the Wild West Shows. One that he excelled in.