David Wade Harris 

Weldon Bledsoe

Cole Agee




Cattlebrands
Until modern times, to prevent theft, livestock being driven across country
were required to be “road branded”. In early history, brands were painted on with
pine tar or paint. Later, when the vast trail herds of cattle were driven north to
market, hot iron brands were used.

A brand consists of a letter, numeral, character, or symbol or a combination
of one or more of any or all of these. Cattlebrands are read from top to bottom and
left to right and the science of brand reading almost requires a language of its own.
Amazingly, every numeral and letter of the alphabet can be made with an iron
shaped in a configuration.

Brands are considered the trademark for the rangeland signifying pride of
ownership in livestock. Cattle rustlers using “running irons”, were ingenious in
changing brands.The most famous brand change involved making the X I T brand
into a Star with a cross inside.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is now available, A very nice book on Cole Agee, Showing pictures of his work and also having documentation.


Cole Agee Books
Jink Howard
803 n. Magnolia Ave.
Hubbard, Texas 76648
254-576-2067
[email protected]



Roger N. Conger, “Cole Agee A Complex Person”, Arms Gazette, Oct/Nov 1980, p15.
Dick Staff, “ Cattle Brand Guns A Tribute to the American Cowboy and The Western
Frontier”, The Gun Report, Nov. 1994, p 16.
1995 The Hood County News
The History of Cattlebrands

David Wade Harris
320 CR 1405 Jacksonville, Texas 75766
817-219-0484
[email protected]
www.dwharris.com