While there are discrepancies in the historical record, it’s likely Bose Ikard was born in Mississippi and was forced to relocate to Texas when his enslavers purchased a ranch in Parker County. Around 1852, Milton Ikard, his family, and several enslaved people moved to Texas. Oral accounts from relatives and friends indicate that Ikard was the son of an enslaved women and her enslaver, Milton Ikard. There is little information about his immediate family. We know that Bose Ikard was born enslaved to the Ikard family sometime in the 1840s or early 1850s. Relying on oral interviews and census records, historians have pieced together parts of his story, including his adventures on the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Primary sources indicate that he was a well-known cowboy and ranch hand from Texas. Much of Bose Ikard’s life is shrouded in mystery. Do you think cowboying gave him freedom? Why or why not? Bose Ikard used the skills he learned while enslaved to make a successful career as a cowboy.
Courtesy Library of Congress, loc.gov/resource/cph.3a21352/ Bose Ikard Men working the Goodnight-Loving trail had to cross over a hundred miles with only the food and water they were carrying. Cowboying was a tough job, with cowpoke enduring harsh weather and lack of supplies.