1968-1980: The Early Years

The second year, 1968, the Wilson brothers showed up with more kids, the same Jeep, and a Dodge motor home to, once again, ride with Jim Burroughs’ Wagon 13. Over the next several years, it moved up to become Wagon 11. SGTR was huge at that time, and, on the first weekend particularly, was made-up of mostly local teenagers who weren’t even connected with a wagon. The teenagers rode from the front of the ride to the back, carrying Boones Farm wine and, with their own version of hospitality, insisting that other riders have a drink every time they passed by.

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When Jim Burroughs decided to retire sometime in the ‘70s, he graciously made arrangements for the Wilson group to join Wagon 18 owned by J.T. Atkinson. He was a Houston firefighter (from Spring like Burroughs) in his late 30’s and had a collection of rider-friends, including a wonderful guy named Frank Cortez. Frank was an executive with Eastern Airlines who would become one of the original Desperados.

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In those years, the Wilson group not only rode the Salt Grass trail, but three or four other annual weekend rides, including the KIKK Ride and the Bandera Trail Ride. This core group of likeminded people included the Jack Wilson Family, the Welcome Wilson Family, Beverly Wilson Bennett, Margaret Jo Byron, Dixie Christian, Linda and Keith Monroe, Frank and Jane Cortez, Willie Fletnge, and Dennis Frost. Not only did they ride, but they also met at country and Western clubs after work to have a drink and a dance. They were very much a part of the burgeoning “Urban Cowboy” era in the late 70’s and one of their favorite haunts was the club, Cowboy, located on West Alabama at Rice in Houston.