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George Glenn

2008

George Glenn

George Glenn was born into slavery on March 8, 1850, probably in Colorado County, Texas. He was raised on the ranch of Robert B. Johnson and trained in ranching activities and as a trail cook. After emancipation George, continued at the Johnson ranch as a cowhand and in the spring of 1870 he accompanied Johnson on a cattle drive to Abilene, Kansas where Johnson became ill and died at the age of 36. Glenn had his employer embalmed and buried in a metal casket in the area. The following September he decided to bring Johnson’s body back to Texas for burial and had the casket disinterred and placed in a wagon. Glenn traveled alone with Johnson’s body for forty-two days across three states. He was honored as one of the handful of black members of the Old Trail Drives Association at the 1924 and 1926 annual meetings.

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