William Reid Errington, Saddle Maker

Reid was born May 7, 1907 in Ellis County, Oklahoma. He spent most of his school years in Oklahoma. When he was fifteen years old, he moved with his family to Canadian, Texas. After finishing school, Reid went to work as a cowboy. Reid said cowboys were paid $25 a month and during hard times were paid with Bull Durham tobacco instead.

Later, Reid went to Silver City, New Mexico to learn saddle making from A. D. Seitzler. In the years that followed, Reid made saddles in California, Clarendon, and Amarillo, Texas. While in California he made very expensive saddles for singer Allan Jones and cowboy star Leo Carrillo, better known as "Poncho", the sidekick of the "Cisco Kid".

When WW II broke out, Reid spent five years in the military. As a member of the 111th Medical Battalion, 36th division, he saw combat in North Africa, Italy and Germany.

He returned to Canadian in 1947 to open his own saddle shop. His trademark "The Style of the West" can be seen on his shop sign that hangs in our exhibit. A talented artist, Reid combined hand-stamped original floral patterns as well as the best of materials and workmanship to make saddles capable of withstanding the roughest range use. Reid was also a fine marksman. He was a member of the Texas Rifle Association and the National Rifle Association. He was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and the Masonic Lodge.

His saddles can be found in every state in the Union. When he retired due to ill health, a long list of outstanding orders was still on his books. After living in Canadian for 63 years, Reid passed away December 12, 1984