Clure Smith was born on March 19, 1897, in LaBarge, the son of Frank and Minnie Smith. Clure was the third child and he grew up helping on the family homestead. At an early age he started riding for the Mumblie Peg Association on Beaver Creek and Horse Creek. Clure married Lola Delores Johnson in 1918. After their marriage, Clure got drafted and served in the military at the end of WWI. Upon his return, he cowboyed all over the Cottonwood area and worked for the Cottonwood Cattle Association. Clure had to break most of his own horses and sometimes ranchers would send him some of their ranch horses, especially ones that needed a lot of riding. A lot of those were a little rank, so Clure would get them because he could handle them. Also, it was required for the cowboy to doctor anything that needed it, often on a green horse. He rode for the Hoback, Cottonwood, Sherman, and Rye Grass Associations throughout his life, going back and forth between them. Clure started hiring out as a cowboy in his teens and never wanted any other job.
Clure Smith
