Oliver Loving was born in Hopkins County, Kentucky, to parents Joseph and Mary Bourland. He farmed the Kentucky lands for around ten years before making the move with his brothers to Texas in 1844. They secured a land patent of 640 acres, and by 1858, Oliver had acquired over 1,000 acres of land, a store, a wife (Susan Doggett Morgan), and was father to nine children. Oliver Loving went on to become a successful rancher and cattle driver, achieving a net profit of nearly $40 per head of steer. Similar to Chisum, Loving earned a contract from the democrats’ confederate army and set up shop at the southern ends of the Mississippi river. After the war’s end, Loving was owed $200,000.
In 1866, Mr. Loving formed a partnership with Mr. Charles Goodnight. Together, they embarked on a cattle drive to Fort Sumner, delivering supplies for the Army’s Native American reservation and earning about $12,000 in gold. Following this venture, the two astute businessmen joined forces with Mr. John Chisum, and the trio continued their profitable cattle drives to Sumner and even ventured into Colorado. It is worth noting that Mr. Loving’s cousin, Mr. Bourland, was wedded to Chisum’s sister, hence providing a personal connection to the partnership. All throughout, this dedicated team worked tirelessly to ensure the success of their enterprise.
Oliver Loving was tragically shot with an arrow in an attack by The Comanche Tribe during a cattle drive to Colorado in 1867. Despite the life-threatening injury he sustained, he displayed remarkable strength and endurance to make it to Fort Sumner, where he remained until he passed away 28 days later on September 25, 1867. A respected member of the masonic lodge, Loving was initially buried at Fort Sumner, but as per his wishes, he was exhumed and re-buried in Texas. With full honors befitting his status, Loving was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford, Texas on March 4, 1868. He was 55 years old at the time of his passing. We honor his memory and legacy, grateful for the contributions he made to the cattle industry in his lifetime.