Charles Weldon Cannon

Charles Weldon Cannon, known as Tooter Cannon (January 14, 1915 – March 14, 1997[1]), was a widely recognized manufacturer of boots and saddles in rural Dickens, Texas.

Charles Weldon "Tooter" Cannon
Born	January 14, 1915 Afton, Dickens County, Texas, USA
Died	March 14, 1997 (aged 82) Lubbock, Texas
Nationality	American
Occupation	Saddlemaker; Rancher; Dickens Town Council member
Spouse(s)	Second wife, Grace Adeline Roberts Cannon, previously Grace Wheeler (married 1957-his death)
Children	Daughter from first marriage: Leanora Cannon Houwen Stepsons: Kenneth and Bill Wheeler
Parent(s)	Charles Ira and Mattie Snodgrass Cannon

Cannon was the last of nine children born to Charles Ira Cannon (1871–1920) and the former Mattie Cordial Snodgrass (1870–1956)[2] on a working ranch in Afton in Dickens County in West Texas. He was given his unusual nickname as a child by his father. As a teenager, he learned boot and saddlemaking techniques to help the cowboys obtain a proper fit on their horses. He also worked on other ranches in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, as well as Texas.[3]

He broke horses for the U.S. government during World War II at El Reno in Canadian County, Oklahoma. After the war, he operated two leather goods businesses in Tulsa, where his clients included the city police. In 1949, he returned to Dickens County and settled in the Spur community. He relocated his shop to Dickens in 1968. After 1970, he concentrated exclusively on saddle making until his death. His Tooter Cannon Saddles were prized by ranchers and rodeo riders because they were designed to fit the contour of the horse's back. A Tooter Cannon saddle or a pair of his boots is usually passed down within families. Anything made by Cannon rarely is for sale on the open market. His work is found in a number of private collections.[4] Customers often waited for Cannon to fill their orders, rather than finding other available saddlemakers.[4]

Cannon, who outlived all of his siblings, died in a Lubbock hospital at the age of 82. He was a former two-term member of the Dickens Town Council. He was Methodist. Survivors included his second wife, the former Grace Adeline Roberts, then Grace Wheeler (July 11, 1908—February 14, 2000), whom he married on April 22, 1957,[5] in Santa Fe, New Mexico; a daughter, Leanora Cannon Houwen, then of Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County, California, but who later returned to Dickens; two stepsons, Kenneth Wheeler of Hobbs, and Bill Wheeler of San Antonio, 11 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. Cannon also had an older sister named "Grace". Charles and Grace Cannon are interred at Dickens Cemetery.[3]

Over the years, Cannon was cited in newspaper articles, books, magazines, and even a television special.[6] He is permanently honored in the saddlemaking exhibit at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock.

See also

• Joe Bowman, bootmaker, marksman, and Western entertainer

References

1. "Social Security Death Index". Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
2. "Dickens County Biographies: Charles and Mattie Cannon". Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
3. "Charles Cannon Obituary". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, March 19, 1997. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
4. "C.W. Cannon Boot and Saddle Shop". Texas Tech University. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
5. "Grace Cannon obituary". Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
6. "Charles Cannon". Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved April 14, 2009.

Charles "Tooter" Cannon exhibit at National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas

Replica of Cannon Saddle Shop at National Ranching Heritage Center