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The Real Rooster Cogburn

by | Feb 25, 2022 | Classic True West

Remembering my great-grandfather’s role in the creation of a classic Western fiction and film character. True Grit author Charles Portis based his Rooster Cogburn character on some real-life folks in Fort Smith, Arkansas, including John Franklin Cogburn (below) and one-eyed Deputy Marshal Cal Whitson(shown above, standing in front of his grocery store, second from right). JOHN FRANKLIN COGBURN PHOTO COURTESY BRETT COGBURN; C


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