20-year-old T. Joe Cahill was an usher and sold programs at the very first Cheyenne Frontier Day in 1897. It was the first of 67 consecutive years he worked at CFD.

Cahill's biggest contribution to Frontier Days was its famous nickname "The Daddy of 'Em All". In 1919, the slogan was introduced in advertisments. By then, Cahill had been using the nickname for several years.

Cahill also served as CFD's first rodeo announcer, broadcasting events over a megaphone. He went on to become one of the most popular announcers in the country, splitting his time between Cheyenne and New York City, where he hosted the annual Madison Square Garden Rodeo from 1928 to 1933.

In addition to Frontier Days, Cahill also played a unique role one of Cheyenne's most controversial events. In 1903, he was working as a Laramie County clerk when he escorted the infamous gunslinger Tom Horn to the gallows for execution. Along with the Sheriff, Cahill helped place the noose around Horn's neck before he was hung.

Cahill later served as Cheyenne's Chief of Police from 1934 to 1940.

Cahill passed away in 1965 at the age of 87. He never missed a single Cheyenne Frontier Days during his life.

Conicidentally, Cahill wasn't the only famous "T. Joe" in Cheyenne Frontier Days history.

"T-Joe" was a renowned bucking bronco in the '50s and '60s. Regarded as one of the toughest horses in the world, he was a CFD institution for years and is the namesake of T-Joe's Steakhouse and Saloon, a popular restaurant just east of Cheyenne on Interstate 80.

 

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