Oliver Loving
Born in Hopkins Co. on Dec. 4, 1812. He married Susan Morgan in 1833 and farmed in Hopkins & Muhlenberg Counties. In 1843, he moved his family to Texas, where he farmed and drove cattle. In 1861, he sold his cattle and tried to move from Texas. However, the Civil War had begun, and he was commissioned to drive cattle to Confederate forces along the Mississippi River.
In 1866, Loving combined his herd with that of Charles Goodnight to drive them to Ft. Sumner, N.M. The route later became known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. He died at Ft. Sumner in 1867 and is buried in Weatherford, Texas. The 1985 novel Lonesome Dove is loosely based on their adventures. He was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 1958.
Dedicated 2017.