This is Amy Wagenaar from the Historical Society of Michigan with a Michigan history moment. He wasn't as famous as Roy Rogers or Gene autry, but Tim McCoy of Saginaw made his mark as a star in motion picture Westerns. Tim McCoy was born in Saginaw in 1891. He grew up playing in and on the Saginaw River. McCoy and his friends would find log rafts that lumbermen had sent downriver. They'd climb aboard and take a wild ride through the city. They could have been killed, but it was a great adventure that helped prepare McCoy for a life of action. Tim McCoy enrolled in college, but dropped out after a year and headed west. He dreamed of being a cowboy. Unlike other idol dreamers, he developed his skills enough to become a horse wrangler. He settled in Wyoming where he took a deep interest in Native American culture. He treated the local Arapaho as equals and they in turn accepted him into the tribe, allowing him to participate in dancing ceremonies. After World War I, McCoy took a job as Wyoming State Adjutant General. One day, a Hollywood movie representative asked for his help in finding 500 Native Americans. 20 ride bareback for a scene in the 1923 motion picture the Covered Wagon. McCoy served as a liaison for the movie's native extras. The picture was a huge hit. McCoy quit his job and embarked on a promotional tour with a group of Native Americans. The experience led him to become an actor. He first appeared in a western, the thundering herd, in 1925. In 1926, he signed with Metro Goldwyn Mayer and became a star in westerns and historical dramas. War Paint, his first movie, was filmed on an Arapaho reservation in Wyoming. He became a major movie star. Famous for his fast draw with a six shooter, his steely gaze and a specially made Stetson hat with a nine inch crown and a six inch brim. Tim McCoy starred in dozens of movies from the 1920s through the 1950s. He had parts in some well known films, including the 1956 Best Picture Oscar winning Around the World in 80 Days. He was the only cowboy to be featured on a Wheaties cereal box. In 1974, he was inducted into the National Cowboy hall of fame. Tim McCoy died in 1978 at the age of 86. He rests today in Saginaw's Mount Olivet Cemetery. This Michigan history moment was brought to you by michiganhistorymagazine.org.