Francis to receive Pioneer Award

Encampment native Francis Herring is the 2021 Pioneer Award winner for the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering Outfit. Herring, best known as Francie, was one of the 16 children of Ellis and Gladys Herring. He was born in Encampment and has spent most of his life in the town, leaving only for a short time chasing work in New Mexico.

Herring will be presented with his award Saturday night during the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering All-star Cowboy Poetry & Music performance in the Encampment school gym.

His first job as a child was sawing wood, using a two-person hand saw along with his older br...