Bill Pickett was a legendary cowboy from Taylor, Texas / Williamson County famous for inventing the technique of bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground.   Known by the nicknames "The Dusky Demon" and "The Bull-Dogger," Pickett gave exhibitions in Texas and throughout the West. His performance in 1904 at the Cheyenne Frontier Days (America's best-known rodeo) was considered extraordinary and spectacular. He signed on with the 101 Ranch show in 1905 performing with the likes of Buffalo Bill​, Cowboy Bill Watts​, Will Rogers and others.   He later performed in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, and England, and became the first black cowboy movie star. Had he not been banned from competing with white rodeo contestants,  Pickett might have become one of the greatest record-setters in his sport. 

Bill Pickett died April 2, 1932, after being kicked in the head by a horse. Famed humorist Will Rogers announced the funeral of his friend on his radio show.

In 1979 Pickett was inducted into the National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.   In 1989, Pickett was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy at Colorado Springs, Colorado.    In 1994 U.S. postage stamp was issued to honor Pickett. Fort Worth proudly displays outside a magnificent bronze portraying the world famous bulldogger outside the COWTOWN COLISEUM.   It's high time we honor him at home so let's honor the Bill Pickett legacy by by naming the Expo Center in his likeness. This is not only a great opportunity for Taylor and Williamson County  to do the right thing but  more importantly, these are the moments that define us as a county, a city  and  ultimately as a people.