Don Rowlinson – 2008 Cowboy Historian

He was born in Sheridan County in 1950 as a fourth-generation Kansas cowboy, where he spent much of his childhood at his father’s feed store.
Rowlinson attended Colby Community College, the Western State College of Colorado and Kansas State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology.
Rowlinson began working for the Kansas State Historical Society in 1973. In 1976, he received a master’s degree in education from K-State and became a project archaeologist for the historical society until 1980, when he became the first state public archaeologist for Kansas. Rowlinson is now a site curator at the Cottonwood Ranch State Historic Site.
Rowlinson is a member of the Friends of Cottonwood Ranch and the Morland Community Foundation. He also coordinates the Annual Sheep Dog Trials, the barbecue contest, Christmas at Cottonwood and the Cottonwood Ranch Trail Ride.
Rowlinson and his wife, Mellanie Nossaman, who also studied archaeology at Kansas State, have a son.

Don Rowlinson was born in Sheridan County in 1950 as a fourth-generation Kansas cowboy, where he spent much of his childhood at his father’s feed store.

Rowlinson attended Colby Community College, the Western State College of Colorado and Kansas State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology.

Rowlinson began working for the Kansas State Historical Society in 1973. In 1976, he received a master’s degree in education from K-State and became a project archaeologist for the historical society until 1980, when he became the first state public archaeologist for Kansas. Rowlinson is now a site curator at the Cottonwood Ranch State Historic Site.

Rowlinson is a member of the Friends of Cottonwood Ranch and the Morland Community Foundation. He also coordinates the Annual Sheep Dog Trials, the barbecue contest, Christmas at Cottonwood and the Cottonwood Ranch Trail Ride.

Rowlinson and his wife, Mellanie Nossaman, who also studied archaeology at Kansas State, have a son.