History of the American Foxhound
The Beginning of the American Foxhound is older than the United States. When the first settlers arrived on these shores, some brought hounds. Importation of Irish, English, and French hounds down through the years have been crossed and re-crossed until a hound suitable for conditions in this country had evolved.
Most of the early leaders of the American colonies were lovers of the chase. They worked very hard to have the best they could breed in the foxhound line. George Washington maintained a large pack of hounds at Mount Vernon. He took great pride in his hounds, and continually sought to improve them. In 1770, he imported a number of hounds from England, and in 1785, the Frenchman, La Fayette, shipped him a number of French foxhounds. It was said the their voices were like the "Bells of Moscow". These Virginia hounds were one of the foundation-stones of the American Foxhound.
There are a number of different strains in existence today that are recognized as American Foxhounds. The most popular is the Walker, followed by July, Trigg, Calhoun, Hudspeth and Goodman. The Walker, Goodman and Trigg strains can all be traced to Madison County, Kentucky and a stolen hound called Tennessee Lead. According to legend, this hound was stolen out of a deer chase in Tennessee a few miles south of Albany, Kentucky by a trader in November 1852. This trader carried this rat-tailed, tight-haired black and tan hound to Madison County where he was sold to George Washington (Wash) Mauphin. The origin and breeding of this hound is unknown, but because of his speed and ability to run a red fox, he was used extensively at stud. His get were crossed on imported hounds from England, native Kentucky, Maryland and Birdsong hounds from Georgia. Out of these crosses came the three major strains: Walker, Trigg and July. Tennessee Lead can be found approximately 30 or so generations back in many modern AKC Walker-origin showhound lineages. However, probably the most influential and more modern foxhound sire represented in many Walker-origin 10 generation showhound pedigrees is CH Kentucky Lake Bugle Boy, who is back about 7-9 generations from current day hounds and about 22 generations more recent than Lead.
The Walker strain was first known as Mauphin hounds in Kentucky, but Wash Mauphin, while breeding some wonderful hounds, failed to keep many records. It was left to the Walker brothers to use a careful method of breeding and record keeping on the Mauphin hounds. This led to great results. They shipped a large number of hounds to Texas shortly after the Civil War, and it was there that this strain was first called Walkers. This name soon moved eastward and was forever accepted as designated name for the strain when published in the Red Ranger Stud Book. A high level of gameness and endurance characterized this strain.
The Trigg strain was founded by Col. Haiden Trigg of Kentucky. His aim was to breed a hound with a good coarse voice; black, white and tan blanket-backed; with white points. He crossed Walkers, July, Birdsong and other strains to arrive at his ideal foxhound. After his death, the strain decreased in popularity, but in recent years, has made a strong comeback and is quite popular today. They have big voices and are close track runners.
The July strain came into prominence in Georgia. This strain was preceded by the Birdsong Hounds, native Georgia Hounds, the Henry Hounds from Virginia and Maryland hounds from Howard County, Maryland. In 1858, Mr. Nimrod Gosnell shipped a male hound to Colonel Miles G. Harris of Sparta, Georgia. This hound was named July for the month in which he arrived. This hound was outstanding and others of this strain were imported. July was crossed on the Birdsong and Henry Hounds. George J. Garrett, Col. Gil F. Birdsong, Miles G. Harris and Capt. Dick Baxter were probably the founding breeders of this strain. At one time, this strain was called July-Maryland. This strain, as exists today, is different in conformation from the Walker Hounds.
The Goodman was originally the Mauphin-Maryland strain. Willis Goodman did little or nothing to start this strain, but he was the one who dispersed it over the country. The hound buyers with whom he did business started to call the strain Goodman and it has continued until this day. They were a mixture of Mauphin, Robinson-Maryland and Irish bloodlines.
Otie Calhoun was the original breeder of the Calhoun strain. It originated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee by the Calhoun family, beginning about 1860.
