In 1904 Clarence E. Mulford created the fictional cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy, in a series of popular short stories and novels based on the character.

Early on, Mulford portrayed Cassidy as a rude, dangerous, rough-talking man with a wooden leg that caused him to walk with a “hop.”

In 1935 the movie actor William Boyd transformed Cassidy into a sober and clean-cut hero.

In June 1949, “Hopalong Cassidy, played by William Boyd,” premiered on network (NBC) TV. The popular show continued for 52 more episodes.