This jacket was made for Alfred Hugo Lambert by a Native American woman in New York state. Lambert later homesteaded land in Meadowbrook Township in Cass County where he married Mary Kinley. Lambert moved to Woman Lake in the early 1900s where he operated Kabekona Camp for many years. He was Woodrow Township’s first assessor, as well as a taxidermist, trapper and fishing guide. According to family legend, Alfred served in the First Volunteer Cavalry, popularly known as the “Rough Riders.” during the Spanish American War. However, his name does not appear in any government listings of members of the First Volunteer Cavalry.

     Frontiersmen in North America frequently adopted jacket attire, such as this. The cut of frontier jackets, with their buttoned fronts, collars and front pockets, is modeled after the European and English cloth military jackets. In North America, contact with Native American clothing styles resulted in functional and decorative innovations. These innovations can be seen on the Lambert jacket. Because of its greater durability, leather has been substituted for cloth. Fringe, which was often used on Native American ceremonial and war jackets, has been added. The floral pattern of a wild rose is typical of Objiwe beadwork.