Shotguns and Outlaws
Wells Fargo’s shotgun messenger Mike Tovey was among the bravest of them all.
True West September 2019
To The Point
Right As Ringo
When deepfake meets artistic license.
- The Apache Kid Escapes
Two lawmen die in the incident. November 2, 1889. Two lawmen are transferring nine prisoners–including the Apache Kid (photo)–from Globe,… Read more: The Apache Kid Escapes - A Brother’s Vengeance
Will McLaury joins the OK Corral prosecution. November 4, 1881. Texas lawyer Will McLaury–the brother of Tom and Frank McLaury–is… Read more: A Brother’s Vengeance - The Jailing of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday
A big moment in the OK Corral hearing. November 7, 1881–day eight of the OK Corral hearing. Judge Wells Spicer… Read more: The Jailing of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday
Features
Western Art Museums of the Year
In large and small institutions, curators create magic through creativity and imagination in the West’s best gallery exhibitions.
One Man with Courage Makes a Majority
Jeff Milton vs The Burt Alvord Gang.
Traditions of the West
Discover the best of our collective Western culture in the exhibits of the top museums of 2019.
Surviving the Ride on the Jackass Mail
Crossing the desert proved an ordeal passengers could never forget.
Butterfield’s Grand Adventure
“Remember Boys, Nothing on God’s Earth Should Stop the United States Mail.”
Death of a Cowboy, the Birth of a Legend
The final, fateful days of John Ringo.
Departments
St. Joseph, Missouri
History is alive in the historic home of the Pony Express and Jesse James.
Following Arkansas’ Trail of True Grit
Two centuries of Old West Heritage awaits discovery across the Natural State.
John X. Beidler
A shotgun messenger in Old Montana left a great legacy of service and courage.
Ask the Marshall
Why Didn’t Hugh O’Brian Wear a Mustache in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp?
One Man with Courage Makes a Majority
Jeff Milton vs The Burt Alvord Gang.
Ask the Marshall
What Happened to Mike Cassidy, Butch Cassidy’s Mentor?
Western Art Reached the Top Tier
The works of several Old West artists sold at high premium at the Heritage Auction.
Ask the Marshall
In the June issue of True West, there are several photos of the mines and miners of George Hearst. How did those men get paid?
Ask the Marshall
Horses rarely get shot in the Westerns, although they often go down when the rider is hit. What about in real life?
Ask the Marshall
What illness did Jim Bowie have that confined him to a cot just before the final Mexican attack on the Alamo?
Stone by Stone
Shirley McClintock has dedicated her life to preserving the history of Council Grove, Kansas.
Ask the Marshall
What did cowboys read for pleasure?
Ask the Marshall
Did the Cowboys or the Pioneers use Snowshoes in Tough Winters?
Western Books & Movies
Guns Ablaze
Review of Terrence McCauley’s Dark Territory.
Brigham Young, Not Revealed
Review of Thomas G. Alexander’s Brigham Young and the Expansion of the Mormon Faith.
Tarnished Gold
Review of Gordon H. Chang's Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad.
A Tragic Hero
Review of Patricia Tyson Stroud's Bitterroot: The Life and Death of Meriwether Lewis.
A Gun that Won the West
Review of Sharps Firearms, The Percussion Era, 1848-1865, Volume I by Roy Marcot, Edward W. Marron, Jr. and Ron Paxton.
Stagecoach – The Legend At 80
John Ford and John Wayne’s classic Western film changed the course of cinema history.