In San Francisco in the 1850's, there was a vigilante group that called itself the 601. Just in case you’ve wondered where that name came from here’s a little background.
Vigilante groups sprang up beginning in the earliest days of America when the citizens felt the law was inadequate, inept, unable or unwilling to prevent criminal activity.
During the Gold Rush era, lawlessness prevailed in San Francisco and the city came under the rule of a vigilance committee. The first began in Jun

True West May/June 2025
In This Issue:
Features
- Historic Hotels of the American West
- A Journey Through Wyoming’s Outlaw History
- A Journey Through Washington’s Wild Frontier
- Blazing The Oregon Trail
- Journey Through Time
- Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre?
- Mountain Meadows Scapegoat John D. Lee VS. A Firing Squad
- Mormons in the Movies
- An Indigenous Consultant Ensures Accuracy
- The Battle Axe And A Raw Deal
- Showdown: Bridger VS. Brigham
- The Mountain Man and the Mormon Moses
- The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows
- The War Before the War
- Mountain Meadows