Who Really “Tamed” The West?

History has lots of candidates, from trappers to explorers to miners, military men, ranchers, homesteaders, even gunslingers. But you seldom hear this: “Though history has all but forgotten them, it was Christian preachers and teachers who really tamed the West.” At least, that's the assessment of Christian History Magazine. They have a good point and aren't alone. One historian said, “Most western communities owe far more to these unheralded clerics than they do to the high-profile out