Over 65 years of publication, True West has developed a loyal following of readers who send us historical Old West photographs to preserve in our...
New “Old” Photo of 1896 Fight
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Articles
History in Ink
What a difference an autograph makes. Last September, a collector successfully bid $6,500 at Cowan’s Auctions for a photograph from the Eric C....
Why did Cavalrymen Wear their Pistols with the butts Forward?
Why did cavalrymen wear their pistols with the butts forward? Christopher Zimmerman Huachuca City, Arizona When a cavalryman sat in the saddle (or...
A Graphic Novel Breaks Ground
I grew up reading the Classics Illustrated comic book series, especially those about Daniel Boone and other frontiersmen. I got a lot of these...
A Poignant Portrait of Calamity Jane
Michelle Rene’s novel, Hour Glass, is a moving, revealing picture of the legendary Calamity Jane. The author tells her compassionate story through...
The Mother Lode Spirit
Ed Arata’s history with Sutter Creek, California, goes back to the Mother Lode days when gold was plentiful and his grandfather worked at the Knight...
Beyond Awesome
Grandeur is often associated with the paintings of early artists of the American West: George Caleb Bingham, Karl Bodmer, William Jacob Hays, Thomas...
The Killing of John Younger: Bad Day in Roscoe, Missouri
In 1873 Jim, John and Bob Younger joined their brother Cole, who along with Frank and Jesse, had formed the James-Younger gang. John was described...
Rough Drafts
I have been interested in Western American history for as long as I can remember. My first introduction to the Old West started on tour of the ghost...
The Youngers of Missouri: Part Two
In June 1862, while returning home from a business trip to Kansas City, Col. Henry Washington Younger was ambushed and murdered. He was carrying a...
Upping the Ante
The Cow-boy and Earp factions were already at loggerheads in the fall of 1881. A stagecoach robbery took things to another level. On the night of...
The Man who Brought Down the High Fives
Fred Higgins was an unsung US deputy marshal who helped bring down the High Five Gang, which roamed the Southwest in the 1890s. In November 1896,...