The most celebrated Thunderbird encounter took place in 1890, on the desert sands of what was then the Arizona Territory. Two cowboys had a bizarre...
Tombstone Thunderbird
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Articles
What History Has Taught Me: Russell True
Russell True inherited the White Stallion Ranch, homesteaded in 1936 as a cattle ranch in Tucson, Arizona, from his parents, Allen and Cynthia. The...
The First Arizona Rangers
During the years following the creation of the Arizona Territory in 1863 and the gold discoveries the clashes between the Indians and the whites...
Western Events for April 2018
Western roundup of events where you can experience the Old West this April. Adventure 1836 Chuckwagon Race Neches, TX, April 13-22: Watch wagon...
Hostiles is Deeply Felt
Hostiles is a deeply felt story, peopled by soldiers, American Indians and civilians who express their feelings with utmost caution. Despite the...
The Orphan Trains
Between 1854 and 1929 an estimated 200,000 homeless, abandoned or orphaned children were placed by eastern charity institutions like the Sisters of...
Classic Western Tale
Anyone who loves Charles Portis’s style of writing in True Grit, or readers ready to fall in love with a great yarn well told, should look no...
Hell’s Comin’ With Me!
March 20, 1882 With the recent killing of Morgan Earp by assassins, Wyatt Earp spends his 34th birthday attending to the details of shipping his...
Del Potter’s Mule-Powered Railroad
Over in eastern Arizona near the border with New Mexico, Del Potter ran a little railroad he proudly named the Clifton and Northern. The line only...
What was the Most Effective Stance for an Old West Gunfighter?
What was the most effective stance for an Old West gunfighter? Michael Westlund Clarkdale, Arizona I ran this by my cousin, Bill Rogers, a former...
The Grand Canyon State
The Grand Canyon State has been my adopted home for most of my life. When anyone asks me about touring the beautiful southwestern state, I always...
How Many Men did Marshal Dillon Kill in the Gunsmoke Series?
How many men did Marshal Dillon kill in the Gunsmoke series? Larry Shuler Paige, Texas During the 20-year span of CBS’s Gunsmoke series, the count...