History credits Missouri River trader John Calvin McCoy with founding Kansas City in 1838. The story, possibly legend, says he and his partners met...
Across the Wide Missouri
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Articles
A Most Appropriate Name
Rose was the perfect name for the Grand Canyon's first official botanist, because self-taught Rose Collom blossomed when exposed to the state's...
W.H.H. Llewellyn
W.H.H. Llewellyn was a major player in the West. In the late 1870s, he tracked down rustler Doc Middleton and his gang in Nebraska, Wyoming and the...
A Collection of Criminals
Collectors knew Norman Flayderman as the man behind the bible of American firearms, Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms...and Their...
Hi Jolly and Camel Corps
One of the West’s most bizarre events took place along the Colorado River on a grey January morning in 1858. A camel caravan looking like something...
What is the 19th-Century Version of a Photographer’s Flash Powder?
What is the 19th-century version of a photographer’s flash powder? Mike Colaizzi, Gold Canyon, Arizona Early photography didn’t use flash...
Rescuing Silver Strike History
Talk about the mother lode. Imagine trying to preserve hundreds of projects in a 14,000-acre district—not only one of the nation’s largest historic...
“Quick Shot” Scott Davis
They nicknamed Scott Davis “Quick Shot” because of his skill with weapons—especially over the 15 years he rode shotgun on stages in the Dakotas and...
How Bad Was Body Odor in the Old West?
How bad was body odor in the Old West? Michael C. Westlund Clarkdale, Arizona Body odor was pretty bad. Pioneers had no deodorant, shampoo or...
The Toughest News in the West
The Old West was filled with colorful names—none more so than The Tombstone Epitaph, the oldest continuous newspaper in Arizona. Former Apache agent...
Spring is in the Air
What do Tombstone, the Pony Express, an “anti-dude” club and Jesse James have in common? All made history during the month of April. For Tombstone,...
The Final Years of the James-Younger Gang
The James-Younger gang's incredible streak of good luck ran out in Northfield, Minnesota, on September 7th, 1876 when the eight-member gang rode...