One of the most unusual yet lucrative types of ranching came into fashion around 1900 in Arizona’s Salt River Valley. With a head- ‘em-up, move...
Them Ain’t Cowboys; Them’s Ostrichboys
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Articles
A Pistol For Dragoons
With the adoption of the U.S. Dragoons on March 5, 1833, the U.S. Army found itself woefully lacking in pistols for a mounted unit. Handguns at that...
Let’s Hang This “Damned Nuisance”
History tells us that in the Old West, the rope was an instrument of both justice and injustice—sometimes they hanged the right guy for the right...
Deadly Enemies in Trinidad
John Allen and “Cockeyed” Frank Loving were two sporting men in Trinidad, Colorado in the spring of 1882. Both were noted shootists—and on April...
A Colonel’s Secret Weapon
As the small train of wagons drew within sight of Fort Phil Kearny, the weary travelers rejoiced. “I could have clapped my hands for joy,” one wrote...
Happy Belated, Will Rogers
Even folks who know little about the old west know about Will Rogers, the cowboy philosopher, entertainer, writer who seemed to know just what to...
The Doctor Doolittle of Rattlesnakes
Arizona prides itself on having an abundance of eccentric. Bill Esenwein had to be somewhere near the top of the list. He was a desert rat, writer...
Old Vaquero Saying
“Para una madre, no hay mal hijo.” (To a mother, a bad son does not exist.) Doesn’t matter if it’s Billy the Kid, John Wesley Hardin, Jesse James or...
Thank You, November
This winter month gives us lots of reasons to celebrate the Old West: from rodeos to women's rights, from Roy Rogers to Annie Oakley, from one of...
Hollywood’s Texas Ranger
Hell or High Water is the sleeper movie hit of the summer; Jeff Bridges’ portrayal of Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton might nab him a second Oscar....
How Fast Could a Stagecoach Travel?
How fast could a stagecoach travel? Mitchell McClure Rayville, Louisiana The speed of stagecoach travel during the Old West era depended on whether...
The Magnificent Robert Vaughn, 1932-2016
Actor Robert Vaughn has died Friday, November 11th at the age of 83. Born in New York City on November 22, 1932, Vaughn enjoyed a lengthy career in...