Nineteenth century stagecoach drivers were called “whips” in recognition of their skills handling “six ribbons” or handling six lead lines on six...
Charlie Parkhurst
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Articles
Hi Jolly
Hadji Ali reportedly hailed from Syria and arrived in Texas in 1856 to escort a shipment of camels for use by the U.S. Army. In 1857, leaving from...
Redford’s Summer Surprise
A documentary series on our nation’s frontier history airs this summer and, yes, it too focuses on legendary characters Jesse James, Billy the Kid,...
Custer’s Cheyenne Lover
One of the big questions about George Armstrong Custer: did he have a Cheyenne mistress who bore him at least one son? It’s hard to be sure, but...
The Peacemaker
"The Lord made some men big and some men small, but Sam Colt made all men the same size." -unknown The instrument that accounted for the widespread...
Killin’ Jim Miller
A walking contradiction, Miller is also known as Deacon Jim Miller because he was an impeccable dresser, didn’t drink or smoke, was a...
Wyatt on the Phone: “Can You Hear Me Now?”
In 1926, Wyatt Earp wrote his autobiography with a friend, John Flood. In it Earp recalled using a telephone in Tombstone (taking a call from...
Buffalo Soldier Grub
Buffalo soldiers, officially organized in 1866, were an important part of settling the West. They served in various all-black regiments. Benjamin...
Following Elfego Baca
Who is New Mexico’s most famous lawman? Don Bullis says it depends on whom you ask. Put that question to an Anglo, and—no surprise—the common answer...
A Western Movie Morph
The 1965 John Wayne Western The Sons of Katie Elder went through a bunch of changes before it was produced. Originally, it was to be a historical...
First in War, First in Peace
Perhaps the greatest chief of the Chiricahua Apaches who ever lived, Cochise fought his way through southeastern Arizona and into Mexico in the...
Where did “snake oil” originate?
Where did “snake oil” originate? Robert Tignor Independence, Missouri “Snake oil” comes from 19th-century Chinese railroad workers who used medicine...