A backroads tour of the Western author’s two favorite states leads to small towns, historic sites and awe-inspiring natural wonders. ...
Momaday’s Billy the Kid Pistola
The famed Pulitzer Prize-winning writer shares his obsession for Billy the Kid in his tale of a gun he believes the outlaw owned. This is the story...
Legendary Tilghman Goes Down
When the Law Goes Bad There’s a fine line between catching an outlaw and becoming one. Two Different Versions of the Fight Based on the research of...
The Winner
Joseph Glidden’s invention won the West. In the fall of 1873, Joseph Glidden did what many farmers did and do: he went to the county fair. In this...
Shooting Back
Our readers remind us of the variables and vagaries of historic truths, “well-established” facts, headlines and historical photographs. The Oklahoma...
Cottonwood, Arizona
A river runs through it…and Western spirit too. Thirteen years ago, a bobcat attacked unlucky patrons in Cottonwood’s Chaparral Bar....
Garbage, Bowie Knives and Captain Jack
What did American Indians do with captives? John O’Connor (Phoenix, Arizona) The taking of captives varied with the various tribes, but generally,...
Aloha Cowboys
Hawaii’s Paniolo Preservation Society keeps the Old West alive in the 50th state. Here’s a Cliffs Notes history of the cowboy: The first were...
Western Legends
The Rock Island Auction hammers out Wild West shootists' sidearms. The Rock Island “Premier Firearms” auction held August 26-28 included...
Coors Beer and Candy?
When Adolph Coors decided to start his brewery, he partnered with a fellow German named Jacob Schueler in 1873. Coors ran the brewery while...
What History Has Taught Me: Patrick Dearen
Author, Historian, Journalist Inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame with the class of 2022, Patrick Dearen of Midland, Texas, is the author...
Whole Lotta Love
Giving our mothers and grandmothers their due is more than satisfying. Back in 1994 I had it on my schedule to do one of my timeline books on “The...