The hens only lay egg-nog at Christmas-tide, but egg-nog will lay a man any time he tackles it,” reported the Idaho Avalanche on January 3, 1880. In...

Born during the Civil War on December 6, 1864, in Newburgh, New York, William Surrey Hart was one of seven children of the first U.S.-born...

The Pawnee scouts, revered to this day in Pawnee culture, played a pivotal role during the height of the Indian Wars between 1864 and 1877. “With...

World-renowned sharpshooters Annie Oakley, a star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, and Frank C. Miller, crack shot of the Irwin Bros. Cheyenne Frontier...

"Chisum! John Chisum! Weary. Saddle worn.” Sorry. Every time I think of John Simpson Chisum, I think of the 1970 John Wayne movie Chisum, and Andrew...

Billy McGinty was an unlikely hero. Only five feet, two inches tall, the sawed off bronc buster from Oklahoma Territory couldn’t march in step and...

The image of strong women pioneers and trailblazers of yesteryear has grown hazy in the decades since the mass migration west. For many, the type of...

The last Old West-style train robbery in Texas was strange. It started off as a joke and ended up with a trip to mom’s house. In his mid-20s, Willis...

Was abolitionist John Brown a good guy or bad guy? James T. Lyddy Park City, Utah Folks have asked that question for more than 150 years, and...

What was the preferred mode of Old West travel—stagecoach or train? Stace Webb Wenatchee, Washington Folks took a train whenever they could, as it...

Did cowboys actually use saddlebags? Geneva Enright Chandler, Arizona Cowboys usually disdained saddlebags or other accessories, such as water bags...

What is Taos Lightning? Mike Scott Saugus, Massachusetts Taos Lightning was a particularly spicy brand of whiskey concocted by mountain man Peg-Leg...