July 29, 1884 Corporal Phillip Cuney Baird of the Texas Rangers is ready to catch some fence cutters. The previous night, he led Pvts. W.A....

The American West, imagined and celebrated worldwide in art and literature, film and television, is equally a land of grace and grief. Since...

San Francisco, 1853: As traveler John Steele strolled along a bustling thoroughfare, he suddenly found himself being crowded against a doorway and...

Steve McQueen and troubled productions seemed to be synonymous. Look at any one of his classic films—The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The...

Since arriving in Arizona Territory in 1881, Tom Horn had spent much of his time in the employ of the federal government, as an employee of the army...

When Director Michael Curtiz was shooting 1954’s The Boy from Oklahoma, he probably never imagined this easygoing vehicle for Will Rogers Jr. would...

Croquettes first appeared on English dinner tables in the 18th century. In the mid-1800s, Americans knew croquet as a lawn game. The food version...

Who is the most popular character the Old West ever produced? Ronnie Bishop Nashville, Tennessee Hard to say—and it depends on whether we’re talking...

Was there a female Texas Ranger during the Old West era? Kim Adrian Davenport, Iowa Not in the Old West. The Texas Rangers are an elite division of...

How did “being heeled” come to mean “being armed?” Bill Murray Pleasant View, Utah “Being heeled” is tied to the term “well-heeled,” which means...

A gambler in a high-stakes poker game runs out of money while holding a winning hand of four aces. He asks the players to pause the game so he can...

Do any records indicate Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok met? John McCaffer Queen Creek, Arizona Wild Bill Hickok biographer Joe Rosa clears up the...