The Canadian prairies were anything but polite in 1885. In southwestern Alberta, rancher William Cochrane wrote his father: “There is a great deal...
The Rocky Mountain Rangers
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Articles
Men Behaving Badly
A lot of folks out there are investigating history—and that’s a good thing, or else this column would not exist and yours truly might be out of a...
Almost Getting Killed…
Dutch Oven Wally Roberts is trying to kill me. If there’s a cowboy event or trail ride in West Texas or New Mexico, chances are you’ll find Roberts...
The Death Tent
November 27, 1887 Working out of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Deputy U.S. Marshal Frank Dalton, is tracking a horse thief in the Cherokee Nation named Dave...
The Tucked-In Rangers
During the Canadian River Campaign of 1858, Texas Ranger Capt. John “Rip” Ford wore his striped trousers tucked into heavy-top boots. In the most...
Sourdough
"I made a splendid batch of bread the day we came.... Besides the bother of making bread so often, we have to make the yeast here about once a week....
Looking for the Shawnee Trail
What was it John Wayne said in Red River? “Ten miles a day will be good. Fifteen will be luck.” Sounds just about right. I’m inching my way toward...
Did any Old West lawmen also work as preachers?
Did any Old West lawmen also work as preachers? Tommy AllenParis, Texas Not many come to mind. Pierre Bernard Hill was a Presbyterian minister who...
What can you tell me about the badges of the Arizona Rangers?
What can you tell me about the badges of the Arizona Rangers? Dennis MooreWickenburg, Arizona I wrote to my good friend Bill O’Neal, author of The...
Was Wyatt Earp the model for the Peace Officer statue?
I recently visited the Arizona Peace Officer Memorial at the plaza in front of the state capitol in Phoenix. Was Wyatt Earp the model for the...
Our Favorite Western Reads of 2012
If ever an Old West lawman deserved his due, Bob Paul did. Several have made a run at sharing his story, including Roy Young, who uncovered new...
Burns’s Biographer
I knew better than to play cards with historian Mark Dworkin. He had the ultimate poker face. During a trip to Georgia, several years ago, we had a...