Although derided by some egghead professors as “Cowboys and Indians, 101,” the Western Americana field of history is, actually, remarkably rich and...
In Their Own Words
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Articles
To Hell on a Fast Horse
Billing his book as a dual biography of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, Mark Gardner bails into the oft-told tale (there are more than a thousand...
Did cowboys on the trail prefer to smoke cigarettes, pipes or cigars?
Did cowboys on the trail prefer to smoke cigarettes, pipes or cigars? Chris Tramel Liberty, Tennessee Cigarettes. The real demand for tobacco came...
What is the Bascom Affair?
What is the Bascom Affair? David Salge Queen Creek, Arizona The Bascom Affair is a great example of arrogance, miscalculation and underestimating...
An old man who died in San Diego in 1948 claimed on his deathbed to be gunman “Buckskin” Frank Leslie.
An old man who died in San Diego in 1948 claimed on his deathbed to be gunman “Buckskin” Frank Leslie. Was he telling the truth? Tom Dancik...
Why did Gene Autry wear a double buscadero rig with only one holster?
Why did Gene Autry wear a double buscadero rig with only one holster? P. J. Williams Worcestershire, England Jim Dunham, director of special...
When did regular bathing become the norm in the Old West?
When did regular bathing become the norm in the Old West? Mike Franklin Poteet, Texas Good hygiene is a fairly recent concern. The mid-20th century...
Did Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders include any outlaws or lawmen?
Did Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders include any outlaws or lawmen? Jari Teilas Kotka, Finland The legendary captain of Company A, William O. “Buckey”...
Got Gold … In Your Closet?
Many people have items at home, often tucked away or somehow otherwise forgotten, that could be worth more than gold. Anyone who has watched...
Following Calamity Jane
Born in Missouri in 1856 Martha Canary came west with her family, spent part of her childhood in the Montana gold fields near Virginia City and...
The “New” Old Ancestors
For almost 80 years, archaeologists were pretty sure how and when the first humans came to the New World. A 1932 excavation of a prehistoric village...
The Original Boot Hill
In the streets of a Kansas prairie town on an evening in mid-1872, a familiar pattern unfolded-a crowd gathered, somebody fired a gun and somebody...