Virginia City became the capital of Montana Territory in 1865 after the gold strike at nearby Alder Gulch. The boomtown almost died out, until...
Virginia City, Montana
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Articles
Raven Springs
When a Mexican compadre sets out for a Wyoming sheep camp yet never arrives, Jimmy Clevis agrees to find his friend. During his travels, he meets...
Passion and Principle
Authors have written excellent books on John C. Fremont (Allan Nevins, Ferol Egan) and even one (Pamela Herr) on his wife. Because of their devotion...
Alex Swan and the Swan Companies
Oh, where to start? I found this book boring and tedious, probably akin to reading the stock market report. In the 1870s, Alexander Swan ultimately...
The Rise of the Centennial State: Colorado Territory, 1861-76
This volume on early Colorado history is concise, yet it offers nothing new, and the writing is very dry. I did enjoy the thumbnail sketches of the...
Fort Stanton’s Angel
The “Savior of Fort Stanton” is too modest to claim that title for herself, but anyone who has watched the reversal of fortune at one of the West’s...
Music That Ain’t Country (Let Alone Western)
You’re more likely to find me listening to an audiobook or tuning in to National Public Radio than dialing in a Country-Western station, but not too...
Not So Lonesome
Successful literary collaborations are rare. A few exceptions can be found, such as Mark Twain & Charles Dudley Warner (The Gilded Age), Charles...
Writing the Wicked West
A gambling spirit is what inspired many people to head West in the first place. After working hard on a cattle drive or digging in a mine, men...
UPDATES: The Lone Bandit and Shalako
UPDATES: The Lone Bandit and Shalako We received some feedback about our June 2007 ATM column: Writing in about the cowboy on horseback who robbed a...
In the Old West, did men carrying six-shooters leave one chamber empty as a safety measure?
In the Old West, did men carrying six-shooters leave one chamber empty as a safety measure? Bob Wood Hugo, Minnesota It’s likely that at least some...
DEADWOOD: The complete Third Season
Like The Winning of Barbara Worth, Deadwood tells the story of a community on the edge of the world, a couple of bad breaks away from extinction, in...