Gambling in the 19th century ranged from lotteries seen as “civic responsibility” on the East coast (the proceeds built prestigious universities...
High Rollers
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Articles
Behind the Eight Ball
March 18, 1882 It’s Saturday night and Morgan Earp wants to go out. A one-night showing of the play Stolen Kisses is being staged at the Turnverein...
Calamity Jane: Exposed
Researching the life of Martha Canary, better known as Calamity Jane, was a challenge. Disproving claims that she was a scout and a pony express...
Riding the Hi-Lo Country with Ol’ Max
In 1,018 years, Max Evans has done just about everything and somehow lived through it—cowboy, calf roper, artist, prospector, mystic, actor,...
I’d like to learn more about outlaw One-Eye Billy Moore, who may be a distant relative of mine.
I’d like to learn more about outlaw One-Eye Billy Moore, who may be a distant relative of mine. Michael Moore Via the Internet One-Eye Billy Moore...
Because of Them
In the year of Thomas Jefferson’s famous purchase, 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte had conquered Spain and ruled all Spanish territory in North America....
Anchored in the Land
Some may say it’s his voice, textured like barn wood: soft, weathered and grainy. Or the way he wears his hat—to one side, casting a shadow over...
Supermen and Women, Not Pygmies
When I finally announced that I was going to become a doctor it broke the heart of all my friends and I was publicly disgraced. Women that I had...
Walking the Line – Johnny Cash Biopic
When watching a movie, sometimes it’s easy to forget that those are real people behind the roles. They bring to their characters their own...
Tom Mix or Lonesome Gus?
The hat style called the Tom Mix goes in and out of fashion, but it has been guaranteed to raise a smile for most of the last century. The Tom Mix...
Long Before Texas Hold ’em
Disgusted, Wild Bill Hickok tossed down his cards on that fateful August 2, 1876. Hickok had joined the table at Nuttall and Mann’s No. 10 Saloon in...
Appearances Deceive
In John Wayne’s last film, The Shootist, he uses a pair of blued and fully engraved single-action revolvers fitted with ivory stocks. A beautiful...