Top 10 True Western Towns of 2011

Towns You Should Know

DEADWOOD, SD

Gambling revenues fuel an impressive preservation program to ensure that the Old West legacies of folks like Wild Bill Hickok (buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery) are not forgotten.

 

SAN VICENTE, BOLIVIA

The mountain town where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid likely bit the dust in 1908 is looking to attract visitors via a new museum and guided tours dedicated to the outlaws.

 

VIRGINIA CITY, MT

The local chamber of commerce slogan says it best for this well-preserved gold rush town: “Some folks made a fortune here. But what they left behind was priceless.”

 

SAN ANTONIO, TX

The year 2011 marks the 175th anniversary of the legendary battle at the Alamo, and the remaining sections of the 1744 Spanish mission still tug at the emotions.

 

GUTHRIE, OK

A struggling economy doesn’t diminish the impressive history and preservation efforts of this one-time territorial and state capital. Guthrie is home to the nation’s largest urban historic district.

 

GRANGEVILLE, ID

This site of the Nez Perce War’s first battle in 1877 is home to Idaho’s oldest rodeo. The Border Days Rodeo turns 100 years old in 2011.

 

LINCOLN, NM

Billy the Kid busted out of the Lincoln County Courthouse jail 130 years ago, in 1881. The town is little changed from that time, making it a true Western gem.

 

WICHITA, KS

Kansas celebrates 150 years in 2011—and this old cowtown (founded in 1870) honors its past with four historic districts and more than 600 registered buildings.

 

ASTORIA, OR

Originally a fur trading post, Astoria celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2011 (although its history dates back to the Lewis & Clark expedition visit in 1805).

 

GOLIAD, TX

The home of Texas’s first declaration of independence in 1835, Goliad is better remembered for the massacre of Texians by the Mexican army, 175 years ago.

 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

This city’s Red Earth Festival celebrates 25 years in 2011. More than 1,200 American Indian artists and dancers will show off the great diversity of their heritage.

 

SILVER CITY, NM

This 1870 silver rush town remembers its history by finding new uses for old buildings. Locals are raising money to save and repurpose the nearby 1866 Fort Bayard.