I have often heard about the “Code of the West.” Was there, in fact, a list of rules for conduct in the Old West? Larry Dye Fenton, Illinois No “Code of the West” exists per se, but an ethic did develop on the frontier that came to define American character. Several traits were necessary for survival on the frontier: a man’s word is his bond, self-reliance, trust, hard work, honesty, perseverance, dependability and independence. These rules weren’t posted anywhere but were known by m

August 2009
In This Issue:
Features
Western Books & Movies
More In This Issue
- The Show Must Go On
- What happened to the corpses of guys killed in running gunfights in the Old West?
- Did Indians have a smoke “Morse Code” that sent messages?
- Did outlaws prefer Spanish Mustangs?
- My husband and I have noticed that some of the big stars rode the same horses in a lot of their movies.
- Was there ever a “Code of the West”?
- Were the Spanish vaqueros the first to round up and herd cattle in the West?
- What’s It Like to Live There—Fort Smith, AR
- Preservation: Surrender Site
- Ken Spurgeon
- Pueblo Revival Living
- Below the Equator
- The Non-British “English” Sharps
- Rollin’, Rollin’, Respectin’ Along the Western Trail
- Out to Lunch
- The Evolution of Western Wear
- A Dust-Up in Delta
- The Cheyenne Suitcase
- “Green” Ranching
- The Death of Chief Crazy Horse
- Skating In New Directions