October 27, 1873 Rowdy Joe Lowe vs. Big Red Beard “Mollie” Takes One in the Stomach In His Cups & Blue Whistlers Big Red Beard is deep in his...
Double-Barreled Justice
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Bob Boze Bell
The Seekers
It has become somewhat of a tradition at True West magazine to do a mountain man on the December cover. In the past two decades we have run at least...
Lay Lady Gay
January 24, 1876 | Bat Masterson vs. Melvin King Mollie Protects Her Man Three Different Versions of the Fight Fresh off the killing fields, some...
Poetry in Motion
Ben Johnson knew how to set a horse. In our universe there are numerous classic cowboy stars, and then there is one true cowboy who also became a...
Why did it Become Known as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral?
The “Gunfight in the Vacant Lot—Next to Fly’s—Down the Block From The Rear Entrance to the O.K. Corral.” Nope, won’t work. It wouldn’t fit on a...
Shoot-out at Cottonwood Springs?
Wyatt Earp vs. Curly Bill Brocius March 24, 1882 Map by Gus Walker Based on the research of Bill Evans Wyatt Earp and his men take breakfast...
Wider Herd
Long may our stories be told. When my Illustrated Life and Times of Wyatt Earp book was first published (1993), I did a book-signing at the...
Pike Peaked!
Kid Curry vs. Pike Landusky Town's Namesake Laid Low as the Wildest of the Wild Bunch Takes Off December 27, 1894 Celebrating the holidays in...
Edward S. Curtis Redeemed
An underdog gets his due. All my life I have heard criticism of Edward Sheriff Curtis. He faked his photos, he didn’t do this, he had no business...
The Kid’s First Kill
By Bob Boze Bell (based on the research of Fred Nolan & Jerry Weddle) Henry Antrim vs. Windy Cahill “I...called him a pimp.” August 17,...
Here’s Looking at You, Kid
The Class of 2021 has turned in their research and—boy, howdy—there are some eyebrow-raisers here. When I was first diving deep into all the Billy...
The Battle of Big Dry Wash
Al Sieber & U.S. Troops vs. Na-ti-o-tish's Apaches One of the scouts spots the Apaches waiting in ambush on the north side of the canyon. July...