The Earps’ father had a reputation for bad behavior. In May 1864, Nicholas Earp—the father of Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan, etc.—led a wagon train from...
An Uncouth and Foul-Mouthed Person
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Mark Boardman
Bootlegger with a Badge
Nicholas Earp—constable and rum runner. In 1859, Nicholas Porter Earp—the father of the famed Fighting Earps—was a constable in Monmouth, Illinois....
At the End of His Rope
Jim Miller was a cool customer before he died Jim Miller—the famed Old West assassin—met his end in Ada, Oklahoma on April 19, 1909. He and three...
All in the Family
Killer started his career by murdering kin. Jim Miller’s first of many killings was close to home. In July 1884, he attended a tent revival meeting...
A Legend Laid to Rest
The story of how a famed killer didn’t murder his grandparents. The legend: an orphaned “Killin” Jim Miller murdered his grandparents when he was a...
A Trail Blazer
But Jesse Chisholm didn’t use it for cattle… The Chisholm Trail is one of the most important and famous of the paths used to drive cattle from Texas...
Cop vs. Cop
A political argument got out of hand in Newton, KS. Billy Bailey was a cowboy who took a trail drive up to Newton, Kansas (photo) in 1871. After he...
The Babbitt Brothers and the CO Bar Ranch
It was a cold, wet February morning in 1886 when Dave and Billy Babbitt stepped down off the passenger train in the raw, boisterous railroad town of...
Two Men; Two Dead
A gunfight between an outlaw and a lawman killed both. Ed Short (picture) was marshal of Hennessey, Indian Territory and a deputy U.S. marshal in...
An Explosive Tactic
Texas Ranger Ira Aten tried a controversial plan to lessen crime. Ira Aten was a lawman in the 1880s, serving as a Texas Ranger. He became involved...
A Reason for the Violence
Gunman Clay Allison had an injury that may explain his bad deeds... Clay Allison was one of the West’s most infamous shootists. It’s not clear just...
Packing It In
Tom Horn’s role in the Spanish-American War is uncovered. Tom Horn was—is—a legend of the Old West. His exploits are unique in their variety:...