The legendary lawman’s first killing never happened. The story goes that legendary Texas Ranger Frank Hamer killed his first man when he was just...
The Myth of Frank Hamer
read more
Mark Boardman
Running the Con in Denver
The Blonger brothers even outdid Soapy Smith. Lou Blonger and his brother Sam had a lot of experience in running Old West saloons, dancehalls and...
Bringing the Lord to Dodge
Pastor Wright brought a different peace to the Wickedest Town in the West. O.W. Wright decided to bring the Lord to Dodge City. He arrived there in...
Taming the Rowdy
Gunman Joe Lowe had an ignominious end. Rowdy Joe Lowe came by his nickname honestly, by being a hellraiser, a gunfighter and a saloon owner in...
A Remarkable Person
Tamsen Donner—accomplished and faithful to the end. Tamsen Donner has been shoved to the rear of history—mainly because her husband, George, was the...
Remembering Juanita Garrett
A new marker honors the first wife of an Old West legend. Juanita Martinez had an all-too-short life and the briefest of brushes with fame. She’s...
It Worked out for the Best
James Reed was exiled from the Donner Party. James Reed was one of the leaders of the ill-fated Donner Party in 1846. But he avoided their fate in...
A Name that Lives in Infamy
The leader of the Donner Party faced a tough end. George Donner had the great misfortune of leading the wagon train that bears his name. In 1846, he...
Nobody Believed Him!
A James Gang member couldn’t turn himself in. Jim Cummins was not the most enthusiastic member of the James-Younger Gang. He served with the boys...
From Outlaw to Horseman
Dick Liddil found a new calling at the race track. Dick Liddil joined the James Gang in 1879, near the end of its run. He eventually was arrested,...
A Detour From the Outlaw Trail
Frank James’ brief retirement brought peace and contentment. For Frank James, the years just after the James-Younger Gang’s disastrous raid on...
Picking the Wrong Horse
Bill Tilghman lost the job of his dreams by backing the wrong candidate Bill Tilghman may have been a great lawman, but as a politician he left much...