Granville Stuart, who died 100 years ago this October, is one of the most remarkable men in the history of the West. Born in what’s now West...
The Father of Montana
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Mark Boardman
The Man Called Teddy Blue
Edward Charles Abbott was born in England—but he became the prototypical American cowboy. His family moved to Texas when he was a boy; he later...
Fire in the Hole!
It was the worst mining disaster in Colorado’s history. April 22, 1917, at the town of Hastings, where the Victor American Fuel Company had been...
Don’t Look Back
It’s part of Wild Bill Hickok’s legend. The acting Ellis County (KS) sheriff was trying to corral Bill Mulvey, who was shooting up Hays City....
Don’t Take a Beer Mug to a Gunfight
Sam Strawhun and his pals had been wreaking havoc on John Bitter’s Saloon in Hays City, KS, early in the morning of September 27, 1869. Ellis...
A Not So Heroic End
John Kile was a hero who came to a bad end. As a corporal in the 5th Cavalry, Kile won the Congressional Medal of Honor. In July 1869, he and two...
Like Ducks to Water
San Francisco was a relatively new town when it was hit by its first organized street gang. The Sydney Ducks arrived at the height of the Gold...
Credit Where Credit is Due
Skookum Jim Mason failed to get credit for one of the great gold finds in the West. Skookum—which means big or strong—was of the Tagish First...
The Bitterest Pill
Carl Sutherland was a nephew to Aurilla Sutherland, the first wife of Wyatt Earp. But Carl chose a different path, becoming a small time criminal...
Trouble for the Thompson Kin
Texas gunfighter Ben Thompson’s family were no strangers to violence. In July 1851, his uncle and aunt—who had emigrated to the US in 1834, were...
Prone to Violence
Gunfighter Ben Thompson got his start at a relatively young age. He was 14 when—at least according to some accounts—was bullied by another...
Riding for the Hashknife
The Aztec Land & Cattle Company—better known as the Hashknife Outfit (after a brand it acquired)—became a force in Arizona in the mid 1880s....