Deputy Sheriff Charles Nichols has a dubious distinction—the first Dallas County (TX) lawman to die in the line of duty, back in January 1871. The...
The Youngest Younger Kills a Dallas Lawman
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Mark Boardman
The Earps Raise a Behan
Wyatt and Josie Earp had no children of their own. But they did have someone they considered to be like a son—and ironically, he was the real son...
A Bond Sealed with a Shot in the Behind
Actors John Wayne and Ward Bond were compatriots for more than 30 years. Both played football at the University of Southern California. Both got...
Drop ‘Em! Belts or No Belts?
In the movie Open Range, Boss (Robert Duval) and Charlie (Kevin Costner) rough up some bad guys. And just to humiliate them, Boss orders them to...
6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon: Wyatt Earp Edition
People used to play a game called “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” The rules: you had to be able to find unusual connections to the actor in six or...
Jim Beckwourth Leads Out of Fear
Jim Beckwourth is best known for his mountain man exploits, but he was also an author, a saloon keeper, a gambler, a rancher and more. But he...
Leigh Brackett’s Words with John Wayne’s Voice
Leigh Brackett was one of director Howard Hawks’ favorite screen writers. They first worked together in 1946 on the Humphrey Bogart film noir The...
Are You for Beer?
A Westerns staple is the saloon, where men went to meet, gamble, and drink. For the most part, the movie booze was fake—tea or colored water stood...
Sibley Supplies the Wrong Side
Henry Hopkins Sibley gained fame as a Confederate cavalry officer during the Civil War. But one of his inventions was widely used by the other side....
Wanted, Dead or Alive
It may have been the name of a TV Western, but few officials actually used “wanted, dead or alive” rewards to track down criminals. Money was...
Lawman Bill Cruger
Bill Cruger was a tough lawman in Shackleford County, Texas (which included Fort Griffin) in the 1870s. He was originally hired as a deputy by...
Colorado Charlie Utter
Colorado Charlie Utter is best known as Wild Bill Hickok’s best friend, the man who led the wagon train that brought the gunfighter (and Calamity...