We live in a time of national discord. Americans find themselves adrift in a cultural malaise highlighted by overheated…
A Fool’s Errand Does such a thing as a historically accurate Western exist?
The Western, be it a novel or a film, always carries with it the burden of history. For much of our nation’s existence, …
Kit Carson and the Mountain Men Was Kit Carson truly the king of the trappers?
A large rodent determined the destiny of Kit Carson, the Mountain Men and much of the American West. The North American …
The Great Western “She packed two six-shooters, and they all said she shore could use ’em....” — Jeff Ake.
In late August 1890, a detachment from the U.S. Army Quartermasters Department began the arduous task of exhuming the bo…
Not Easily Intimidated The steely nerve required to photograph the only known images of Indians still at war.
General George Crook thoughtfully allowed photographer C.S. Fly to come along to record the event at Cañon de los Embudo…
Buffalo Bill: Why He Still Matters Described by a U.S. President as an “American of Americans,” William F. Cody remains vital to our nation.
William F. Cody was a man seemingly trapped in the distant past, yet one who cared desperately about the onrushing futur…
Buffalo Bill in the Movies From the frontiersman himself to those who tried to fill his boots.
The first actor to play Buffalo Bill in the movies was the man who had perfected the role for over a quarter century on …
John Wayne: “Bigger Than Life”
One might assume John Wayne and William F. Cody had little in common besides their Iowa origins and international fame a…
Val Kilmer at Doc Holli-Days
The first “Doc Holli-Days” celebration, taking place in Tombstone, Arizona, this August 12-13, is already attracting at …
The Ordeal of Larcena Pennington A true tale of Western survival more gripping than The Revenant.
Southeastern Arizona was contested ground. The few Americans who dared its dangers called the region the “Purchase,” aft…