The only physical remnant of one of the West’s more unusual survival stories is an all-too-graphic reminder of the pain and suffering that frontier...
That’s Got to Hurt!
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Terry A. Del Bene
A Lively Corpse
In the summer of 1864, Robert McGee, a tall, slender orphan of 14 years, attempted enlistment at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. He was rejected....
Buried Alive
The mining community of Alta, Utah, has the dubious distinction of being among the top in the world for suffering catastrophic avalanches. The town...
Cowboy Survivor
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th U.S. president, is best remembered for his active outdoor lifestyle. Whether one envisions Roosevelt leading the attack...
Surviving a Stagecoach Robbery
Stagecoach travelers were far more likely to perish from accidents, bad water or what passed for food at the stage stops than an outlaw’s bullets....
The Sinking Ship Survivor
The American West begins in St. Louis, Missouri. Many entering the frontier started their journeys by riding on steamboats to jumping-off areas in...
Wall of Flame
Working deep in the earth as a miner is a job with many hazards, including poison gases, explosions, collapses, floods and fires to name a...
Abducted!
In 1860, the last wagon company leaving Fort Hall for Oregon was led by Capt. Elijah Utter. The Utter Party of 44 souls included seven...
Hooked On Firewater
Born in 1844, Felix was the second son of Ceran St. Vrain, among the most influential traders in the West. Felix was named after his uncle,...
Shot and Left for Dead
In November 1864, Medicine Woman Later and her husband, Southern Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle, set up their lodge amongst a large encampment...
Combating a Prairie Fire
Frenchman Philippe Régis de Trobriand settled in New York City in the 1840s and served with the Union Army during the Civil War. The Army...
Snowshoeing with the Donner Party
The Donner-Reed Party remains the most famous wagon train in the history of the West. William Eddy and his family from Illinois—Eleanor,...