Hanging horse thieves is one of those Hollywood myths that won’t go away. Contrary to popular belief, stealing a horse has never been a capital...
The Legal Hanging Horse Thieves
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Blog
Leather Cartridge Belts and Corrosion
A question came in the other day from a True West Magazine reader. “I've noticed that my leaving a cartridge in a leather gunbelt for an extended...
We Are the Land Sponsored by the University of California Press
We Are the Land, A History of Native California by Damon B. Akins and William J. Bauer Jr. "A welcome contribution to Native studies and the rich...
Billy Crosses Over
After his mother’s death in November 1874, young Henry McCarty fell in with a rough character named Sombrero Jack and drifted into a life of crime....
Blackhawk Museum Spirit of the Old West
Explore the history and way of life in the American frontier. The Spirit of the Old West Gallery weaves the story of the American West,...
Left Behind Wes Hardin’s wife suffered during his imprisonment.
The exploits of Old West notables usually obscure the stories of their loved ones. Case in point: John Wesley Hardin. When he started a 25-year...
A Family Affair What are the connections between the Wild Bunch, the Sutton-Taylor Feud, and Pat Garrett?
O.C. “Deaf Charlie” Hanks is noted as a rider with the Wild Bunch, notably helping in the Wagner, Montana train robbery in July 1901. He was killed...
A Running Fight Bat Masterson couldn’t move fast enough to catch his opponent.
Bat Masterson and Otto Floto had much in common. They were sportswriters in Denver. Each promoted boxing matches. Each had a pretty good opinion of...
Ely Parker
The highest ranking American Indian in the U.S. Cavalry was General Ely Parker, an Iroquois from Indian Falls, New York. His hopes for a career were...
There’s More Room to Roam in Missouri River Country Sponsored by Montana's Missouri River Country
Dig deep into the distinct history of Northeast Montana. Montana’s Missouri River Country is packed with history, from pioneers to prehistoric...
Animal Cruelty in Movies
Killing Horses with the Flying W It was said 100 horses were killed during filming of the chariot race in Ben Hur in 1925. Reeves “Breezy” Eason was...
Chuckwagons
The mother ship of the trail drives was a broad-beamed, sturdily vehicle that carried virtually everything that ten men might need on a prairie...