Which cards was “Wild Bill” Hickok holding when he was murdered? -Michael Weirens of Sartell, Minnesota Legend says James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok...
Do Westerns Accurately Show how Horses are Saddle Broken?
Do Westerns accurately show how horses are saddle broken? -Carl Justice Bluefield, West Virginia I heard an old cowboy say, “The trick to breaking a...
Ask the Marshall
Robert Garcia Phoenix, Arizona True. The blood ritual has been around for centuries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. It comes in many forms, but...
Did most Old West lawmen always carry guns?
Did most Old West lawmen always carry guns? Allen Pogue Flagstaff, Arizona Most Old West lawmen went unarmed, much of the time. Marshal Tom “Bear...
Did American Indians have some version of bathrooms or latrines?
Did American Indians have some version of bathrooms or latrines? James White Goliad, Texas American Indians generally did their “business” in the...
What is the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Wyoming?
Terry Kelley Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico The favorite sanctuaries for Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch were Hole-in-the-Wall, in northern Wyoming, Browns...
Did the Wild West era have any famous deaf people?
Chris Graefser St. Peters, Missouri One who comes to mind is Erastus “Deaf” Smith, one of the most celebrated patriots in the Texas fight for...
What can you tell me about Jack Slade’s wife?
Dan Bird Cornelius, Oregon Not a lot. Her first name is believed to be Maria Virginia, but her last name is lost to history. Historians do not know...
Why would a pile of small seashells be in the Arizona desert?
Dee Anne Jackson Gilbert, Arizona Some 200 million years ago, the area was a vast sea, which is why you can find seashells all over the Sonoran...
Did frontier women own saloons, like Gunsmoke’s Miss Kitty did?
Susan Mims Barnesville, Georgia Women worked the saloons, dancing or serving drinks or luring male customers upstairs. But female owners or part...
A picture hanging in a restaurant in Prescott, Arizona, is labeled, “Wyatt Earp.” Is this a photo of him?
Tom Isler Madera, California I have never seen this photo published in any of the Wyatt Earp biographies; somebody would have published it if the...
Did Bat Masterson carry a cane?
Bob Nellis Rochester, Minnesota No known photos of Bat Masterson show him with a cane, although he did receive a gold-headed cane in 1885 when he...