John Rockfellow was a big figure in Tombstone’s history, even if his name isn’t well known. He moved to the area in 1881 at age 23 and established...
Not A Big Name But John Rockfellow had a big impact on Southeast Arizona.
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True West Blog
Tom Fitzpatrick: Trapper, Scout and Indian Agent One of America's most important frontiersman, scout and guide is also one of the least known.
One of America's most important frontiersman, scout and guide is also one of the least known. Stories abound about Joe Walker, Kit Carson, Jim...
A Massacre—and Missing Gold The killers didn’t get away, but what happened to the treasure?
The Triskett Gang left a mark on the mining town of Sailors Diggins, Oregon. On August 3, 1852, the boys were all drunk and went on a...
Buffalo Soldiers Blacks reached new heights of glory during the Indian Wars in the West, where they became known as “Buffalo Soldiers” by the Indians because of the texture of their hair...
African-Americans fought bravely in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War, where nearly 180,000 Union soldiers were black. Of...
Tombstone’s Jails Tombstone’s first jail or lockup was an adobe structure on Fremont St. near the one built in 1882 that stands there today...
Locations of the offices and jails in Tombstone before the completion of the county courthouse and city hall in 1882 are difficult to pin down as...
No Honor Among Thieves Ike Stockton claimed a reward on one of his own gang members.
On August 24, 1881, Burt Wilkinson—a member of the Ike Stockton Gang—shot and killed Marshal Clate Ogsbury in the mining town of Silverton,...
Frank Wattron A relative was raising him and planned to have the lad train for the priesthood so he ran away, drifting to Colorado, Mexico, New Mexico. He arrived in Holbrook with five dollars in his pocket and a deck of cards...
Frank Wattron arrived in Holbrook in 1884, just three years after the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (Santa Fe) arrived and the name was changed from...
That’s No Lady An outlaw in disguise revealed the gold.
The Red Jack Gang stopped a stage near Riverside, Arizona Territory, on August 10, 1883. The Wells Fargo man denied the coach had any gold. But a...
An Apt Punishment? David McCanles was determined to make his point.
David McCanles—later killed by Wild Bill Hickok—was a bully. In late 1859, he caught one of his Nebraska ranch employees drunkenly sleeping on the...
Whiskey In The Old West A lot of whiskey was consumed. There was good whiskey and there was bad. Or, as some would say, “It was all good, but some was better.”
A True West recently asked, “My wife and I watch western movies all of the time. We have noticed that there is a lot of whiskey drinking in all of...
The Ball Is Opened The first attack on Lawrence was a prelude to war.
May 21, 1856. Some 800 pro-slavery men sacked the free-state town of Lawrence, Kansas. Two newspapers, a hotel and the home of the former state...
A Gathering Of Tribes The Sun Dance was a vital ceremony in the 19th Century.
The Sun Dance was a staple of Plains Indian culture during the 19th Century. The four-day prayer event required a year of preparation. It was...