Some colorful monikers of the Old West. Early Arizona mining towns were graced with a number of colorful characters with whimsical nicknames. There...
What’s in a Name?
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True West Blog
Should Have Tried Another Bar
King Fisher and Ben Thompson make a fatal mistake. March 11, 1884. Gunmen Ben Thompson and King Fisher make a huge mistake. A day of drinking in...
Villa’s Raid on New Mexico
The U.S. gets pulled into the Revolution. March 9, 1916. Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa and his Division of the North attack Columbus, NM. Eight...
Thanks to Al Harper Billy the Kid Has His Day at Old Tucson
Last weekend we had a great celebration at Old Tucson when we presented our True Westerner Award to Al Harper in the Grand Hotel Saloon. Not only...
A Talk for the Ages
The interview that made Wild Bill famous. In September 1865, Col. George Ward Nichols was in Springfield, MO—it’s not clear why. But he took the...
The Last Drink
A corpse, a bottle of whiskey, and drunken cowboys. On Saturday, April 8th, 1905, two cowboys, John Shaw and Bill Smythe, walked into the Wigwam...
Divine Intervention?
A lightning bolt stopped a lynching. Near Canyon Diablo in Arizona, along the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, an aspiring train robber hijacked the...
A Man Called Pie
John Allen made his mark in Arizona. John B. Allen came to Arizona during the 1858 gold rush at Gila City, a few miles east of Yuma. That same year...
Tales from the Saddle: Come Ride Along Sponsored by the C.M. Russell Museum
An Interactive Gallery at the C.M. Russell Museum There are many reasons why Charles M. Russell made Montana his home. At first, it was the chance...
A Fight for Ages
The Battle of New Orleans—good and bad. At New Orleans on January 8th, 1815, some 4700 Americans (led by General Andrew Jackson) took on more than...
End of the Line for Handsome Jack
The Wichita hotel owner goes up against an army squad. February 28, 1871. A posse of soldiers led by Deputy U.S. Marshal Jack Bridges (photo) enters...
Lewis and Clark’s Secret Weapon
The Corps of Discovery used an air rifle to keep the peace. Below is the air rifle that Lewis and Clark took on their expedition and AMAZED the...