How Pat Garrett met his end. Feb. 29, 1908. Pat Garrett is gunned down on the road outside Las Cruces, NM. Wayne Brazel admits to the shooting but...
Death of a Lawman
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True West Blog
Financing the Louisiana Purchase
A British bank took a chance on providing the money. In 1800, Napoleon pressured Spain to cede Louisiana back to France. Then in 1803, he sold it to...
Remember the Alamo!
A hallowed day in Texas history. March 6, 1836. A Mexican force of about 1500 men overruns The Alamo Mission in San Antonio. About 200 Texians are...
The Sweet Science on the Sandbar
An illegal boxing match finds a home in the middle of the Rio Grande. February 21, 1896. Peter Maher takes on Bob Fitzsimmons in a heavyweight...
The Earp Brothers and Brothels
Morgan and Wyatt work the bawdy houses in Peoria. February 24, 1872. Brothers Wyatt and Morgan Earp are arrested in Jane Haspel's brothel in Peoria,...
Riding the Storm Out
Luke Short makes quick work of a fellow gambler. February 25, 1881. About noon, gambler Charley Storms accosts faro dealer Luke Short (photo) on...
Guests at the Dining Room
Two miscreants were strung up above the tables. By 1880, “Russian Bill” Tettenborn had taken up residence in Shakespeare, New Mexico. Bill fell in...
The Amazing Escape
A woman’s travails in getting back to civilization. Larcena Page was captured by Apache on March 16, 1860 in southern Arizona. When she was unable...
The Missing Gun
Bill Downing angered the wrong saloon girl. Bill Downing was one of the most disliked fellows in Arizona. After a train robbery, Bill was sent to...
The Youngest Younger Goes Bad
John Younger kills a lawman in Texas. February 16, 1871. Nineteen-year-old John Younger crosses the line. The day before, he and some pals--all...
The Fuse is Lit
The killing that sparked the Lincoln County War. February 18, 1878. Rancher/merchant/banker John Tunstall (photo) is driving several horses from his...
Unsuited for the Occasion
A Western prospector had big dreams but not much else. The rocky wilderness of the American West turned out to be the richest treasure of natural...