She was born Margaret Tobin in Hannibal, Missouri, the daughter of Irish immigrants. A restless, strong-willed adventuresome lass, the pretty...
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
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True West Blog
Magic Finds Tombstone
According to George Parsons’ journal the first circus (Ryland’s) landed in Tombstone on September 22, 1880. Parsons also reports going to see Prof...
George Shepherd Seeks Revenge
Jim Anderson was the brother of Confederate guerrilla leader “Bloody Bill” Anderson. After the Civil War, Jim took up with the James-Younger Gang....
The Notorious Sadie Marcus
A teenaged runaway, Sadie (real name Josephine) Marcus landed in Tombstone and “shacked up” with Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan. By 1881, that...
The Reckless Breed
A reckless breed known as mountain men left an indelible impact on western history. Reckless doesn’t accurately describe them. The reckless...
“Wyatt Earp Ruined My Life”
If you grew up in the 1950s, you probably thought Wyatt Earp was a bachelor during his violent stay in Tombstone. But, in the early sixties, two...
Crime Boss Vicente Silva
Vicente Silva led a double life in Las Vegas, New Mexico. By day, he was a successful businessman. By night, he was an organized crime boss for...
The Mes Gang Falls
New Mexico’s Mes Gang came to a bloody end in August 1875. They’d been rustling cattle from John Chisum (and may have killed a man). Outlaw Jessie...
Holbrook, Arizona
Before the railroad arrived in 1881, Holbrook, located where the Rio Pureco joined the Little Colorado, was known as Horsehead Crossing. Just east...
Not So Gentle Tamers
Although some have portrayed early Arizona pioneer women as being “gentle tamers” the term does a bit of disservice to the toughness of these women....
Friends or Foes?
It was November 1893, and two men who had fought off the Johnson County (WY) invasion the previous year had it out in the streets of Buffalo....
Angel of the Mining Camps
Many women came west in the 19th century to pan out some dream but none can match that of a pretty Irish immigrant named Nellie Cashman. A restless...