Lawmen attempted to disarm outlaw Sam Bass, not realizing who he was. On July 19, 1878, the Sam Bass gang was in Round Rock, Texas to rob the local...
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True West Blog
In Pursuit of Honor
In 1995 the movie, In Pursuit of Honor was about an incident in the 1930’s when the Army set about to slaughter some 500 cavalry horses. Three...
Witness to History
Soapy Smith and Sam Bass’ last holdup. Sam Bass and his gang were planning on robbing a bank in Round Rock, Texas on July 19, 1878. The attempt went...
Rules of the Road
Were there rules of the road in the Wild West days? For example, when two horse riders, traveling in opposite directions, met on a road (trail), did...
Deadwood Bars and Saloons
Deadwood bars and saloons were once infamous for their poker games, dancing girls and shootouts. Walk into one of these historic establishments...
Underage Drinking in the West
Was there an age limit for youngsters to drink in the frontier towns? It appears most states and territories didn't have age laws so if a lad was...
Accident with a Gun
Trapper Jim Baker was seriously hurt while practicing shooting. Jim Baker was one of the great pioneers, explorers, trappers and hunters of the...
A Pioneer Lost His Land
Charles Autobees’ homestead didn’t fit the rules. Charles Autobees was a mountain man and trapper, who plied that trade starting at age 16. He...
The Real Grizzly Adams
How a bear saved his life. Grizzly Adams was renowned for his hunting skills—including taking down bears. But he owed his life to one. In 1854, he...
Who Was Laura Bullion?
Her grave marker refers to her as the Thorny Rose, so who was Laura Bullion? Laura had a hardscrabble life. She had flings with many men and among...
At the End of the Long Drive
When a cowboy got to a cattle town after a long drive, making his dollar a day, what would have been his thoughts on spending a part of that money...
Too Old to Wrangle or Ride on the Swing
What did a cowboy do to get by when they got too old to ride herd and work as a cowboy? Utah Phillips wrote a great song on that theme The Goodnight...