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...
The Real Grizzly Adams
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True West Blog
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...
Luke’s Last Fight
Short was badly wounded in the shootout. The long-simmering feud between Luke Short and Charles Wright finally reached the boiling point in Fort...
He Hated the Irish
Charlie Harrison’s bigotry had a high cost. It started as an argument over cards in a Cheyenne, WY, saloon. Gambler Charlie Harrison insulted Jim...
They Called Him Teddy Blue
Abbott wrote about the life of a cowboy. Edward Charles Abbott was born in England—but he became the prototypical American cowboy. His family moved...
Del Potter’s Railroad
Del Potter ran a little railroad he proudly named the Clifton and Northern. The line ran from the little town of Clifton to a mine north of town but...
Lost Pick Mine
Arizona’s rugged central mountains, with their brawny mountains and twisting, boulder-choked canyons were a perfect place to lose a mine. Coronado’s...
The Horse Returns to North America
The end of the Pleistocene epoch, a geological period spanning roughly 2.5 million to 12,000 years ago brought about climate change to animals in...
A Quick Hand
A lawman used an unorthodox method to stop an outlaw. Fred Lambert was a tough New Mexico lawman at an early age. He was 15 when he became a member...
George Scarborough Cashes in His Chips
The legendary lawman tried to take on members of the Wild Bunch. George Scarborough was a noted lawman—including a stint as a deputy U.S. marshal....