True West Blog
The Legend Begins

The Legend Begins

The unofficial start to Frank Hamer’s career. Legendary Texas Ranger Frank Hamer got his law enforcement career started in something of an unusual...

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Denziens of the Wild

Denziens of the Wild

In the past, most western movies romanticize sleeping under the stars and the wide, open spaces. How much trouble did they have with all of the...

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The Gypsy and the Bear

The Gypsy and the Bear

  One day during Tombstone’s boom times, a Gypsy came strolling into town with a bear on a leash. He announced to the gathering crowd that for...

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A Gunfight?

A Gunfight?

A Doc Holliday shootout was just a lot of smoke. Most Old West gunfights were casual, almost comical affairs. Case in point: a saloon in Dallas on...

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Switching Sides

Switching Sides

Zeke Proctor—outlaw turned lawman. Zeke Proctor was a hard man, living in the Cherokee Nation in the 1870s. He was responsible for several killings....

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Apache May Slaughter

Apache May Slaughter

True West reader Shawn Cote writes, “Has it ever been confirmed that Apache May Slaughter's biological father really was the Apache Kid, as...

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How Common was the Cross Draw?

How Common was the Cross Draw?

The cross draw was popular among cowboys of the Old West so their pistols wouldn’t get in the way of their work around the ranch. It was also easier...

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A Bitter Brew

A Bitter Brew

An outlaw got more than he bargained for… Caleb Hall got around. He was with the John Kinney Gang, fought in Texas’ Mason County War, and got...

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