When the Legend Becomes the Truth Print the Legend There is a persistent myth that the first gunfight in the West between women occurred in Denver...
The West’s First Female Gunfight
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True West Blog
Bloody Bird Outlaw Bird Obenchain was a cold-blooded killer.
Charles Edward “Bird” Obenchain rode with King Fisher (photo) and his gang in south Texas in the early 1870s. He apparently was a bit bloodthirsty....
The Man Who Killed Kid Curry Stolen horses put Rolla Gardner on the outlaw’s trail.
Rolla Gardner had no plans to chase after some train robbers near Parachute, Colorado in June 1904. A posse was already on the trail. But then...
A Final Gift Pat Garrett gave a grave to his friend Ash Upson.
Ash Upson is best known as the ghost writer for at least part of The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid—ostensibly authored by Pat Garret. The two...
Did Billy the Kid and Jesse Evans Ever Have a Showdown?
They didn’t really “have it out” but they rode together briefly and later were on opposite sides in the Lincoln County War. The Kid might have been...
The Paterson Colt Revolver
The Colt Paterson was invented in 1831 by Samuel Colt and named the Paterson for the Colt company in Paterson, New Jersey. It was patented in 1836...
Will McLaury
Did Will McLaury, the older brother of Frank and Tom McLaury, finance the assassination of Morgan Earp and the wounding of Virgil? Will McLaury...
The Other Olinger John Wallace kept a low profile—and lived much longer than his brother.
One of the lesser-known combatants in the Lincoln County War was John Wallace Olinger, the older brother of Bob Olinger (photo). Wallace was one of...
Last Words For two notables, “Hello, Bob” proved ominous.
Two men, famous in their own times and in their own ways. United in an important way. Bob Ford, gunned down by Ed O’Kelley (photo) on June 8, 1892...
A Funeral Surprise When Charlie Ford was laid to rest, one of the attendees was unexpected.
After the assassination of Jesse James, Charley Ford went downhill fast. By May 1884—two years after the killing—he was living with his parents at...
What Really Happened to Curly Bill Brocius?
The other day a True West reader wrote and asked “What really happened to Curly Bill? I’m hearing two different stories.” I replied, “That’s because...
Origins of Gunpowder
Black Powder was invented by the Chinese in the 9th century. They concocted a mix of charcoal, potassium nitrate and sulfur. Charcoal and sulfur...