Did Will McLaury, the older brother of Frank and Tom McLaury, finance the assassination of Morgan Earp and the wounding of Virgil? Will McLaury...
Will McLaury
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True West Blog
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...
Museum of the Big Bend Sponsored by the Museum of the Big Bend
The Museum of the Big Bend, in partnership with the Texas Photographic Society, takes a look at the night shift of life in the exhibit At Night. At...
Frontier Medicine
Frontier people led a hardscrabble life. There were many perils confronting folks but the most dreaded was illness and disease. Almost all families...
Mesquite, Texas Sponsored by the City of Mesquite
Mesquite isn’t called the Official Rodeo Capital of Texas for nothing. The Mesquite Championship Rodeo starts on the first Saturday in June and...
Go Faster, Young Man! A wild ride and a famous writer made a name for a stage driver.
Hank Monk built a big reputation as a California stage driver for more than three decades. But one ride in 1859 put a special light on Monk’s work....
LIVE EVENT: Wild Bill Hickok The Skinny on the First Gunfight
If you love Westerns and classic gunfight in the street face offs, you can thank one guy: Wild Bill Hickock, the first gunfighter and the founder of...
After the OK Corral Ike Clanton stayed on the outlaw trail, until…
After the Earps had left southeast Arizona, Ike Clanton made his way northeast. He helped set up a rustling ring in Graham and Apache counties. The...