The Abilene hardcase was less than the legends. June 14, 1871. Abilene, Kansas Marshal Wild Bill Hickok hires Tom Carson as a deputy. There are a...
The Truth About Tom Carson
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True West Blog
He Knew Where the Bodies Were
Burt Alvord and a practical joke. The story (maybe the legend) goes that Arizona lawman/outlaw Burt Alvord loved practical jokes. He and Matt Burts...
They Didn’t Call Him Smart for Nothing
One successful train holdup deserved another. On April 27, 1887, Doc Smart and his band robbed a train near Pantano, AZ. The bandits uncoupled the...
An Explosive Robbery
Two outlaws discovered how not to stick up a train. On January 30, 1895, Joe George and Grant Wheeler, a couple of unemployed cowboys, held up the...
Cayuse Face the Noose
Indians are executed in Oregon for perpetrating a massacre. June 3, 1850. Five Cayuse, including leaders Tiloukaikt and Tomahas, are hanged in...
A Deal Gone Bad
How a failed arrangement helped lead to Tombstone’s street fight. June 2, 1881. Wyatt Earp approaches Cowboy Ike Clanton with a proposal. If Clanton...
Hardin Hits Abilene
New adventures for the Texas gunfighter. June 1, 1871. An 18-year-old John Wesley Hardin arrives in Abilene at the end of a cattle drive. He's...
Cassidy’s First Crime
Butch hits a Colorado bank. On June 24th, 1889, Butch Cassidy—still known as Bob Parker—pulled off his first major criminal act. He and Matt Warner...
The Many Sides of Burt Alvord
Lawman, outlaw, gambler and more. Burt Alvord wasn’t exactly a household name among Arizona’s notorious outlaws. They also said he wasn’t the...
A Deadly Affair
Buckskin Frank’s passion was a bit too hot… Buckskin Frank Leslie was having an affair with the married Mae Killeen in 1880. Her husband Mike was...
Birth and Death in the Texas Spring
For John Wesley Hardin, May 26 had great importance. May 26, 1853. John Wesley Hardin is born near Bonham, Texas. Over the next two decades, he...
The Famous Female Stage Robber
Pearl Hart’s entrance into Old West legend. May 30, 1899. Pearl Hart and Joe Boot rob a stage running between Globe and Florence, AZ. They get away...