Being a native of Arizona has always been considered rare. For Hal Empie, who was born outside of Safford in 1909, while the territory was still...
Hal Empie
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Art, Guns and Culture
Arizona’s Top 10 Paintings
If some of the major early artists in the West—Catlin, Bodmer, Miller, Audubon, Bierstadt—had painted in Arizona, they would be on this list. But...
PC Trumps PRCA
At first glance, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo looks like any other rodeo. Well, that wine tent seems out of place, as do the pig races on...
Harvey’s Happy Girls
“There is never any sick among the travelers along the Santa Fe line on the eating houses. These are all owned and managed by Mr. Fred Harvey....”...
Fake or Real?
“The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most...
True West’s Best of the West 2012 Winners
Here are the winners of our "2012 Best of the West." Sit back and see if your pick made the list. BEST PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE WEST Jay Dusard Jay...
Mountain Man Grub vs the Forts’
“Our journey on will be still more difficult, on account of food. In a few days from this place, buffalo cease entirely, and no game is to be found...
Ponchos Ride Again
“Is that a real poncho?… I mean, is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho?” —”Camarillo Brillo” by Frank Zappa In one of the few tender...
Learning Their Trade…In Stir
Arnold Darby is in a great mood the day I arrive in Huntsville, Texas, to talk about his custom bootmaking business...with good reason. After...
Artists We Love—Ed Mell
Not one of the many art bios on Ed Mell mentions his great sense of humor. Ed Mell Not one of the many art bios on Ed Mell mentions his great sense...
Nampeyo’s Legacy
“I want to continue the traditional methods and designs,” Tonita Hamilton Nampeyo said. “I don’t want to deviate from what my mom [Fannie Polacca]...
Ugly Ducklings, No More
Because of their unusual looks, Merwin, Hulbert & Co. firearms have been considered the “ugly ducklings” of frontier six-shooters. For years,...