Billy the Kid’s jailer had a sordid past New Mexico lawman J.W. Bell is best known for guarding (and being killed by) Billy the Kid in 1881....
The Toll of the Bell
read more
Investigating History
The Beginnings of the Bird Cage
The Beginnings of the Bird Cage Owner Billy Hutchinson led it through some difficult times Billy Hutchinson had a dream— an entertainment facility...
Frontier Colossus
A look back at the legendary Texas cowboy who transformed the American Southwest He almost single- handedly created the cattle industry,...
The Lost Chronicles of Harrison Rogers
Jedediah Smith is considered one of the great Western explorers, blazing trails from Missouri to California in the 1820s. He was the first to enter...
Where Did the Loot Go?
Whatever happened to the $97,000 from the Reno Gang’s last heist? This is one of those “find the money” stories. And it’s one that has attracted...
From Hero to Outlaw
It took John Joel Glanton a year to hit bottom. The name John Joel Glanton probably doesn’t ring a bell. But in the 1840s into 1850, he made an...
The Arrested Travels of Jedediah Smith
His first trip to California featured an unexpected stop. December of 1826 should have been a time of triumph for explorer/mountain man Jedediah...
Canton of the North
Lawman Frank Canton’s adventures in Alaska are legendary. In the summer of 1897, Frank Canton was looking for new opportunities. He’d...
Clum in the Cold
John Clum’s great adventure in Alaska is still legendary. John Clum is best known for his two years in Tombstone, serving as mayor,...
The Indians and the Jesuit
Father de Smet built the first permanent settlement in Montana. It took the Salish Indians of Montana nearly three decades to acquire a Catholic...
Truth or Adair
The James-Younger Gang turns to train robbery. A half dozen men crouched next to the railroad tracks near Adair, Iowa, on July 21, 1873. The Rock...
At the Peak of His Powers
Texas Ranger June Peak helped bring down Sam Bass. Relatively speaking, Junius “June” Peak spent few years in law enforcement. But he accomplished a...