Collectors knew Norman Flayderman as the man behind the bible of American firearms, Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms...and Their...
A Collection of Criminals
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Departments
What is the 19th-Century Version of a Photographer’s Flash Powder?
What is the 19th-century version of a photographer’s flash powder? Mike Colaizzi, Gold Canyon, Arizona Early photography didn’t use flash...
Rescuing Silver Strike History
Talk about the mother lode. Imagine trying to preserve hundreds of projects in a 14,000-acre district—not only one of the nation’s largest historic...
How Bad Was Body Odor in the Old West?
How bad was body odor in the Old West? Michael C. Westlund Clarkdale, Arizona Body odor was pretty bad. Pioneers had no deodorant, shampoo or...
The Toughest News in the West
The Old West was filled with colorful names—none more so than The Tombstone Epitaph, the oldest continuous newspaper in Arizona. Former Apache agent...
New Mexico’s Best Kept Secret
Artesia just might be New Mexico’s best kept secret. Located at the intersection of U.S. Highways 82 and 285, the downtown Arts & Cultural...
There’s Copper in Them Thar Hills
Author Mike Anderson prefers talking about the legends who played at Warren Ballpark in Bisbee, Arizona—Connie Mack, Honus Wagner, Jim Thorpe and...
Classic Gunfights: Doc Hits Bottom (but not much else)
August 19, 1884 Broke, sick and usually drunk, Doc Holliday hits rock bottom in Leadville, Colorado. Today, a fellow gambler, Billy Allen, is...
The Picnic Disease
As towns across the frontier West heated up during the spring and summer months, sweltering pioneers found ways to beat the heat at picnics. They...
Why Do Western Actors Rarely Wear Spurs On Screen?
Why do Western actors rarely wear spurs on screen? Charles “Spade” Phillips Odessa, Texas Mostly because of animal welfare concerns. Audiences don’t...
What History Has Taught Me: Gary L. Roberts
Gary L. Roberts, Doc Holliday Biographer An emeritus professor of history at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia, Gary Roberts...
Did Old West Trains Have Bathrooms?
Did Old West trains have bathrooms? Terry Gin Columbus, Ohio Yep, they sure did. Early toilets ranged from a Hooper Toilet, which was a hole in the...