If you were a local in the Fort Smith region when Bass Reeves was hired in 1875, you would have immensely respected the former slave and his fellow...
What’s It Like to Live There—Fort Smith, AR
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Travel & Preservation
Below the Equator
As a sudden rainstorm passed, I was glad to have on the wool poncho that Jorge let me borrow for the early morning ride to gather cattle and move...
Rollin’, Rollin’, Respectin’ Along the Western Trail
I’ve lost count of the museums dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the Chisholm Trail. I can’t remember all the novels I’ve read about...
How I Ruined My Kids for History
On car trips my father would only stop for gas, food, oil and maybe, open wounds. He hated to stop. And even though every summer we were on The...
American West: Then & Now
Chances are you’ve never heard of Mrs. Nettie M. Dickson of Arrow Rock, Missouri. You may not have heard about Arrow Rock, for that matter. It’s...
10 Ways to Get Your Kids Hooked on History
The video about Anne Frank was over— part of a special exhibit at Bosque Redondo Memorial in Fort Sumner, New Mexico—when my son told me, “Those...
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita “has the large city amenities as well as the Country character,” with commuters to the city passing “wheat and milo fields as well as...
Navajo Country on Horseback
I was in northeastern Arizona, exploring Canyon de Chelly on horseback with Navajo guide Lee Bigwater when we happened upon an awesome piece of...
The Texas Camel Corps Camel Treks
Secretary of War Jefferson Davis wrestled with a problem in 1840. He needed to send soldiers to protect the vast Southwestern frontier, but little...
Filming the Oregon Trail
During the 19th century around 400,000 people traveled the Oregon and California Trails seeking new opportunities, land, gold. They traveled with...
Following Mountain Man Jim Bridger
At the edge of the Red Desert, But situated in a lush valley within view of a mountain range that retains snow on its peaks much of the year, Fort...
Gold Fever
In the Bradshaw Mountains outside of Phoenix, Arizona, I saddled up with my guide Milton Joseph and two other riders to search for gold with...