An Indian with his thick, long braids wrapped in otter fur stands beside an oil portrait of a woman and a baby. Who was this man? What had happened...
A Mirror with a Memory
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Features & Gunfights
General Palmer’s Baby Railroad
In 1870, a former Union Army general named William Palmer supervised construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway into Denver, Colorado. The arrival...
Wanted Posters Fonts are Actually Egyptian?
Those “almost square-block serifs hanging for dear life onto needle-thin verticals” on Old West Wanted posters are actually so-called Egyptian fonts...
Trumpeting Elephants & Kicking Asses
On August 27, 1871, an arcing ax handle landed solidly on John Lemon’s head, plummeting him to the ground. The Doña Ana County politician and...
The Apaches Spoke, and Eve Ball Listened
Along Highway 380, in Lincoln County, New Mexico, stands a new historic marker, honoring Eve Ball for “saving oral histories certain to be lost...
Uncle Chick, Me and the Christmas Tree
The aging Chevrolet Carryall van turned off the Old Black Canyon Highway at Poland Junction between Mayer and Humboldt, Arizona, and began to follow...
The Last Link to the Little Bighorn
He is the one living connection to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, or Custer’s Last Stand if you prefer. He’s an old man now, 96 on October 27....
Vaquero in a Vacuum
I've heard it said countless times that if you can punch cows in Yavapai County, Arizona, you can punch cows anywhere. The rough, steep, brushy,...
The Vaquero: A World-Class Horseman
As an Old West fan you may have tried your hand at riding a horse; you might even consider yourself pretty proficient at it. Some of you can only...
10 Myths About Olive Oatman
Olive Oatman was a 14 year old traveling west in 1851 when Southwest Indians...
Photos Don’t Lie!
We got a sneak peek at a great new photo book Historic Photos of Texas Lawmen by Mike Cox. Really some stunners in there. Great hats, great guns,...
Why Don’t We Remember the Alamo?
It’s a chilly afternoon, with a hint of rain in the air of San Antonio, Texas. I’m walking the streets, taking in the sights and sounds. I pass by...