Elizabeth Bacon Custer—keeper of the flame for George Armstrong Custer, her husband who famously died at the Little Big Horn in 1876—was also an...
Mrs. Custer at the Movies
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Inside History
How prevalent was “pot” in the West?
A register at the territorial prison in Yuma, Arizona, mentions prisoners being caught with marijuana. How prevalent was the use of “pot” in the...
How did 19th-century government land grants to the railroads work?
How did 19th-century government land grants to the railroads work? Erica Moore Mesa, Arizona Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 to...
Why did Gene Autry carry a two-gun rig minus one holster?
Why did Gene Autry and other cowboy actors carry a two-gun rig minus one holster in their movies? Larry R. Snyder Shreveport, Louisiana Allen...
When did the practice of branding livestock begin in the U.S.?
When did the practice of branding livestock begin in the U.S.? Joseph Boudreau Tulsa, Oklahoma Branding of livestock dates back to the Egyptians...
What’s the difference between a marshal and a sheriff?
What’s the difference between a marshal and a sheriff? Mavis Starner Hanover, Pennsylvania Traditionally in the Old West, the sheriff was an elected...
Did early Westerns actually film at night or just close down the lens?
For night scenes in early Western films, did they actually film at night or just close down the lens? George Young Miami, Florida Our boss Bob Boze...
The Blevins Boys are in the House
Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens steps onto the porch of the Blevins home in Holbrook, Arizona, and knocks on the west-facing door. The Apache County...
How did John Clum’s first wife die?
How did John Clum’s first wife die? In the movie Tombstone, Morgan Earp tells his brother Wyatt, “They hit Clum’s house too. They shot up his wife.”...
Was the large-loop lever rifle featured in John Wayne Westerns ever used in real life?
John Wayne used the large-loop lever on his rifles in several movies, and TV’s Rifleman used one as early as 1958. Was it ever used in real...
What is the origin of “pistol?”
What is the origin of “pistol?” Shayla Trickey Mesa, Arizona The word comes from the French pistole or pistolet. Some say the French got it from...
Were Gatling guns ever used during the Indian Wars?
I know that Gatling guns were used during the Civil War and Spanish-American War, but were they ever used during the Indian Wars? Mundo Osterberg...