What are the odds that an Old West cowboy would get into a gunfight? Mike Franklin Poteet, Texas Not high. Cowboys mostly spent their time “keeping...
What are the odds that an Old West cowboy would get into a gunfight?
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Inside History
Uno, Dos, Tres!
October 28, 1884 While visiting Upper Frisco Plaza in western Socorro County, New Mexico, 19-year-old Elfego Baca is asked to arrest a drunken...
The Tunstalls Return
You could call the visit a “belated family reunion.” Five members of a proper English family gathered in a New Mexico canyon in July 2010 on an...
Too Much Sun
In mid-January, the high country was covered with snow, three feet in places. Frontier docs like Elijah Baines had seen similar cases, but not as...
What does “kack” refer to?
What does “kack” refer to? Stan Hutchison Sturgis, South Dakota Cowboy linguist Ramon Adams said it was slang for a saddle. It’s also spelled kak....
Who is the namesake of Allen Street in Tombstone, Arizona?
Who is the namesake of Allen Street in Tombstone, Arizona? Erica Moore Mesa, Arizona John B. Allen is considered one of the founders of Tombstone....
Did most Old West saloons have swinging doors?
Did most Old West saloons have swinging doors? Anthony Clum Quincy, Florida Many, perhaps most, Old West saloons did not have swinging doors....
Were the Yaqui Indians the most fearsome warrior tribe?
Were the Yaqui Indians the most fearsome warrior tribe? Ted Mulligan Massapequa, New York Maybe not the most fearsome, as the Comanche, Lakota,...
Were Hickok’s 1851 Navy Colts plated?
As the historical interpreter for the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum in San Antonio, I portray Wild Bill Hickok for the visitors. Were his 1851 Navy...
What can you tell me about the eight-gauge shotgun in Streets of Laredo?
I recently read Larry McMurtry’s Streets of Laredo, which frequently mentions an eight-gauge shotgun. What can you tell me about that weapon? Jeff...
Who was the first American to map the Columbia River Basin?
Who was the first American to map the Columbia River Basin from the Snake River to the Canadian Border? Dave Nelson Orondo, Washington The first...
Caught With His Pants Down?
July 14, 1881 As the lawmen creep toward the buildings, they hear voices. At about nine p.m. Sheriff Pat Garrett and two deputies, John Poe and Tom...