Where did the term "chuckwagon" come from? Michael Knapp Somers, Montana Some say the term came from Charles (“Chuck”) Goodnight, who supposedly...
Where did the term “chuckwagon” come from?
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Inside History
Wichita Whore War
October 27, 1873 Big Red Beard is deep in his cups as he goes to his room in the back of his saloon in Delano, Kansas, and returns with his...
Why does Virgil Earp get so little credit as an Old West lawman?
Why does Virgil Earp get so little credit as an Old West lawman, and his brother Wyatt get so much? Stuart Dukes Sittingbourne, Kent, UK Virgil was...
Are tumbleweeds not native to America?
I’ve heard that tumbleweeds are not native to this country. Is that correct? Richard Rodriguez Granton, Wisconsin You’re right on target. The...
What did a cowboy do with his rifle when it was illegal to carry them into towns?
In many Western towns, it was illegal to carry a handgun. But when a cowboy rode in, what did he do with his rifle? Paul Etzler Cedar City, Utah...
Did cowboys really pull pack animals by holding a rope tied to their saddle horn?
I frequently see movie cowboys pulling another horse, mule or other pack animal by holding a rope tied to their saddle horn. Is that accurate? Jay...
When did belt loops become common?
When did belt loops become common? Steve Prescott Watauga, Texas Not all historians agree on the timing. Bob Charnes, owner of Arizona...
How did the Mountain Men cook beaver tails?
How did the Mountain Men cook beaver tails? Vaughn Cosand Flagstaff, Arizona While the main diet of the Mountain Man was meat, it usually wasn’t...
The Digital Frontier
On vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a stiff President Calvin Coolidge cut a comical figure, wearing cowboy boots and a 10-gallon hat, as...
What’s in His Head?
In his 1910 treatise, Medical Education in the United States and Canada, Mr. Abraham Flexner reported the following startling words to the Carnegie...
Bad Day at Round Rock
July 19, 1878 Sam Bass has a bold plan. He and his outlaw band will case the bank in Round Rock, Texas, one more time and then strike tomorrow, a...
Why do we have so few photos of Tombstone from the Fly studio?
Why do we have so few photos of Tombstone from the Fly studio? Supposedly, C.S. Fly and his wife took thousands of shots during their time in...