The first trip I took by train was an hour-long journey from my hometown in Norborne, Missouri, to Walt Disney’s hometown in Marceline, Missouri. I...
Iron Ladies of the American Railroad
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Western Books & Movies
A Western Tale of Intrigue
In Thomas D. Claggett’s latest novel, West of Penance (Five Star, $16.80), Parisian gambler Clement Grantaire is accused of cheating. After killing...
Val Kilmer at Doc Holli-Days
The first “Doc Holli-Days” celebration, taking place in Tombstone, Arizona, this August 12-13, is already attracting at least one big name: Val...
A Hell-Bent Ride on a Snortin’ Prince of a Mule
In July 1867, leaders of the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne tribes gathered on Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory to plan the next phase in their most...
Beeves, Barons, and Barbed Wire
In 2017, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas towns are celebrating the sesquicentennial of the first cattle drives on the Chisholm Trail—from South Texas,...
I Killed John Wayne
Who would’ve guessed that, in the last decade of his life, a lung lost to cancer, John “Duke” Wayne would star in a dozen films, three of...
Building Your Western Library with Blaine Lamb
Blaine Lamb has long been fascinated by all forms of transportation, but has a soft spot in his heart for railroads. This may be because his great...
Western Adventure
Lee Martins’ The Last Wild Ride (CreateSpace, $7.35) tells the story of Sam Jefferies, a rugged cowboy carrying a death wish until he is asked to...
In Theaters: The Hero
Lee Hayden (played by Sam Elliott), once a Western movie icon, now uses his golden voice to narrate barbecue-sauce ads. He receives bad news and...
Keeping Movies Alive
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was among the first. Dr. Rennard Strickland found the movie poster for the 1962 John Ford classic, “Together for...
The Screen’s Greatest Horse Stuntman
The most memorable action sequence in Stagecoach comes near the end of the 1939 film. Shortly after the river crossing, the passengers expect a...
‘Never Take No Cutoffs’
Roman slave and poet-playwright Terence famously wrote in his 163 B.C. play Heauton Timorumenos, “Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto,” or “I...