Trail of Tragedy
I’ve waited until May to come back, figuring that a late fall or early winter trip would be too depressing. Besides, driving across rural southeastern Colorado in November can be deadly. The last time I came here, in the late 1980s—years before Sand Creek was...
A Skirmish with the Bottle Instead of the Braves
The life of a frontier soldier in the American West involved more combat with boredom than forays against hostile tribesmen. Troopers adopted a variety of healthy ways to while away the endless hours of routine garrison duty, but for those with an inclination for...
Rowdy River Town
There were rules in Victor Trevitt’s saloon—no gambling, for one thing. No fighting, or even any rough talk. Drinking was allowed, of course, but not drunkenness. It’s no wonder the Mt. Hood Saloon was described as “an island in a sea of sin.” During the gold rush...
Fighting Blades of the Frontier
“They say my bowie knife is keen to sliver into halves The carcass of my enemy, as butchers slay their calves.” These two bloodthirsty lines satirized American society in the “American Ballads” section that introduced the 1845 British Book of Ballads. Nine rhymes in...
True West January/February 2025
In This Issue:
Features
Western Books & Movies
To The Point
