American West: Then & Now

American West: Then & Now

Chances are you’ve never heard of Mrs. Nettie M. Dickson of Arrow Rock, Missouri. You may not have heard about Arrow Rock, for that matter. It’s high time you did. For Nettie—once described as a “gracious lady of the old school”—was a pioneer in preserving history in...
Circle The Wagons!

Circle The Wagons!

An interesting book, Circle the Wagons! is a deliberately controversial one, combining early Western movies with actual events in an effort to correct what the authors see as a willful misreading of history. Gregory & Susan Michno, who also co-authored A Fate...
The Texas Camel Corps Camel Treks

The Texas Camel Corps Camel Treks

Secretary of War Jefferson Davis wrestled with a problem in 1840. He needed to send soldiers to protect the vast Southwestern frontier, but little grass and scarce water meant horses and mules suffered terrible hardships. Many died. When Davis’s long-time friend...
Survival in the Cold Old West

Survival in the Cold Old West

A combination of history and legend tells us that near midnight, on the eve of Christmas day 1866, a man appeared on horseback outside the gently-lit windows of the officers’ quarters at Fort Laramie in Dakota Territory. Seemingly immune from the frigid, hostile land...
Mark Lemon

Mark Lemon

Don’t get me started on respected Alamo artists who pompously sit on their laurels, let their research stagnate and then come unglued after viewing my work. My message: Grow up, stop crying, get current with your data and then maybe we can all get along …...