Peace on the High Plains
Red Cloud and other Lakota leaders met with Indian Commissioners at Fort Laramie in 1866 intending to negotiate an agreement that would allow safe passage of travelers using the Bozeman Trail across the Powder River Basin. This gathering came after two years of...
The Redoubtable Toothbrush
The question about hygiene in the West came up the other day from someone wondering if cowboys brushed their teeth. Well, some did and some didn’t. The lack of dental care was prevalent during the 19th century. What about deodorant/body odor? Besides an occasional...
Who has Jim Bowie’s Knife from the 1836 Battle of the Alamo?
Who has Jim Bowie’s knife from the 1836 Battle of the Alamo? Ben Moskowitz South Amboy, New Jersey Nobody knows. Like most, if not all, of the personal things left behind by the defenders of the Alamo mission in San Antonio, Texas, historians have no clue what...
Hazards on the Long Trail
The Long drives from South Texas to Kansas from the 1860s to the 1880s were roughly six hundred miles and took about six weeks. I should have taken less but there were a number of obstacles to face along the way. Grass and water or lack thereof could cause problems....
True West July/August 2025
In This Issue:
Features
Western Books & Movies
To The Point
