A Lot of Work for Two Cents
Early in June 1880, census enumerator Charles M. Cantrell came to dwelling number 14 on his list in Davidson County, Tennessee. Cantrell wrote down the names of 40-year-old Ben J. Woodson; his wife Fannie W. aged 27; and their two-year-old son Robert. Next, he wrote...
How common was locoweed poisoning in the Old West?
How common was locoweed poisoning in the Old West? Wesley Egli Picture Rocks, Pennsylvania Loco comes from the Spanish, meaning “mad” or “crazy.” Scientifically, locoweed is any number of plants widespread in the West, some of which contain a neurotoxin. The plant was...
The Pony Rides Again, 150 Years Later
The Pony began when Johnny Fry rode from Pikes Peak Stables in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 3, 1860. Its lifespan was short, a mere 18 months, but wow, has it become an important story—an icon—of the American West. We guess that’s because it involved tough young men...
Sons of the Pioneers Spice Up Music Auction
Leonard Franklin Slye likely never would have become the actor we know as Roy Rogers had he not first found fame in a cowboy band he formed with Tim Spencer and Bob Nolan in 1933. They first called the band the Pioneer Trio. After Hugh Farr joined as a fiddler and his...
True West March/April 2025
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