by Mark Boardman | Dec 19, 2009 | Inside History
In the streets of a Kansas prairie town on an evening in mid-1872, a familiar pattern unfolded-a crowd gathered, somebody fired a gun and somebody responded in kind. History is not clear on what happened. A tall black man called Tex (or Black Jack, or both) was...
by G. Daniel DeWeese | Dec 19, 2009 | Art, Guns and Culture
You can often tell a lot about a person by his or her choice of headwear, and few hats make louder statements than cowboy hats. You might wear a hat for protection from the sun or the cold. Or your hat might just be a fashion statement. But a hat is the most...
by TW Editors | Dec 16, 2009 | Travel & Preservation
Given to towns that have made an important contribution to preserving their pasts. We hope this award will not only encourage federal, state and local governments to continue funding such efforts, but also inspire Western towns to reward its citizens and visitors...
by Bill Markley | Oct 14, 2009 | Travel & Preservation
“This is the best place on the planet. If you don’t come back, there’s something wrong with you.” These words spoken by G.B. Cornucopia, a 20-year veteran U.S. Park Ranger, echo in my head as I gaze down into New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon. Desert winds tugging at my...
by Henry Cabot Beck | Oct 13, 2009 | Western Movies
Bonanza is so much a part of our cultural history and our TV past that its familiarity disguises the fact that the show is genuinely odd. Of all the gun-toting lawman and loner shows that ate up the finite broadcast space of TV’s Golden Age, Bonanza drew upon standard...