At six feet two and 200 pounds, red-headed camp follower Sarah Bowman was nicknamed the “Great Western,” after the largest steamship afloat in the...
The Great Western and the Biggest Leg in Mexico
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Blurred Lines
The Lincoln County War in New Mexico was never as cut and dried as it might seem. Numerous men switched sides at various times. Billy the Kid was...
Buckskin Frank Leslie – A Good Man with a Gun
Nashville “Buckskin” Frank Leslie joined the pariahs of Tombstone’s raucous society around 1880. Although he was only 5’ 7” and weighed 135 pounds...
Zanuck’s Disputed Ending
“My Darling Clementine” is considered by many as a classic Western. It’s also not what director John Ford planned. Producer/studio head Darryl F....
When Languages Collide: The Ten Gallon Hat
Many people incorrectly assume the term “ten gallon hat” refers to the amount of water that will fit in the crown of a big hat, but the term more...
Deforest Kelley
Actor DeForest Kelley is best known as Dr. “Bones” McCoy on Star Trek. But he also had a number of connections to Tombstone—at least on film. He...
Puffing, Chewing and Dippin’
American’s love for smoking began early in our history. Among the various types of tobacco were rope cable twist, Bull Durham in a sack, and plug...
William Becknell & The Opening of the Santa Fe Trail in 1822
The Mexican Revolution ended in 1821 and brought about many changes in foreign policy. Up to then Spain didn’t allow her colonies to trade with the...
The Country Jake
In 1876, Arizona cowboy Gus Gildea described seeing the young outlaw Henry McCarty near Henry Clay Hooker’s Sierra Bonita Ranch: “He came to town,...
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
She was born Margaret Tobin in Hannibal, Missouri, the daughter of Irish immigrants. A restless, strong-willed adventuresome lass, the pretty...
Magic Finds Tombstone
According to George Parsons’ journal the first circus (Ryland’s) landed in Tombstone on September 22, 1880. Parsons also reports going to see Prof...
George Shepherd Seeks Revenge
Jim Anderson was the brother of Confederate guerrilla leader “Bloody Bill” Anderson. After the Civil War, Jim took up with the James-Younger Gang....