Edwin S. Porter’s, The Great Train Robbery hit the silver screen in 1903. Filmed in the wilds of New Jersey, it lasted just nine minutes. It was the...
The First of the Silver Screen Cowboys
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The Power of Pictures
The very best historical photographs from our treasured vaults define our idea of the West. In honor of our 70th year, the editors of True West have...
Border Security
The history of border security predates Poncho Villa’s raid on Columbus, New Mexico and General Pershing Punitive Expedition by several years....
How Common was the Cross Draw?
The cross draw was popular among cowboys of the Old West so their pistols wouldn’t get in the way of their work around the ranch. It was also easier...
Segregation in the Old West
In the Netflix film, The Harder They Fall, a western movie about black outlaws in the 1880's and 1890's, it shows the Old West with "Black towns"...
Billy the Kid, Gunfighters and Rewards
During a film class on Western films it was observed while watching the film The Gunfighter a main character was wearing one spur throughout the...
The Harvey Girls
Humorist Will Rogers once quipped, “Fred Harvey supplied the West in food and wives.” It wasn’t just the excellent food that attracted people to his...
Cowboys on the Long Trail
How many 'Cowboys' came though a town like Abilene or Dodge City each season? As you know numbers can be deceiving. For example the number of...
All Hail the Cowboy Hat!
From the Boss of The Plains to The Gus “A fine hat fits like a good friend.” —Charles M. Russell In 1989, veteran actors Robert Duvall...
Ben Johnson: A True American Cowboy
From his humble beginnings to his last ride in Monument Valley, the Sooner native never strayed far from his Oklahoma roots. Actor Ben Johnson and I...
Elderberries: Not Just for Your Health
Elderberries were popular on the frontier and were used in multiple ways. Both the snowy white flowers and deep dark berries were made into...
Avenging the Robbers
Cow-boys had their own vendetta ride… March 15, 1881. Cow-boys Harry Head, Jim Crane and Bill Leonard hold up a stage outside Contention, Arizona...