Charlie Bassett has been overshadowed by his friends Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp. But he made some pretty big imprints on his own. Bassett opened...
Charlie Bassett
read more
mark boardman
The No-Loot Savannah Debacle
March 2, 1867. Six robbers enter a private bank in Savannah, Missouri. One shoots the bank owner, and then the group flees as citizens open fire...
Creed Taylor–A Texas Giant
Creed Taylor was a giant in early Texas—but his accomplishments are overshadowed by the deeds of his kin. Taylor was born in Texas in 1820. At the...
The Angel of Tombstone–Nellie Cashman
Nellie Cashman was known as the Angel of Tombstone for her compassionate ways. In 1884, she ministered to the men responsible for the Bisbee...
Tombstone Cow-boy: Johnny Barnes
Johnny Barnes was one of the Cow-boys in the Tombstone trouble times, and he reportedly shot and wounded Virgil Earp in late 1881. He was with them...
Dallas Lawman Down
Dallas County (TX) Deputy Sheriff Charles Nichols was the first Dallas area lawman to die in the line of duty. And his killer was famed then and...
Two Wyatts from Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda is one of the few actors to portray Wyatt Earp in two films—more or less. The first: My Darling Clementine in 1946. The second is...
Wyatt Earp Really Did Drag Johnny Tyler Out of the Oriental Saloon
Remember a scene in Tombstone where Wyatt Earp leads gambler Johnny Tyler out of the Oriental and into the street? Something like that really...
A Tol Tale of Texas
Lyne Taliaferro “Tol” Barret had a big idea—big even by Texas standards. Too bad he was ahead of his time. Barret was born in Virginia in 1832. His...
Hangtown Residents Demand a More Civilized Name
The town, about 45 miles northwest of Sacramento, CA, was originally called Dry Diggins when it was started in 1848—because there was no gold to be...
The Youngest Younger Kills a Dallas Lawman
Deputy Sheriff Charles Nichols has a dubious distinction—the first Dallas County (TX) lawman to die in the line of duty, back in January 1871. The...
A Bond Sealed with a Shot in the Behind
Actors John Wayne and Ward Bond were compatriots for more than 30 years. Both played football at the University of Southern California. Both got...