What did cowboys wear as underwear? Ethan Cooperrider Coulee City, Washington Long johns were first introduced into England in the 17th century,...
Long Johns, Dirty Dave and the Bird Cage
read more
old west
Riding with the James Gang
For 70 years, True West’s editors have been publishing stories about the legendary Missouri outlaws. In the summer of 1953, True West’s founding...
Packing It In
Tom Horn’s role in the Spanish-American War is uncovered. Tom Horn was—is—a legend of the Old West. His exploits are unique in their variety:...
A Photographic Memory, or Two
We have done a feature on the most important historical photos of the Old West (see January 2018) and we have done the most iconic photos, so this...
Marion Hedgepath the Debonair Bandit
Someone asked me the other day why Marion Hedgepath isn’t a better-known outlaw. I have at least a dozen outlaw encyclopedias and he isn’t listed in...
The Angel of the Cassiars
Nellie Cashman came to the rescue of stranded miners. Nellie Cashman was one of the great figures in the Old West, an entrepreneur who was famed for...
Denziens of the Wild
In the past, most western movies romanticize sleeping under the stars and the wide, open spaces. How much trouble did they have with all of the...
A Gunfight?
A Doc Holliday shootout was just a lot of smoke. Most Old West gunfights were casual, almost comical affairs. Case in point: a saloon in Dallas on...
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...
Shot or Sprained?
What kind of injury did Bill Tilghman suffer during a famous raid? There are a lot of Old West stories that may or may not be true. One of...
An In-Depth Look at the Telegraph System in the Old West
A True West Reader asks, “How did the telegraph system work in the Old West? I read things such as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone sending a telegraph to...
Saloons, Paniolos and Telegraphs
Was there racial separation in the Old West? Could a Black cowboy go into a Tombstone saloon? Jeffery S. King Washington, DC It’s difficult, if...