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...
An In-Depth Look at the Telegraph System in the Old West
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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...
Sheriff’s Duties: Other Than Keeping the Peace
As a rule peace officers in the Old West weren’t held to the high standards they are today. It wasn’t unusual to rough up a suspect in order to get...
Tom Fitch
Tom Fitch (photo) is best known as one of the great lawyers of the Old West. He successfully defended the Earps and Doc Holliday at the OK Corral...
More Favorite Smoke Wagons
Reading the pulp westerns one would conclude that the Colt revolver was the only pistol used in the Old West. Remington built a fine six-shooter and...
Can you Legally Hang a Horse Thief?
That is a very good question because it brings up an important point. Contrary to popular myth, stealing a horse has never been a capital offense...
Running the Con in Denver
The Blonger brothers even outdid Soapy Smith. Lou Blonger and his brother Sam had a lot of experience in running Old West saloons, dancehalls and...
Wyatt Earp: Is He Still a Hero?
Historians and writers share their perspectives on the West’s most famous lawman. In honor of the 140th anniversary of the gunfight near the O.K....
What Event Marked the End of the Old West?
What event marked the end of the Old West? That's hard to say precisely because the Old West covered hundreds of square miles....
Blackhawk Museum Spirit of the Old West
Explore the history and way of life in the American frontier. The Spirit of the Old West Gallery weaves the story of the American West,...
The Man with the Plan Bennett Young set the standard for bank robberies.
Lt. Bennett Young drew the blueprint for Old West bank robberies—far from the West. In October 1864, he and 20 Confederate soldiers snuck into St....
The Town Tamer James Dodson kept a lid on Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona—unlike so many other Old West towns—was pretty peaceful during the frontier period. Much of the credit goes to James Dodson, who...