Indian trade routes criss-crossed the country generations before any Euroamerican travelers arrived on foot, horseback or via covered wagons. The...
The Old Snake Trade Route
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Renegade Roads
The Walls of a Prison Will Never Hold Me
Angola, Louisiana, might not be considered the West to some folks, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen any roundup get as Western as its prison...
On the Trading Post Trail
They were cultural centers, these trading posts on the Navajo reservation. “A community place for people to meet, get their mail, maybe make a phone...
The Pony Rides Again, 150 Years Later
The Pony began when Johnny Fry rode from Pikes Peak Stables in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 3, 1860. Its lifespan was short, a mere 18 months, but...
Following Calamity Jane
Born in Missouri in 1856 Martha Canary came west with her family, spent part of her childhood in the Montana gold fields near Virginia City and...
Looping Across Kit Carson’s Southwest
A banner whips in the wind over the main drag as I drive into Taos, New Mexico, and I figure that Kit Carson is getting his due. I should have known...
Following Charlie Russell’s Paintbrush
It’s a quiet day in Utica. No practical joker has tied tin cans to a dog’s tail and sent that dog running across the street in front of the General...
Mapping the Black Hills: Valentine T. McGillycuddy
Valentine T. McGillcuddy, weak and on the verge of becoming an alcoholic after a stint as a doctor at the Wayne County Insane Asylum in Detroit,...
Rollin’, Rollin’, Respectin’ Along the Western Trail
I’ve lost count of the museums dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the Chisholm Trail. I can’t remember all the novels I’ve read about...
Filming the Oregon Trail
During the 19th century around 400,000 people traveled the Oregon and California Trails seeking new opportunities, land, gold. They traveled with...
Following Mountain Man Jim Bridger
At the edge of the Red Desert, But situated in a lush valley within view of a mountain range that retains snow on its peaks much of the year, Fort...
Trailing Narcissa Whitman & Eliza Spalding
Narcissa had entered into a marriage of convenience with Dr. Marcus Whitman to fulfill her lifelong desire to serve a mission. Traveling with her...