true west blog
Western Films in Arizona

Western Films in Arizona

Theaters were a popular form of entertainment in early Arizona and the first moving pictures came to the towns in the 1890’s. They were shown...

read more
Angels Camp Gold Rush

Angels Camp Gold Rush

One of the stranger gold strike stories comes from Angels Camp, California in 1856. Bennager Rasberry was squirrel hunting when his ramrod got stuck...

read more
The Lost Belle McKeever Mine

The Lost Belle McKeever Mine

Arizona historian James McClintock called the Lost Belle McKeever, “the richest gold ledge ever discovered in North America.”  It was named not for...

read more
Arizona Senator Henry F. Ashurst

Arizona Senator Henry F. Ashurst

Henry Fountain Ashurst was one of the first two Senators elected when Arizona became a state in 1912. The other was the irrepressible former...

read more
The 1886 Martin Family Massacre

The 1886 Martin Family Massacre

Arizona had a lot of loathsome cold-blooded killers but none worse than Charles Stanton. He arrived in Arizona in 1871 where he got his start by...

read more
The Code of Honor

The Code of Honor

Some outlaws had their lives glorified on the silver screen. Others are mere footnotes in history. A few years ago I wrote a story about an outlaw...

read more