Old West History

Click on Article Links Below:

• Soapy Smith added flair to Denver’s gambling scene in 1880s: Soapy Smith was Old West con man who had true heart of gold.
• Wages of sin paid well for early-1880s Seattle: Sin tax boosted city coffers in Seattle during early 1880s.
• Brown’s steam wagon sought to conquer 1860s Plains freight routes: Steam powered freight wagon failed to conquer Plains.
• Did Buffalo Bill Cody and Wyatt Earp ever meet?: Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody were near contemporaries in Old West -- did they ever meet?
• Order rodeo gear — then thank Buffalo Bill for it: Buffalo Bill Cody credited with "inventing" modern rodeo, rodeo showmanship.
• Our adventures on the Pony Express Trail were great fun: 25th wedding anniversary prompted adventurous journey along part of Pony Express Trail.
• Horses, gold prospectors altered Great Plains, historian says: Travelers, tribal groups going to the western gold fields reshaped Plains habitat.
• Hard times of 1830s launched first wagon trains westward: Economic hardships drove many 19th Century pioneers westward.
• Book looks at Westward settlement through women’s eyes: Many heroic women fueled America's westward expansion, got little credit.
• Ghost towns of America abound throughout the West: Abandoned settlements of the West hold special fascination for many.
• Enjoy Denver Public Library’s Western History Collection: Priceless resource for life in the Old West, with some great features available online.
• Blizzards in Old West days: Blizzard of 1886 was especially memorable, but winter on Plains and in mountains could always be a fearful time.
• Western books you need: Buy David Dary’s ‘Cowboy Culture’: Cowboy Culture by David Dary shares adventure of history, mythology of America's cowboys.
• Indian Pidgin English shaped the Old West: Pidgin language created in American West to meet inter-tribal communication needs.
• Native American cultures, alliances were always diverse: Native American cultures were always very diverse, often fragmented into warring groups.
• ‘Float gold’ could make anyone rich or a pauper: Less intensive labor made placer mining attractive, widespread in gold camps of the Old West.
• One of great captains in the Old West was Spaniard Juan Bautista de Anza: One of the greatest generals who ever walked the Old West may very well have been a Spaniard. New Mexico's
• History of Old West means not just U.S. but Spain, Mexico: I was just reading something online that reminded me of something we lovers of the Old West often forget: Any
• Old West tombstones with V.C. carved on them conveyed somber message: Tombstones with V.C. carved on them meant vigilante justice won.
• There really was a Long Branch in Dodge City, but no Miss Kitty: In the fabled "Gunsmoke" television series, the Long Branch Saloon was the favored hangout and chief watering hole of Marshal