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jim bridger mountain man trapper
Explorers & Pioneers

Jim Bridger: Trailblazing Raconteur & Mountain Man of the West

Sitting around evening campfires, Jim Bridger, one of the Old West’s funniest trail guides, frontiersmen, trappers, and explorers,…

spencer repeating rifles
Guns

Spencer Repeating Rifle: The Seven-Shooter That Changed the Civil War

The Spencer repeating rifle was one of the first successful repeating rifles in the world, and ultimately changed…

sharps rifle old west
Guns

How the Sharps Rifle Became A Legendary Sharpshooter of the West

“…being armed with breech-loaders they [the Sharpshooters] could lie low, and without changing position reload and fire ten…

western tattoo ideas
Arts & Entertainment

74 Western Tattoo Ideas, from Cowboy Skulls to Scorpions

Traditional American tattoos may be rooted in the open seas of the 1800s, but vast Western landscapes inspired…

zebulon pike
People

The Curious Expeditions & Conspiracies of Zebulon Pike

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806 was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the…

frank hamer texas ranger
Lawmen

Frank Hamer: The Tough Texas Ranger Who Brought Down Bonnie & Clyde

In the early hours of May 23, 1934, Frank Hamer, a tough-as-nails Texas Ranger with a deep, authoritative…

unsinkable molly brown
Women

Molly Brown’s Unsinkable Wild West Rags-to-Riches Story

The Unsinkable Molly Brown is forever associated with the RMS Titanic, the ill-fated luxury liner that struck an…

Chisholm Trail history
Places

Chisholm Trail: The West’s Greatest Cattle Route

The Chisholm Trail is renowned for cattle, cowboys, chuck wagons, and nearly everything iconic about the Old West.…

barbed wire history old west
Life in the West

How Barbed Wire Tamed the West’s “Wild” Era

On November 28, 1965, a local television station in North Texas aired a special about a discovery outside…

Colt Single Action Army Revolver
Guns

Colt Peacemaker: How the Colt Single Action Army Won the West

When the smoke cleared from the side lot of C. S. Fly’s photography studio, just six doors down…

judge roy bean
Lawmen

Judge Roy Bean: The Controversial “Law West of the Pecos”

Judge Roy Bean was the worst and most colorful dispenser of justice of the Old West. To fall…

famous cowboys of the wild west
People

8 of the Most Famous Cowboys & Figures in Wild West History

The American cowboy occupies a revered position in history, folklore, and popular culture. The most famous figures of…