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Joseph A. Williams

Joseph A. Williams is an author, historian, and librarian based in Connecticut. He has authored three books: The Sunken Gold, Seventeen Fathoms Deep, and Four Years Before the Mast.

cheyenne dog soldiers
People

7 Facts About Cheyenne Dog Soldiers & Their Warrior Legacies

The Cheyenne’s Dog Soldiers, one of the most famous groups of Indigenous warriors in North America, fought until…

wild west towns
Ghost Towns

20 Old West Towns Where You Can Still Experience the Wild Frontier

When it comes to Old West towns, most people think of empty dirt streets filled with tumbleweeds and…

when did the wild west really end
History

When Did the Wild West Really End?

The Wild West is a more nebulous term than you may think, so when the era ended is…

doc holliday and big nose kate
People

The Real Story of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate

In 1877 Fort Griffin, Texas was at the height of its boom. The military post had been an…

Colt Single Army Action
Guns

10 Famous Guns of the Wild West, from Revolvers to Rifles

Contrary to popular mythology, no single gun won the West, but these ten firearms certainly carved a niche…

origins of scalping
History

The Origins of Scalping: A True and Surprising History

Native Americans may have invented scalping, but European contact accelerated it.

johnny ringo
Outlaws

7 Facts about Johnny Ringo You Won’t Learn from Movies

Johnny Ringo was a charismatic, B-list desperado with an A-list reputation in American West history. Best known as…

john wesley hardin
Outlaws

8 Murderous Facts about John Wesley Hardin

John Wesley Hardin was one of the Old West’s most notorious killers: a ruthless outlaw who once killed…

wells fargo stagecoach history
History

8 Wells Fargo Stagecoach History Facts You Might Not Know

Wells Fargo’s express service helped to define and develop the Old West through stagecoaches and shotguns. The discovery…

quanah parker comanche
People

10 Facts You May Not Know About Quanah Parker, the “Last Chief of the Comanche”

The most famous of the Comanches was Quanah Parker, who led them in their last days as an independent power and into life on reservations.