Western saddles By western author Nick Brumby Pictures: Time/Life: The Old West vol 1 “So indispensable is a saddle to a cowboy’s life and livelihood that the phrase ‘he’s sold his saddle’ came to mean of a cowboy he was finished in the profession.” --Old West wisdom The western saddle and the cowboy who rides in it are an inescapable part

Cheyenne Dog Soldiers By western author Nick Brumby “The awesome warriors were “armed to the teeth with revolvers and bows… proud, haughty, defiant as should become those who are to grant favors, not beg them.” — Ohio reporter upon seeing Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, 1867 Of all the typical Plains tribes, the Cheyenne were amongst the most feared. When settlers began heading West, they

Boot Hill By western author Nick Brumby   “You see, in this world, there’s two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.” The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Shoot-outs, showdowns, ambushes, gunfights, walkdowns, and face offs all helped put the ‘Wild’ in ‘Wild West’. These incidents could all send a man to an early grave

Deadwood, South Dakota By western author Nick Brumby "Praise the Lord and place your bets. I'll take your money with no regrets." ‘Poker Alice’, Deadwood gambling madame The city of Deadwood, South Dakota, grew from the promise of wealth. The discovery of gold in the southern Black Hills in 1874 set off one of the greatest gold rushes in American history. In 1876,

Calamity Jane By western author Nick Brumby “I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one.” Marthy 'Calamity Jane' Canary. Better known as ‘Calamity Jane’, the legendary Martha Jane Canary knew fame as a sharp-shooting, tobacco-spitting, whisky-guzzling and foul-mouthed reprobate who regularly wore men’s clothes and engaged in fearsome gunfights across the Old West. However,

Marshals, Sheriffs and Old West lawmen By western author Nick Brumby “What in heck you three boys think you're doin'? Hold it there and keep them hands away from them holsters. I've got a nose for trouble, and you three stink to high hell." The Old West had a reputation for being a lawless place and time. With all the gun-toting, cattle rustling,

Old West gold prospector By western author Nick Brumby "You can keep your open vistas, your stinking cattle, your guns and high society. I’ll trade it all for a pickaxe, a shovel, a gold pan, an aching back, and the chance to strike it filthy rich.” Prospectors roamed the length and breadth of the American West from the very earliest days of settlement.

Stagecoach robberies By western author Nick Brumby “Whoa there pard, your money or your life. Don’t fuss now – you’ve only got one life to lose, and I’ve got a passel of rounds pointing your way.” Stagecoach robberies quickly became a popular way for Old West outlaws and bandits to get easy access to payrolls, bankrolls and pretty much any other type of

Cowboy hats - a history By western author Nick Brumby "Son, let me give you a piece of advice. You can share my whiskey. You can have my coffee. Damn it, I'll even give you my last bullet. But remember this until the day you die - never EVER touch another man's hat." The image of the classic cowboy is defined more by

John 'Liver-Eating' Johnson By western author Nick Brumby "I waved the knife with the liver on it in the air and I cried out, “Come on and have a piece! It’ll stay in your stomach ‘til dinner...” John "Liver-Eating" Johnson was a mountain man in the very best traditions of the Old West. Born John Jeremiah Johnston, Johnson lived a very full life.