Old West lariats By western author Nick Brumby  “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” —Cowboy wisdom The lariat is like a cowboy’s Swiss army knife – a seemingly simple tool with a million different uses. No self-respecting cowboy would be caught out on the range without a strong

Native American feathers By western author Nick Brumby “That is why the Indian is always feathered up, he is a relative to the wings of the air.” —Black Elk, Oglala Lakota Sioux For a Native American warrior his or her story was written in their feathers. Respect, honor, loyalty, freedom, truth, wisdom, fertility, trust, power and achievements were

Snake oil salesmen By western author Nick Brumby “Good for man and beast. The most remarkable curative discovery ever made in any age or country. A liniment that penetrates muscle, membrane, and tissue to the very bone itself, and banishing pain with a power that has astonished and convinced two generations of intelligent people.” — Label on a

Stagecoach robber Charles 'Black Bart' Boles By western author Nick Brumby “I've labored long and hard for bread, For honor, and for riches, But on my corns too long you've tread, You fine-haired sons of bitches.” — Stagecoach robber Black Bart, 1877 For a man who wrote poetry, was deathly afraid of horses, and maintained an air of

Cowboy boots - a history By western author Nick Brumby “Cowboy boot (noun): a boot made with a high arch, a high Cuban heel, and usually fancy stitching” -- Miriam Webster Dictionary The cowboy boot story is as long and winding as the Goodnight Loving Trail. They often have more personality than the cowpoke wearing them. Cowboy boots

Al Swearengen and his Gem Theater By western author Nick Brumby “Harrowing tales of iniquity, shame, and wretchedness; of lives wrecked and fortunes sacrificed; of vice unhindered and esteem forfeited, have been related of the place, and it is known of a verity that they have not all been groundless.” –Black Hills Daily Pioneer article about Al Swearingen’s

American Quarter Horse By western author Nick Brumby “No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” — Winston Churchill Heavily muscled, hardy, and acutely intelligent, the America Quarter Horse was the horse that won the West. Reputed to be the oldest all-American breed, the Quarter Horse was essential to frontier life for a very

Tumbleweed wagons By western author Nick Brumby “When the tumbleweed wagons come callin’, all the killers ‘n’ thieves ‘n’ other scum turned pale and went a runnin’ with their tail ‘tween their legs.” — Quote from upcoming Sheriff Sol Redding western IT WAS ONE of the most dangerous jobs on offer in the Old West – collecting the

Cowboy superstitions By western author Nick Brumby “One white foot buy him, Two white feet try him, Three white feet leave him alone, Four white feet go on home.” — Cowboy superstition Strong, silent, lantern jawed, steely eyed – cowboys were (and are) known for rawhide toughness and being absolutely fearless when the chips are down. However, don’t

‘Hanging’ Judge Isaac Parker By western author Nick Brumby ‘Permit no innocent man to be punished, but let no guilty man escape.” — U.S District ‘Hanging’ Judge Isaac Parker He brought the law to a lawless land, sentenced eight men to death by hanging, and commissioned Bass Reeves as a US Deputy Marshal. And that was just ‘Hanging’

Train-robber Tom 'Blackjack' Ketchum By western author Nick Brumby "Good-bye. Please dig my grave very deep. All right; hurry up.” — The last words of train-robber Tom ‘Blackjack’ Ketchum, just before he was unintentionally decapitated when the hangman bungled his execution. Blackjack Ketchum started life as a Texas cowhand and ended up as one of the most notorious outlaws