R.B. Miller
R. B. Miller writes novels, short stories, poetry, and history about the American West, with some two dozen books, numerous short stories, scores of articles, and many book reviews to his credit. Recognition for his work includes four Western Writers of America Spur Awards, two Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Awards, two Westerners International Poetry Awards, and the Academy of Western Artists Poetry Book of the Year award. He can be found online at writerRodMiller.com.
Latest from R.B. Miller
The American West: The Further Adventures Of Ned Beale And The Tejon Ranch
Ned Beale established the Tejon Indian Reservation but it was shut down shut down in 1864. By buying up and consolidating four Mexican land grants, Beale established the Tejon Ranch, which is still in operation today as a working ranch, and is California’s largest tract of private land.
R.B. MillerJanuary 11, 2025
The American West: Before Tesla Was An Automobile
The Tesla name was appropriated from the man who invented the world we live in today. A man who lived in Colorado Springs and demonstrated the feasibility of his invention at a gold mine in the Rocky Mountains above Telluride. That man was Nikola Tesla.
R.B. MillerJanuary 01, 2025
The American West: Ned Beale — Unsung Hero
Chances are, the name Ned Beale doesn’t roll off your tongue when reciting heroes of the Old West. It should. Beale’s accomplishments are many, and many are unmatched.
R.B. MillerDecember 27, 2024
The American West: How A Coffee Grinder And A Grindstone Changed Everything
The influence of the Frying Pan Ranch in changing the history of the American West is immeasurable. It proved the usefulness of barbed wire and forever changed livestock raising.
R.B. MillerDecember 26, 2024
The American West: The Emperor of America
“In 1859, Joshua Norton declared himself Emperor of the U.S. Norton did not dawdle. He went right to work issuing other decrees, including outlawing Congress. When they did not comply, he ordered the army to put them out. They did not comply, either.”
R.B. MillerDecember 12, 2024
The American West: What You Know About The Wright Brothers May Be Wrong
Every school child in America learns that Orville and Wilbur Wright were the first men to fly, but the schoolbooks could be wrong. There's plenty of evidence that Jacob Brodbeck actually took flight in an air-ship in Texas 40 years before the Wright's event.
R.B. MillerDecember 06, 2024
The American West: If You’re From Wyoming, You Could Have Ended Up In Utah
Wyoming was given its slice of Utah thanks, in part, to Thomas Jefferson. Of all the territories created by the federal government that later became states, Wyoming is one of the few whose borders, once established, never changed.
R.B. MillerNovember 29, 2024
The American West: Earl Bascom - 100 Years Of Holding On
The riggin’ that makes what is usually considered rodeo’s most physically demanding event possible celebrated its hundredth anniversary in 2024, and its roots are traced to one man: Earl Bascom, one of the legendary Bronco Bustin’ Bascom Brothers.
R.B. MillerNovember 23, 2024
The American West: Porter Rockwell Got A Gun
Long before there was Wild Bill Hickock or Billy the Kid, there was Orrin Porter Rockwell. To outsiders, he was considered a murderer, a “destroying angel.” To most Mormons he was thought of as an angel of a better nature, protecting his fellow Saints.
R.B. MillerNovember 15, 2024
The American West: Massacre at Bear River
No one can say how many lives Tin Dup’s dream saved. The Shoshone elder, known for his prophecies, saw through the haze of sleep soldiers attacking the winter camp in the Bear River bottoms in what is now southeastern Idaho.
R.B. MillerNovember 09, 2024
The American West: A Bronc Rider Named “Blanket of the Sun”
Nez Perce cowboy Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn not only rode with Chief Joseph, but was named Saddle Bronc Riding Champion of the World at age 53. He's in both the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
R.B. MillerOctober 26, 2024
The American West: Marie Dorion - Toughest Woman in the Old West
Despite a life of adventure, hardship, and bravery, Marie Dorion does not receive the recognition in history she earned and deserves. Other than a scattering of cursory historical markers, there are few reminders of the woman who may well have been the toughest in the Old West.
R.B. MillerOctober 20, 2024
The American West: A North Platte River Ferry Tale
For far longer than history records, the North Platte River Valley has been a thoroughfare through the American West. Crossing the river was sometimes impossible, often difficult, and always a challenge.
R.B. MillerOctober 12, 2024
The American West: Matt Warner - The Outlaw Who Became a Lawman
Few would argue that Butch Cassidy would be at or near the top of any list of famous Old West outlaws. Matt Warner is not as widely known. But if not for Warner, Butch Cassidy would not have achieved the notoriety that lasts to this day.
R.B. MillerOctober 05, 2024
The American West: Native Hawaiian Cowboys Invade Cheyenne Frontier Days
The arrival of three paniolos — native Hawaiian cowboys — to compete in the steer roping event at Cheyenne Frontier Days back in 1908 set off a minor firestorm. But it was short-lived when they quickly proved their cowboy credentials.
R.B. MillerSeptember 27, 2024
