The American West: Custer’s 1874 Black Hills Expedition
Custer’s expedition had sparked a gold rush and news was spreading nationwide. “GOLD!” proclaimed the Bismarck Tribune. The newspaper predicted the Black Hills would “become the El Dorado of America.”
Bill MarkleyNovember 30, 2024
The American West: When Luke Halloran Was "Rescued" by America’s Most Famous Cannibals
Feverish and too weak to travel, Luke Halloran was abandoned on the trail and left alone to die. But his luck seemed to have changed as he was rescued by some strangers. Their names: George and Tamsen Donner.
Terry A. Del BeneNovember 30, 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: Mo-chi - First Female Cheyenne Warrior
“Following the attack one her village at Sand Creek, Mo-chi seized her dead father’s Hawken rifle and pledged revenge. She would become the first female Cheyenne warrior.”
Linda WommackNovember 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: Jim Beckwourth - A Rocky Mountain Legend
James Pierson Beckwourth was a mountain man, scout, frontiersman, honorary Indian chief, and the first to pen an autobiography. And what a story it was. He was legendary in his own time, although early historians largely discounted him.
Linda WommackNovember 22, 2024
The American West: What Ever Happened to the Real Jeremiah Johnston?
So, with the help of their teacher, a group of 7th graders mounted a campaign to have Jeremiah Johnston’s remains moved from California to his old stomping grounds in Wyoming.
James A. CrutchfieldNovember 17, 2024
The American West: A Wink to Davy Crockett’s Vest
Davy Crockett’s buckskin vest on display at The Alamo is of special interest to visitors because it's something he wore. But no one really knows if the garment was actually Crockett's. But that hasn't stopped them from promoting it.
William GronemanNovember 16, 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: Calamity Jane – Wild Woman of the West
Calamity Jane drank hard and could tell a good tale with the best of them. People who knew her well said she had a heart of gold. When Deadwood was struck with a smallpox outbreak, Calamity said she was immune and took care of the sick.
Bill MarkleyNovember 14, 2024
The American West: Confrontation on Bitter Creek
During an attack on the LaClede Station on the Overland Trail in 1867, it was lucky for the occupants of the station that the Sioux warriors did not know how the station was effectively defenseless.
Terry A. Del BeneNovember 10, 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