One of the greatest western legends that actually lived was the black lawman Bass Reeves. He served as a US Deputy Marshal under “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker in Oklahoma, arresting over three thousand law breakers in his thirty-two year career. Reeves was born in July 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas. He was the slave ofContinue reading “Bass Reeves: Real-Life Legend”
Tag Archives: gunfighters
The Cowboy and His Honor
“You’re a liar!” “No, I ain’t!” “Just lied again in denying it!” “Insult me once more, and I’ll plant you in boot hill!” We all know how this ends. On the surface, it seems to be a couple of cantankerous cowboys who are just spoiling for a fight. They seize on any little thing andContinue reading “The Cowboy and His Honor”
Gunfighters in the Wild West
The typical Western movie or novel ends with a glamorous gunfight on a dusty street. What could be more romantic, than a chance to publicly vindicate yourself, and have a few dozen witnesses to your proficiency with a gun? But did it ever actually happen? Wild Bill Hickok had public fight on the Springfield, MissouriContinue reading “Gunfighters in the Wild West”
Dusty Trails 