Old West History

Bass Reeves was a man who forged his own destiny and wrote his own life story as he went along. Born into slavery, Reeves rose above all challenges to become one of the most legendary lawmen of the American West. As a deputy US marshal, he held himself to a personal code of conduct that went beyond the badge he wore. For Bass, the line between right and wrong was clear, and he never hesitated to enforce the law—even when it meant pursuing his own friends or family. Justice wasn’t just his duty; it was his calling.

Thomas Ward is a man haunted by his past. The town he once swore to protect was destroyed by a ruthless gang of outlaws, leaving him with nothing but the bitter taste of failure. Now he earns his keep as a wagon train guide, finding solace only at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Guiding his final train to Oregon with dreams of retirement, Thomas believes his troubled days are behind him. But the trail ahead forces him to ride once more into danger he never imagined, and he must summon every ounce of courage to survive. Years of weakness and dependence have taken their toll. When the moment ...

"I was present at the Frog Lake Massacre and escaped by the slim margin of one hundred paces the fate that overtook my hapless fellows. For months afterward the unexpected report of a gun put my heart in my mouth, painted savages plunged in my dreams at early dawn through belts of dark firs upon my flying footsteps, bullets sang in my ears or found their mark in my flesh, and I awoke gasping and unable in the first few seconds of consciousness to convince myself that it was not all a horrible reality. Looking back on that now distant date and thinking over the flow of perilous turns in ...

In 1879 the Outbreak brought the Forsaken onto the high plains of the Old West, twisted creatures of bone and leather mounted on demonic semblances of bison. By 1882 the great central grasslands of North America from the heart of Canada to central Mexico is the domain of the horrific buffalo riders; only outlaws, renegades, madmen, and a few fortified outposts of civilization remain. Six unsavory bounty hunters ride onto the edge of the grassland on the trail of wanted men, only to encounter an enigmatic scholar who claims to have a plan to uncover the truth about the Outbreak. Buffalo ...

Carter is running for his life. Three men are hunting him, and the only thing they want is the key hanging from his neck. Injured and alone, Carter releases his horse and disappears into the desert. With no supplies and the sun rising fast, he makes it as far as the side of the road before everything goes black. Mabel Dawson is used to standing her ground. When the mayor's spoiled son storms into her father's store with a marriage proposal, she shuts him down—and runs him off with a pistol. Wanting space from the fallout, she joins her father on a supply run. But when they find a wounded ...

In 1875, Indian Territory, in what is now the state of Oklahoma, was a haven for thieves, swindlers, and murderers, all trying to escape the reach of the law. When President U.S. Grant appointed Judge Isaac Parker judge of the Western District of Arkansas, which included the territory, Parker was intent upon bringing fugitives to justice. He authorized U.S. Marshal James Fagan to hire 200 deputy marshals to help police the 4,500 square mile lawless territory. Among those deputies was Bass Reeves. Born a slave in 1838, Reeves had spent the Civil War as a runaway in Indian Territory, and ...

After years of war and months in a prison camp, Jed Markum returns to Dry Gulch with hope in his heart. But his hometown is dying, the land scorched and the people broken. What was once home now lives in the grip of a ruthless man. Mary Beaumont has lost everything to a villain determined to claim what little she has left. Desperate and alone, she plans to fight, though deep down she knows it is a battle she cannot win. Then Jed walks back into her life, and for the first time in years, she dares to hope. Bound by a common enemy, Jed and Mary join forces against the man who destroyed their ...

At the young age of 16, Andy Adams left his San Antonio home to follow his dream of becoming a cowboy. Going on long drives with some of the 19th century's hardiest cowboys, he learned his trade through many adventurous years of trial and error. This account of his true experiences includes dusty cattle drives, brandings, stampedes, dangerous river crossings, and remarkable encounters with the Blackfoot, Oglala, and Platte Indian tribes.

In this thrilling story of intellectual and archaeological discovery, David Roberts recounts his last 20 years of far-flung exploits in search of spectacular prehistoric ruins and rock art panels known to very few modern travelers. His adventures range across Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado, and illuminate the mysteries of the Ancestral Puebloans and their contemporary neighbors the Mogollon and Fremont, as well as of the more recent Navajo and Comanche.

Do you like true stories of the Wild West? You should love these tales of outlaws, gunslingers and adventurers then. Of course you will have heard of most of them as many have become legends. Their escapades were exciting, daring and reckless and many paid the ultimate price in the end. These tales romp along with plenty of action and recreate the atmosphere of this exciting and dangerous era in America's history using the vernacular of the times. PLEASE NOTE - Whilst the events that took place are primarily true, (as far as we know), the author has used a certain amount of creative license...

Do you like true stories of the Wild West? You should love these tales of outlaws, gunslingers and adventurers then. You may not have heard much about some of these bad guys, but they were real, ruthless outlaws and all had their "15 minutes of fame", leaving trails of death and mayhem behind them. Most did not live to an old age, on average just 35 years old, and those that did survive longer were probably in jail. These tales romp along with plenty of action and recreate the atmosphere of this exciting and dangerous era in America's history using the vernacular of the times. Whilst the ...

Henry Harrison and Joe Charleston arrive in Texas as penniless orphans, eager to start fresh. When a stampede sends a cowboy plunging into the river, they save his life and earn themselves a chance to join a cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail. The promise of adventure pulls them in, but they’re about to discover the trail holds more than they bargained for… Joe is driven by the thrill of the trail, but a mysterious rider shadows the herd from afar and he soon begins to wonder if something sinister is at play. He’s eager to move forward, but the closer they get to Abilene, the more it ...

Mabel Goodwin never expected to be taken from everything she knew. Raised by her grandparents, her life in an Arizona saloon has been predictable—until she’s abducted by slave traders. Suddenly, Mabel must do everything in her power to escape… Reuben Thatcher is a hunter, not a hero. Tracking big game through the wild, Reuben is shocked to find Mabel, a woman on the run from savage men. Her strength and determination pull him in, and he vows to protect her. But the wilderness is dangerous, and he knows that. Mabel and Reuben form a fragile bond that might be the only thing standing ...

At just nine years old, Gunner Moss learned what his father did for a living when he watched his mother's murder at the hands of his father's gang. Now, he runs a saloon in Bear Creek, Texas, trying to leave the violence behind him. But as a former outlaw and notorious gang leader, his past is never far away… Ada Andrews, a determined journalist, has spent years tracking down the outlaw who survived a gunshot to the head—John Bane. Her search leads her to Bear Creek, where she uncovers his secret identity. As Ada gets closer to the truth, she finds herself entangled with the Pinkerton ...

Dodge City, Kansas, is a place of legend. The town that started as a small military site exploded with the coming of the railroad, cattle drives, eager miners, settlers, and various entrepreneurs passing through to populate the expanding West. Before long Dodge City's streets were lined with saloons and brothels, and its populace was thick with gunmen, horse thieves, and desperadoes of every sort. By the 1870s, Dodge City was known as the most violent and turbulent town in the West.

Kidnapped as a child and then raised among the Indians, Lily Holstead has forgotten the life she once knew. But her world is upended when a hardened Pinkerton agent tracks her down. She is no longer just a lost girl but the heiress to a fortune some are ready to kill for. Sam MacLeod expected a simple job: find the missing daughter and bring her home. What he never expected, though, was an untamed woman, hunted by vicious enemies with a mysterious past. With danger closing in, he must fight to protect her before it's too late. Greed, betrayal, and blood will mark their trail across the ...

Many of the most well-known lawmen of the American Wild West had multiple criminal charges to their name. Some were murderers, some were thieves, and many were corrupt - in fact, sometimes it was difficult to tell who was on which side of the law. Cowboys and Native Americans, robbers and sheriffs, courageous lawmen, opportunistic prospectors, frustrated Confederate soldiers turned outlaws after the war - the Wild West was filled with all of these. And their stories are breathtaking.

Shiloh Kearns spent six years running from the law, his past, and the brother who died saving him. Given a badge instead of a noose, he's sent to Ghost Valley—a dying town choking on blood and greed. Now he must decide: is he here to serve justice… or to chase the men who left him for dead? Halona has lived between two worlds, orphaned in war and raised by white settlers. Now a voice for her Navajo people, she returns home only to watch it burn at the hands of her own kin. When her estranged brother leads a massacre, she must choose between loyalty and justice. When Shiloh and Halona ...

Thomas Harper was orphaned as a child and taken in by the owners of the neighboring ranch. Now, their once-small ranch has grown into a thriving enterprise, drawing the wrath of powerful cattle barons. Thomas must fight for his home and family, while struggling to ignore the unexpected pull of Sarah Cates… Sarah Cates, young and sheltered, never expected to fall for a rugged cattleman like Thomas Harper. But as he catches her eye at a town dance, she doesn’t realize that getting close to him will put her—and her family—in grave danger. When a kidnapping shakes the town to its core, ...

Wes Callahan leads the Frontier Express stagecoach, a hard and dangerous job he does well. But behind the reins, he wrestles with the bottle and doubts his own worth. Only Carla Monroe, a resilient widow, makes him believe there might be more to life. On his final run for the company, Wes carries a ring in his pocket and a proposal on his mind. Riding alongside him is Greg, the boss’s son and Wes’s childhood friend. But what starts as a routine journey soon turns into an onslaught neither man is ready for. When dangerous outlaws target the stagecoach and kidnap Greg, Wes takes it upon ...