Old West History

WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA FINALIST 2022 KINDLE BOOK REVIEW AWARDS SEMI-FINALISTCan sparks of the heart ignite amid the battle that flamed the epic struggle for Texas? In 1824, ten years before the Texas Revolution, the province of Texas belonged to Mexico—but not for long. Texians would soon rebel against the oppression of the Mexican commandant. In a land that grew heroes from those with courageous and daring hearts, this heart-jolting historical romance is the fourth novel in the Wilderness Dawning Series and features Wiley’s popular and well-loved characters, the Wyllies and MacKays...

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.

When the American Civil War ended Confederate officer Robert Ambrose left his fellow soldiers to return to the girl who had haunted his thoughts and dreams for the entirety of the war, but upon arriving home he learned that not only was the cause wrong, so was everything he had hoped to return to. The girl he was to marry was now promised to another, and his former mentor had cheated him. Disillusioned he left his home in River Falls, Georgia for something different: The Colorado Territory of the American West. Ambrose soon learned that the West was wild and untamed, and despite his effort ...

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...

Wyatt Earp was one of the most famous lawmen that the Wild West ever produced. He was also one of the longest-lived. Considering the fact that he lived all the way up until his 80s while many of his contemporaries never made it out of their 30s, this in itself was quite a feat. Wyatt Earp’s good friend and sidekick Doc Holliday, for example, perished at 36. But even though Earp lived a long life, he was no stranger to danger. He was shot at more times than he could count, and there were plenty of people out there who wanted him dead.

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 ...

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.

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 ...

Set in 1879, SIX-GUN RETRIBUTION follows the cowboy adventures of Gunfighter Edward Landon as he sets off across the wild west searching for six outlaws he holds responsible for his mother's death. This contemporary action novel features a wide range of western characters, including lawmen, gunslingers, outlaws, Mexican bandits, Indian rebels, and bounty hunters. Andy Munro’s SIX-GUN RETRIBUTION includes realistic characters, historic wild west locations, fast-paced cowboy dialogue, action, mystery and suspense mixed with humour and romance. Synopsis The journey begins as Landon rides his...

From her widow's walk, Bessie King watches and waits for her husband, Adam. For many months, day after day, she climbs that ladder and looks out over the Texas plains. Her sons watch and see her pain and heartache. Andrew, thirteen, slips away early one morning to search for his stepfather. After a year of waiting, Bessie is certain she has lost them both. She is now left to survive on the Texas panhandle with her son, Matthew, and an orphan Kiowa baby, she has named Ki. Mathew's anger grows as he sees his mother climbing to the widow's walk day after day, and coming down with tears in her ...

The Cat-astrophic Old West No animal in the Old West was more revered nor more reviled than the domestic cat. Sought for their rodent control, but despised for their nocturnal noisemaking, cats lived a schizophrenic existence on the American frontier. In Cat Tales of the Old West Spur Award-winning author Preston Lewis brings frontier felines into the light of the 21st century with a collection of amusing and eclectic excerpts from dozens of 19th century frontier newspapers reporting on pussycats west of the Mississippi River. Through a selection of poems, puns and articles from period news...

Abraham Whitechild had no knowledge of his start in life. He never knew his parents and he had a slight rememberance of living with the Blackfoot. One man did make an impression on his future, although he was not to fully understand that until it was too late. He chose his own direction in life. He was all alone but never lonely. His solitary life, however, came to an abrupt end. He was charged with a crime he did not commit. Now he was a wanted man - wanted, dead or alive for murdering an innocent woman. The wanted poster had his picture on it and his name. Suddenly, his simple life became...

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 ...

In the 1800's, the old American West was a desirable destination for emancipated or escaped slaves. After the Civil War, many Blacks believed the West offered more opportunity, and less discrimination. In this short, 45 minute eBook, you will read 11 stories of Blacks who discovered the West was a place for them to not only survive, but thrive. You may have heard of some, such as Bessie Coleman, (cover photo) the first African American to earn a pilots license. Or, Justina Ford, a doctor in Denver, Colorado. Many are recently discovered gems, such as lawyer John Dennis Posten, who had a ...

Western writer Alton Pryor has brought forth a collection of important moments in history. These vignettes present a virtual digest of historical happenings that are fun and educational as well. Listeners will learn about the poignant story of the Seven Little Indians. When a tribe stole a band of horses, Indian fighters killed the Indians that stole them. In doing so, they found seven little Indian babies on their hands.

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.

John Wesley Hardin! His name spread terror in much of Texas in the years following the Civil War as the most wanted fugitive, with a $4,000 reward on his head. A Texas Ranger wrote that he killed men just to see them kick. Hardin began his killing career in the late 1860s and remained a wanted man until his capture in 1877 by Texas Rangers and Florida law officials. He certainly killed 20 men; some credited him with killing 40 or more.

Sarah's dream was to live in a valley. This might be an elusive dream for a young girl who, along with her brother Frank were orphaned early in life. Their parents died on the way to California in the early 1800's. Sarah and Frank were the only wagon survivors. How would two children survive the highwaymen, the raging grassfires, the cold winters and heartache? (Many words in this story reflect the times. e.g. From the late 1600's until the late 1800's, soldiers used an iron shell filled with pitch that burned at intense heat. It was called a carcass. The United States ordnance manual of ...

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.

Four days before Christmas in 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a 21-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. It was their first mission. Suddenly a sleek, dark shape pulled up on the bomber’s tail - a German Messerschmitt fighter. Worse, the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber with the squeeze of a trigger.