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Be transported into the wild and wooly past of the American Wild West, its history and legends of Cowboys, western cowgirls and pioneer Women of the West, guns (like the legendary 1873 Colt Peacemaker) and other interesting western facts like the Pony Express Mail Delivery, famous Outlaws & Lawmen and the exciting Gunfight at O.K. Corral which took place in Tombstone, Arizona, a true historical landmark!

Look for information on Movie & Singing Cowboys and great TV/Film singing cowboys. We also offer Cowboy Poetry & Songs, western Cowboy Recipes, plus links to other great facts about the American West.

For example: Cowboys like Wild Bill Hickok, who had talent as gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman liked to play poker and was shot dead while he was playing. When shot, he was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights, all black. From then on that hand is referred to as a “Dead Man’s hand”. 

Our section on American Indians, if you prefer, details aspects of Indian Society including valuable modern information on American Indian Ancestry & DNA Testing. You’ll find interesting American Indian Sacred Places & Battlegrounds to visit, authentic Indian Recipes and Native Legends & Creation Stories. Read historical information about the heroism of Native Americans during the two world wars when they served as Code Talkers. Read about American Indian Arts & Crafts, especially Indian jewelry and dances. The Wild West was a fascinating time and place in American history.

The American west featured all sorts of people from pioneers and scouts to lawmen, outlaws, gangs and gunfighters (gunslingers), to the American cowboy, and legendary pioneering women on the frontier. You’ll find history, lore and biographies of the lives and times of those who populated the Wild West. Meet “Billy The Kid”, Jesse James, the Clantons and the Dalton gang and the lawmen who stopped them, famous sheriffs and their deputies. Learn interesting western facts about inventions like barbed wire and denim blue jeans.

Explore the life of the Cowboys who spent up to four straight months in the saddle, often in the same clothes every day. He ate every meal at the chuck wagon, drinking nothing but coffee and water. At night, if a storm came and the cattle started running, it was the cowboy’s job to jump on his horse to head off the cattle and round them up safely.

You’ll also learn of the adventures of pioneers and famous American Indians (Native Americans) and their battles against European settlers; how they created beautiful arts, crafts, beadwork and stunning silver jewelry like the spectacular squash blossom necklace and ruggedly handsome Navajo Indian rugs and weavings they favored. You can read about American Indian dances and spirituality and religious practices plus enjoy authentic native recipes.

Another interesting tidbit:  A Western saloon is a kind of bar particular to the Old West. Saloons served such customers as fur trappers, cowboys, soldiers, gold prospectors and miners and gamblers.  By way of entertainment, saloons offered dancing girls. Many saloons offered poker, brag, three-card monte, and dice games. Other games were added as saloons continued to thrive and face growing competition. These added games included billiards, darts. Some saloons even incorporated piano players and theatrical skits.  If you want a small taste of the games they played in the old west go to go to our Puzzles & Games Section.

Old West Bandit and OutlawWhile the Outlaws of the Old West packed their six shooters and rifles to rob banks, stagecoaches and trains, modern day outlaws are a more inventive lot. Oftentimes, these bandits resort to defrauding innocent folk and use blackmail and extortion instead of revolvers, although, some have certainly been known to use guns too.  When the country was wild and young, anything could happen and people often took justice into their own hands.  Now, you have to play by the rule of law otherwise you’ll be declared a vigilante.  Ride ’em cowboy!

We hope you enjoy The Wild West.