Category Archives: History
Stagecoach Mary Fields
Mary Fields (1832-1914) stood six-feet tall in her stocking feet, weighed 200 pounds, smoked cigars, cursed like a sailor, and would knock out any cowboy that gave her excess amounts of back talk. She was also the first black woman … Continue reading
The Frontier Ladies
Most people think of western migration as something that men did. While true, we mustn’t forget that women endured the same hardships as the men. We should not ignore the vital roles these migrating women played in the development of early … Continue reading
The Black Hawk War, 1832
There are a number of reasons people leave their traditional homes. We generally refer to these as the push—pull factors of human migration. Push factors might include weather phenomena, disease, an encroachment by stronger groups, insufficient food, water, or other … Continue reading
Vigilantism: Justice for All
Jim Marshal, from Hopewell Township, New Jersey, was raised on the Round Martin Farm, known in1810 (and today) as Marshal’s Corner. For whatever reason, Marshall decided to leave home in 1834 to seek his fortune. After spending some time in Indiana … Continue reading
They were all dirty
According to some folks, a fellow of the old west named Dave Rudabaugh was known as Dirty Dave because he had an aversion to bathing. This could be true, since back in the old west there was a conspicuous scarcity … Continue reading
James Wilkinson: Image of Respectability
James Wilkinson (1757-1825) is one of those characters in American history that one seldom hears about. At the end of his life, he had achieved prominence as the senior officer of the U. S. Army, a politician, and one of … Continue reading
The Archive War
Georgian by birth in 1798, Mirabeau Bonaparte Lamar developed into a well-educated young man, an excellent horseman, an expert in firearms, a credible poet and artist, and the editor of a local newspaper. Lamar served the governor of Georgia as … Continue reading
The Guardsmen
There was a time in America when lawmen made people nervous —not because they had anything to hide (maybe they did), but because, for the most part, old west lawmen were no one to trifle with. The fact was that … Continue reading
The Texas Cherokee War
Texas independence was never a simple matter of people refusing to conform to Mexican law. It was, in fact, very complex, unsettling, highly contentious, lasting several years, and, I suspect, many sleepless nights among those who worked tirelessly to effect … Continue reading
At Goliad, 1836
(Continued from last week) One of the first things that General Sam Houston did after being reinstated was ordering Fannin to withdraw his men and stores fromPresidio La Bahia at Goliad to the town at Victoria. He might have complied … Continue reading
