BUTCH CASSIDY
On this date back in 1866 Robert Leroy Parker was born in Beaver, Utah Territory. But we know him as Butch Cassidy.
Supposedly, he picked up the name “Butch” from the short period of time he worked in a Rock Springs, Wyoming butcher shop. The last name came from a minor criminal mentor by the name of Mike Cassidy…I also suspect he didn’t want to bring shame on his strict Mormon family by using Parker.
Although Butch’s organizational skills and personality were probably suited more for a legitimate business life, he assembled a group of ruffians known as the “wild bunch.” Even though they could be considered misfits, Butch was able to meld them into a sophisticated criminal operation.
By the 1900’s the wild days of the West were fading and law enforcement was becoming more effective. So Butch, The Sundance Kid and Etta place fled to Argentina.
Here’s where legend and fact get blurry. Some say Butch and the Sundance Kid were killed by Bolivian troops. However members of his family maintain Butch came back to the United States and died of old age under another name.
Just as an aside. There are more than a dozen Old West outlaws, including Billy the Kid, who were supposedly not really killed, and they lived a long life under an alias. Sometimes I wonder if any Old West outlaw was ever killed.
PONY EXPRESS
On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express mail riders, traveling by horse and rider relay teams, simultaneously left St. Joseph, Missouri, and
Sacramento, California. Ten days later, on April 13, the westbound rider and mail packet completed the approximately 1,800-mile journey and arrived in Sacramento, beating the eastbound packet’s arrival in St. Joseph by two days and setting a new standard for mail delivery.
Before the Pony Express a letter was delivered by ship or Butterfield Express, which could take from one to several months. So the ten day delivery was quite an improvement.
Unfortunately, as the Pony Express riders were riding east and west, they would come across men putting poles in the ground and stringing wire for the first transcontinental telegraph, which was completed in October 1861. With the transcontinental telegraph, there was no need for the Pony Express, and it ceased operations.
GOLIAD
We all know of the Texan’s battle cry of “Remember the Alamo” during their battle with Mexico. But there was a second part to that battle cry.
On this date back in 1836 Santa Anna’s army defeated a group of Texans at Goliad. When they surrendered he took 417 revolutionaries out and executed them.
His thinking was that an inexplicable act such as this would break the rebel’s spirit. Instead it inspired them, and the battle cry became “Remember the Alamo and Goliad!”
Less than a month later, Texan forces under General Sam Houston dealt a stunning blow to Santa Anna’s army in the Battle of San Jacinto, and Texas won its independence.
JIM BRIDGER BORN
On this date back in 1804 that great mountain man Jim Bridger was born.
At the age of 20 Jim headed west along the routes that Lewis and Clark had pioneered. At the age of 21 h
e was the first white to see the Great Salt Lake…Incidentally; he thought it was the Pacific Ocean.
Getting married to the daughter of a Flathead Indian Chief, he decided to settle down and started a trading post, founding Fort Bridger along the Oregon Trail in Wyoming.
At the age of 64 with eyesight failing and rheumatism, he retired in Westport, Missouri and died at the age of 76 on July 17, 1881.
NAMING OF SHOW LOW
I live in the northeastern part of Arizona in the White Mountains. The name of the town where I live is Show Low. How the name came about is a very interesting history.
To hear that story go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCJ4vUTc4sY
SO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE OLD WEST?
You want to go back to the Old West? In searching some old files I came across the following information. This is how it was at the end of the 1800’s.
- The average life expectancy in the U.S. was forty-seven.
- Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
- Only 8 percent of homes had a telephone.
- There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
- The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour.
- The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
- More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
- Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as “substandard.”
- Most women only washed their hair once a month! When they did they used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
- The five leading causes of death in the U. S. were:
- Pneumonia and influenza
- Tuberculosis
- Diarrhea
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- One in ten U.S. adults couldn’t read or write.
- Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
APACHE KID
I just finished putting together our weekly radio show that will be aired the week of March 19 – 25. As a part of Arizona’s centennial celebr
ation, it included a conversation with Phyllis de la Garza about the Apache Kid. Phyllis has written a couple of books about him.
The Apache Kid, raised on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, became a sergeant of the Indian Scouts under Al Sieber. While Sieber was away, some Apache had a tiswin party. Unable to break up the party, Apache Kid joined in.
The Kid and some other scouts ended up going AWOL. When they returned, they were tried for being AWOL and sentenced to hang. Eventually, the sentence was changed to life. And after a year and a half, they were pardoned.
All of this took place in a military court. Next, Apache Kid was tried in civilian court for shooting Al Sieber in the leg…Although he was present at the shooting, there is no evidence he knew or had anything to do with the shooting.
On the way to Yuma Territorial Prison, with several other prisoners, the guards were overcome and everyone escaped. The Apache Kid was never captured. From that point, any atrocity that took place in the area was blamed on the Apache Kid.
I relate this story, not because I think the Apache Kid was a totally innocent person, but to show how events, rather than the person involved in the events can control so much of our lives.
END OF KANSAS TRAIL DRIVES
It seems that Kansas had a love-hate relationship with Texas cattle and the cowboys that brought them up.
The love part was the profits to be made providing supplies to the cattle drives and a good time to trail-weary cowboys. Frontier struggling towns like Dodge City, Caldwell, Ellsworth, Hays, and Newton competed with Abilene to be the top “Cow Town” of Kansas.
But, as Kansas started getting less “frontier” and farming became more important, residents, anxious to attract businesses other than saloons and places of ill repute, started getting less enamored with the Texas cattle industry.
Although the Texas cattlemen tried to stay away from cultivated farmland, according to one cowboy “there was scarcely a day when we didn’t have a row with some settler.”
In addition to this, the Texas cattle carried a tick fever and hoof-and-mouth disease for which they were immune, but the Kansas cattle weren’t.
So, on this date back in 1885 the Kansas Legislature passed a bill that barred Texas cattle from the state between March and December 1.
This, along with the closing of open range with barbed wire fences, signaled an end to the cattle drives to Kansas.
OLD WEST TERMS
I get intrigued with Old West cowboy terms. And that intrigue shows itself in that we have an Old West Trivia Contest sponsored by Bronco Sue Custom Hats. The prize is a custom cowboy hat. If you would like to check it out go to: http://chronicleoftheoldwest.com/old-west-trivia-shootout2.shtml.
Here are some of my favorite descriptive terms:
PRAIRIE TENOR – A coyote.
BARKIN’ AT A KNOT – Doing something useless.
WEARING THE BUSTLE WRONG – A pregnant woman.
ROUND BROWNS – Cow chips.
TEAR SQUEEZER – A sad story.
COLD AS A WAGON WHEEL – Dead
Which of your favorite terms did I miss?
JESSE CHISHOLM
On this day back in 1868 Jesse Chisholm died of food poisoning.
Even though the Chisholm Trail is known for its use during the cattle drive era, Jesse wasn’t a cattleman, but a frontier trader. He had a great knowledge of the southwest that was valuable in trailblazing.
Because he was a trader, Jesse Chisholm’s trail was a straight road with easy river crossings and few steep grades so lumbering heavy freight wagons would have no trouble traveling it.
A year before Chisholm died; his trail also began to be used for cattle drives. For five years, more than a million head of cattle traveled up the road, creating a path that was 200 to 400 yards wide. Traces of the trail can still be seen to this day.
CIVIL WAR PICTURES
Our friend, Michael F. Blake, does a lot of research about the Civil War. He sent us a couple of links to some recently enhances, and quite frankly, stunning photos from 150 years ago when the United States was being torn apart by this war.
Here are the links:
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/02/the-civil-war-part-1-the-places/100241/
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/02/the-civil-war-part-2-the-people/100242/
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
It was on this date back in 1872 that President Grant signed the bill creating Yellowstone National Park.
John Colter, the famous mountain man, was the first Anglo to travel through the area. In 1807, he returned with fantastic stories of steaming geysers and bubbling cauldrons. People accused the mountain man of telling tall tales and dubbed the area “Colter’s Hell.”
The key to Yellowstone becoming a national park was the 1871 exploration under the direction of the government geologist Ferdinand Hayden. Hayden brought along photographer William Jackson and artist Thomas Moran to make a visual record of the expedition. Their images provided the first proof of Yellowstone’s wonders and caught the attention of Congress.
Early in 1872, Congress moved to set aside 1,221,773 acres of public land straddling the future states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho as America’s first national park.
For a nation bent on settling and exploiting the West, the creation of Yellowstone was surprising. Many congressmen gave it their support simply because they believed the rugged and isolated region was of little economic value.
TIME ZONES
Today is the 29th of February. As we all know, the 29th comes about once every four years. It’s something that came about back during the Roman era, or maybe even before.
However, there is something related to time that began in the era of the Old West. That’s time zones. Do you know how they came about? Well, click on this video and you will.
RIDING FOR THE BRAND
I live in the mountains of Northeastern Arizona at 6,500 feet. This morning when I got up, the wind was blowing in mighty gusts; snow was whirling around; and the temperature was in the 20’s.
Unfortunately, I had to take our American Border Collie dog Jake for his morning constitution.
As I walked in the blistery weather I thought about what it would have been like to be an 1800’s cowboy working a winter line shack. The cabin would have been heated by a small stove that was also used for cooking. The wind would be howling through all the cracks in the walls and roof. The temperature inside would be just a bit warmer than outside.
The ice in the water bucket would have to be thawed out before coffee could be made. And then you would have to go out and check on the cattle.
Can you imagine the character it would take to leave that cabin when no one would know if you didn’t? That’s called “Riding for the Brand.”
PAT GARRETT’S DEATH
It’s interesting how things have changed over the years. Each week I send a free story about an event that
happened during this time in the Old West. This week’s story is about Sheriff Pat Garrett and how he died.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the circumstances, he was shot in the back while taking a “whizz”. That’s right, a whizz. I would say pee, but we want to keep this clean.
The man who confessed and was tried for doing it was Wayne Brazil. What did he plead? Self defense. And he was declared not guilty.
Don’t try this today folks.
Incidentally, you can sign up for This Week in the Old West by going to: http://chronicleoftheoldwest.com/this_week_in_the_old_west-signup-new.shtml
HIRAM RHOADES REVELS
On this date ba
ck in 1870 Hiram Rhoades Revels, a Republican from Natchez, Mississippi, was sworn into the U.S. Senate, becoming the first Black ever to sit in Congress.
During the Civil War, Revels, a college-educated minister, helped form Black army regiments for the Union cause, started a school for freed men, and served as a chaplain for the Union Army. Revels remained in the former Confederate state after the war and entered into Reconstruction-era Southern politics.
It’s interesting to note that the Senate seat Revels held was once held by Jefferson David, the former president of the Confederacy.
EMPEROR NORTON
San Francisco has had it’s strange people. But there were few who were as strange a Emperor Norton. And, as you will see with this video, the people of San Francisco took him into their collective hearts.
JOHN WESLEY HARDIN
On this date back in 1894 gunslinger and killer John Wesley Hardin was pardoned after spending 15 years in a Texas prison for murder. He was 41 years old when he got out.
Although he supposedly killed over 40 people prior to this, he tried to change his life by becoming a lawyer in El Paso. That didn’t last long since he was shot in the back about a year later.
THE SEARCHERS
Don Pruett of Phoenix is a subscriber to our “This Week In The Old West” weekly story…If you’re not getting the free weekly story, go to:
ht
tp://chronicleoftheoldwest.com/this_week_in_the_old_west-signup-new.shtml and sign up.
A recent story was about Cynthia Ann Parker, a white woman captured by Indians, who was the mother of the great war chief Quanah Parker. John observed that the 1955 John Wayne movie “The Searchers” was probably based on the Cynthia Ann Parker story.
I think Don may just be correct. Incidentally, the picture is of Cynthia Ann Parker.
BROTHERS-IN-LAW
J.W. McCorlde
just sent us a comment about his brother-in-law telling him about Cowboy To Cowboy. It reminded me of some other Old West brothers-in-law.
Back in 1873, Clint Barkley was in Texas when he murdered a man. Clint immediately bugged out of the area and went to Lampasas, Texas to seek help from his brother-in-law, Merritt Horrell.
Merritt was one of five Horrell brothers who were operating a cattle ranch. The Horrell brothers weren’t exactly angels, but they did manage not to get crossways with the law…that is until brother-in-law Barkley arrived.
Shortly after Barkley arrived at the Horrell’s, Texas Ranger Captain Thomas Williams and three policemen arrived. Ever loyal to their relatives, the Horrell’s said they wouldn’t turn over their dear brother-in-law.
On March 19, 1873, four of the Horrell brothers, Barkley and some other cowboys went to the Matador Saloon, and waited for the law to arrive. And arrive they did, right through the front door. The two groups exchanged gun shots. Captain Williams and two of his men were immediately killed. The third retreated, wounding two of the Horrell group in the process.
The two Horrell men were arrested. Now brother-in-law Barkley took action. On March 25, he and members of the Horrell faction raided the jail. Barkley took a sledge-hammer to the jail door. With led flying everywhere, Barkley was wounded, but he kept pounding until the prisoners were rescued.
Brother-in-law Barkley stuck with the Horrell brothers until they were all either killed or hanged by vigilantes. No longer having any brothers-in-law to hang around with, Barkley left the area, and was never heard from again.
THE HORSE SOLDIERS
One of the great John Fort – John Wayne movies in the 1950’s is The Horse Soldiers. It also stars William Holden and Constance Towers.
It’s loosely based on the Battle of Newton’s Station at the time of the Civil War.
There is some rare footage available that took place during the filming. To view it go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D15Hs_AXc8&feature=player_embedded
ARIZONA RANGERS
Each Sunday morning we send to subscribers a story about something that happened during the current week in the Old West.
This past Sunday’s story was about the Arizona Rangers. We had several people remark about watching an early TV series about the Arizona Rangers called “26 Men.” Unfortunately, we didn’t have a TV at that time.
Anyone can subscribe to “This Week In The Old West.” And it’s free. To get your weekly story just go to: http://chronicleoftheoldwest.com/this_week_in_the_old_west-signup-new.shtml
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A SETTLER?
I just got my computer back from the shop…A virus hijacked it. In addition to that the screen on my iphone turned black. I’m waiting for a replacement. To add to all this, it snowed last night and my Direct TV dish i
s covered in snow, blocking the signal.
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like on the Kansas frontier spending weeks and even months with no contact with the outside world? And when it was time to go into town to get supplies it was usually the man. The woman had to say home and take care of the animals.
If you were transported back to the Old West as a pioneer, what do you think you would miss the most?
WILD TOMBSTONE, ARIZONA TERRITORY
On this date back in 1882 the Tucson Daily Star reprinted an article from a New York newspaper about wild Tombstone, Arizona Territory. It said:
“Few people there die in their beds. A man with good luck and extraordinary vitality may manage to keep out of the tomb long enough to become a citizen, but such instances are rare. Not long since Deputy United States Marshal Earp was found with nineteen bullets in his body and he is alive yet. He seems to be the right sort of man for the place.”
And to think, we’re packing up to go to Tombstone
. I sure hope the same thing that happened to Deputy United States Marshal Virgil Earp doesn’t happen to me…Incidentally, those nineteen bullets were buckshot.
