Remembering Crazy Horse
The history of the American West is, in many respects, a history of conquest, as American settlers in the 1800’s migrated west into the lands of various Native-American tribes. Following the...
Remembering William Clark
Last month we posted a story about Meriwether Lewis, the famed explorer who co-led the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-06. The other leader of that expedition was William Clark, who died on this...
The California Gold Rush: The 175th Anniversary Of The “49’ers,” And California’s First Constitutional Convention, September 1849
The story of the American West is a story of emigration—hundreds of thousands of pioneers heading West, originally to areas west of the Mississippi River, and later to areas west of the Rockies,...
Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Meriwether Lewis
Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Lewis In the history of the American West (by which I mean west of the Mississippi), two events arguably were the starting point for the western...
Remembering Annie Oakley
On this day in 1860, folk heroine Annie Oakley was born in a log cabin in Illinois. By age 8 she was demonstrating her extraordinary sharp-shooting skills, and at age 15 she began a long career as...
Remembering Wild Bill
Yesterday we commemorated the death of Calamity Jane, the colorful “partner” of Wild Bill Hickok, who died on August 1, 1903. Today, we commemorate the death of Wild Bill himself, who died...
Remembering Calamity Jane
On this day in 1903, one of the most famous female characters in the history of the American West died in South Dakota at the young age of 51. “Calamity Jane” was born Martha Jane Canary in 1852....
Remembering Brigham Young
Born on this day in 1801 was Brigham Young, an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until...
Remembering Jim Bridger
When we think of the early settlers of the American West, invariably our minds conjure up the image of intrepid “mountain men” who crossed the Rocky Mountains, battling the elements, fought with...
Remembering Sam Houston
On this day in 1793, Samuel Houston was born in Rockbridge, Virginia. He was an American general and statesman who was a key figure in the Texas Revolution. He was the first and third president of...
