American West History & Notables

Haitus

2006-07-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

On vacation through end of the month. But--I'll be back.

30 June 1864 Yosemite

2006-06-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

On June 30, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Land Grant (Senate Bill 203). With this legislation, 39,000 acres of the Yosemite Valley and the nearby Mariposa Big Tree Grove was put under the administration of the State of California "upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation." In 1890 this became a reality.

More information
history
Senate Bill
geology and overview
contemporary issues

23 June 1845, Texas

2006-06-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

On 23 June 1845, a special session of the Texas legislature voted in favor of annexation by the United States. For almost ten years, Texas had been an independent republic.

For history links about the western United States, visit Writers West Directories

15 June 1836 Arkansas Statehood

2006-06-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

Arkansas became the 25th State
motto: The People Rule (Regnat Populus)
nickname: Wonder State
People have been living in the region that is now Arkansas for thousands of years; evidence of this, including pottery and stone implements, is in mounds and bluffs. In 1819, Arkansas was organized as a territory, and by 1836, the Territory had the 60,000 residents required to become a state.

11 June 1880 Jeannette Rankin

2006-06-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Jeannette Rankin (d. 1973) was born on this day near Missoula, Montana. A graduate of the University of Montana, she was an ardent suffragist and the first woman member of Congress (elected 1916 and again in 1941). She voted against war with Germany in 1917, and was the only member in 1941 to vote against war with Japan.

Rankin in politics
biography

9 June, 1860 - First dime novel

2006-06-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

IRWIN P. BEADLE & Co. of New York, published its first (of more than 600) Dime Novel. Author of the first book was Ann S. Stephens, the title: Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter. Read it online.

The Dime Novels were also referred to as The Pulps, so called because they were printed on cheap high-acid-content paper. These served as popular reading material, similar to today's paperback; cheap, portable, disposable, and often sensational.

More Information:
the pulps
dime novels - background
dime novel - history
dime novel overview

2 June, 1924

2006-06-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

On this day, American Indians born in the United States were granted citizenship by an act of Congress.

1 June 1873

2006-06-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

The Cypress Hills Massacre occurred in the region of Battle Creek, Saskatchewan, and involvied a group of American wolf hunters, American and Canadian whiskey traders, Metis freighters and a camp of Assiniboine people. The incident, in which 24 people were killed, hastened the establishment of the North West Mounted Police in the area.
Part of the site of the Cypress Hills massacre has been preserved at Fort Walsh National Historic Site, which was early headquarters for the NWMP.

26 May 1863,1864 and 1907

2006-05-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

1863 On this day, Gold was found near Alder Gulch, (Virginia City, Montana). Alder Gulch was part of the newly created Idaho Territory in 1863, and although this wasn't the first gold strike, it was the biggest at the time. It created a wealth of money, controversy and a unique history. The advent of gold there and in surrounding areas prompted the creation of Montana Territory one year later (1864) to the day of the Alder Creek find.

1907 John Wayne (d. 1979) was born in Winterset, Iowa.

20 May 1862 Homestead Act

2006-05-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Homestead Act of 1862 is a piece of U.S. legislation which gave one quarter of a section of a township (160 acres, or about 65 hectares) of undeveloped land in the American West to any "entryman" (family head or person that was at least 21 years of age). The entryman had to live on the land for five years and built a house (at least 12' x 14'), or the land could be purchased for $1.25 per acre after six months. Civil War veterans were allowed a 1-year prove up, rather than 5 years. The act was signed into law by President Lincoln and took effect January 1, 1863. It had a profound effect on the westward movement.

May 18 1915, 1980

2006-05-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

1915 Alvin Josephey (d. 2005)
Former editor of American Heritage Publishing, was born on this day 1915. Related to Alfred Knopf--founder of the company that published several of Josephy's eigiht books; he edited anthologies, was consultant on federal policy toward Indians and founding board chairman of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, which opened in 2005.

1980Mount St. Helens erupted for the first time in 130 years. The evacuation of the immediate area displaced hundreds of people.
See also volcanic monument and in history

11 May 1910 Glacier NP

2006-05-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

Glacier National Park, located in the US state of Montana, was approved by Congress and President Taft signed it into law on this day in 1910. Comprising 1,013,572 acres, nearly 50 glaciers are located within the park.

The park is often referred to as Waterton-Glacier Park, for its shared border with Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. This park combination was designated a World Heritage site in 1995.

More information:
general info and links
Park history

10 May 1869 Transcontinental Railroad

2006-05-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

The world's First Transcontinental Railroad was completed. In Promontory, NV, the eastern Union Pacific connected with the Western tracks six years after the concept was conceived. This is honored at the Golden Spike National Historic Site.

Two thousand workers died during construction. The need to protect railroad workers on the Plains increased the number of military in the West and greatly contributed to the major Indian Wars. At the time, the trestles erected in the Sierras were the largest wooden structures ever built. With the finished railroad, the trip West that had formerly taken at least six months, now took only seven days.

More information:
Chinese Workers
history

5 May 1969 - Pulitzer Prize first

2006-05-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

On this day, N. Scott Momaday (nee 27 February 1934) received the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. The Kiowa author was the first American Indian to win the prize. Title: House Made of Dawn

Momaday also won the 1962 Academy of American Poets Prize for the poem "The Bear."

1 May 1852(?) - Calamity Jane

2006-05-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Martha Jane "Calamity Jane" Cannary Burke (1852? - 1903) was born on this day in Princeton, Missouri. Many different years are given for her birth, from 1848 to 1856. Whatever, she was the oldest of six children whose family traveled west for five months (1865) in a wagon train from Missouri to Virginia City, Montana. By 1869, both parents were dead. Martha took up various jobs to make do.

She is most remembered by the stylized accounts given through fiction and Hollywood of her relationship (?) with Wild Bill Hickock, yet she was known for her compassion to the needy, as well as her undauntable spirit. She was one of many "tough" women of the West (See similarities with, Mary Fields).

More information:
Black Hills background
short biography

26 April, 1798, Jim Beckwourth

2006-04-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

James Pierson Beckwourth (1798 - 1866) was born a slave in Fredericksburg, Virginia and was apprenticed at a young age to a blacksmith in St. Louis. He left that position at age 18, and had trouble finding work.

In 1823, he joined the expedition of General William Henry Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Trading Company and became a renown trapper and explorer. The Western Pacific Railway used the "Beckwourth Pass" on its track line West.

More information:
General biography
Comprehensive site
In California
Overview
bio sketch

April 1892 Johnson County War

2006-04-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

During April 1892, big cattle money went after more big cattle money two years after Wyoming became a state. With hired guns on one side, and known rustlers on the other, it was truly a wild west event in Johnson County --(NE Wyoming).

More information:
Background and events
history
more

Click here for Cowboy stories from traditional westerns to contemporary ranch tales.

21 April, 1836 Texas Independence

2006-04-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

On this day Texans, led by Sam Houston, defeated General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. This victory secured Texas' Independence.

More information:
Texas Independence Timeline

18 April 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

2006-04-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

On this day, an earthquake estimated to be approximately 7.8 on the Richter Scale rumbled beneath San Francisco at 5:12 AM. The quake triggered devastating fires; the fires and quake aftershocks continued through 23 April. The mayor called in Federal troops and issued a "shoot to Kill" order for anyone entertaining lawlessness.

Today's conservative estimate is that more than 3,000 people were killed; some researchers have put this number as high as 6,000. It is still considered one of the worst natural disasters to hit a major city in United States history.

More information:
details
overview and recovery
history

13 April 1866 Butch Cassidy

2006-04-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Robert Leroy Parker (Butch Cassidy) was born on April 13, 1866 in Beaver, Utah

Read about him
bio
overview
in South America

9 April 1867 Alaska

2006-04-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

On this day, the U.S. officially bought Alaskan Territory from Russia for $7,200,000. The treaty was negotiated on 30 March that year by Secretary of State William Seward (1801-1872), and on 9 April, U.S. Senate ratified the treaty. The purchase was put down by the media as "Seward's Folley".

More information:
Russia/Alaska history
overview of purchase

8 April 1918 Glendon Swarthout

2006-04-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Glendon Swarthout (1918 - 1992) was born on 8 April in Michigan. He authored 16 novels and was awarded an O. Henry Prize in 1960 and a National Society of Arts and Letters gold medal in 1972. In 1988, his book The Homesman, won both the Wrangler Award and the Western Writers of America (WWA) SPUR Award for Best Western Novel -- a rare double win in the big western-book prizes. He was honored with the WWA Owen Wister Award for lifetime achievement in 1991.

More information:
biography
bio and film information
Swarthout books

3 April 1860 Pony Express

2006-04-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Starting in St. Joseph, Missouri, the Pony Express (PE) began it's 18-month history. The purpose was to make twice weekly mail runs to California. A political venture to keep California up-to-date with the volatile concerns back East (impending War Between the States), the route worked in conjunction with the transcontinental telegraph project. The last PE run was made on 24 October, 1861--three days after the telegraph reached Sacramento. The wagon-freight firm Russell, Majors, and Waddell were principle backers of the Pony Express.

More information:
background
Pony Express Organization
The telegraph in California

31 March Vardis Fisher

2006-03-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

On this day, in Annis, Idaho, western writer Vardis Fisher (1895 - 1968) was born. As a writer his focus was on the Old West. Although he wrote several novels, he is most noted for his book Mountain Man -- the basis for the movie "Jeremiah Johnson."

More information
published works
bio information
Article about Fisher

28 March, Battle of Glorietta Pass

2006-03-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

In 1862, Major John R. Chivington thwarted Confederate forces, led by General Sibley, from executing a major attack on freight routes in Colorado Territory. Confederate forces had created a strong presence in the southern part of the territory.

This is considered one the major Civil War battles conducted in the Western U.S. Glorietta Pass is now part of the Pecos National Historic Park.

More information:
Details
Battle Summary
map
background to battle

27 March, Great Alaska Earthquake

2006-03-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

The "Great Alaska Earthquake" (also known as the Good Friday Earthquake) occurred on 27 March 1964 and was the most powerful earthquake in U.S. and North American history. The magnitude 9.2 earthquake, which resulted in tsunamis of incredible proportions. The quake was centered in Prince William Sound off the coast of South Central Alaska and resulted in 124 deaths--only 9 directly caused by the earthquake, the rest by the tsunamis.

More information:
Other Alaskan earthquakes
Good Friday Earthquake map and links
science information

24 March 1834

2006-03-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

Born on this day in Mount Morris, New York, John Wesley Powell's (1834 - 1902) college years developed his strong interest in natural sciences. After an illustrious tour of duty in the War Between the States, Powell became professor of geology at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1865. He made his first exploration of the Colorado Rockies in 1867, and traveled through the Grand Canyon (not then so named) in 1869.

Congress voted him funds to continue his exploration. During 1871 - 1873, Powell surveyed nearly 100,000 miles of the Colorado River Basin and surrounding Rocky Mountains. Influenced by his strong recommendation, Congress established the United States Geological Survey in 1879. Powell served as director from 1881 to 1894.

More information:
biography
museum

22 March 1908

2006-03-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Louis L'Amour (1908 - 1988) born in Jamestown, North Dakota. He published more than 100 titles which have been sold worldwide, (the copies numbering in the millions) and translated to a dozen or so languages.

More info:
bio
official web site

If you like westerns and cowboy stories, check out these western titles.

21 March 1806, 1880

2006-03-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

Birthdays of Western Notables. (These two are so different it's almosts comical.)

1806

Born on this day - Benito Pablo Juárez García (1806 –1872) was a Zapotec American Indian who twice served as President of Mexico (1861–1863 and 1867–1872). Juárez is often considered Mexico's greatest and most beloved leader because of his resistance to the French occupation (1863 - 1867) and his efforts to modernize the country. He is the only full-blooded Native American to serve as President of Mexico.

1880

21 March is also the birth date of Broncho Billy (1880 - 1971), film star, director and writer of westerns. He's credited with giving rise to the cowboy movies. In 2002, Anderson was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

19 March 1864

2006-03-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Charles M. Russell (1864 - 1926) is one of the most renown names in Western Art. He produced more than 3000 art pieces in many mediums from pencil sketches to bronze statues to large oils. His works are some of the most notable in depicting the Northern Plains of his own lifetime and from history. He is self-taught, finding his creative bent after he moved to Montana in 1880. Now his art resides in many museums throughout the world. Born 19 March 1864 in St. Louis, Russell is claimed by that city in its Walk of Fame.

Women's History Notable - 2

2006-03-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

The first woman elected to the U.S. Congress was, naturally, from the West (The West led the way in Women's Suffrage, so it only stands to reason).

Jeanette Rankin was born June 11, 1880 near Missoula, Montana. A graduate of the University of Montana, she was elected as to congress as representative-at-large in 1916. She didn't sit back and fade into the woodwork. She made her presence felt when she voted against war with Germany in 1917 (W.W.I). Re-elected to Congress in 1941, Ranking cast the lone vote against going to war with Japan (W.W.II).

More information can be found at the Rankin Foundation, which continues Rankin's outspoken leadership for peace through nonviolence.

10 March 1848

2006-03-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The Treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on March 10. It added 522,568 sq. mi. of territory to the U.S. in exchange of 15 million dollars to Mexico. The Rio Grande River was the official boundary.

Woman Buffalo Soldier

2006-03-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

History world wide has many examples of courageous women who decided to join the military. The American West is no different.

This Women's History Month entry salutes Cathay Williams, who, in 1866, changed her name to join the Buffalo Soldiers.

Women's Suffrage

2006-03-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

Studies during U. S. Women's History Month has to include Women's Suffrage. And it started in the West.

Here are some good references:
Suffrage history in the West
The 19th Ammendment
Overview

Women's History Notable - 1

2006-03-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Since March is National Women's History Month, I'm filling in days with information about notable Western Women.

Let's start with Willa Sibert Cather (1873 - 1947)

: When she was ten, her family moved from Virginia to Nebraska, which provided the setting for three of her most memorable novels. O Pioneer, My Antonia and The Song of the Lark. Cather had several collections of short stories and novellas, and wrote eleven novels which reflected a high regard for the courage and industry of pioneers. She was described by Maxwell Geismar as "a defender of the spiritual graces in the midst of an increasingly materialistic culture." Cather won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923 for One of Ours

Click here for more information .

2 March 1836

2006-03-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Forty-one delegates of the first Constitutional Convention adopted Texas' Declaration of Independence. The committee to write this declaration had been established just the day before, on 1 March.

1 March 1845, 1867

2006-03-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Two of regions of the United States received official statehood on this this day.

1845
Texas Statehood
motto: Friendship (1930)
nickname: Lone Star
Full Senate approval was lacking, but the bill passed by a 27-25 vote in the December 1844 Senate meeting. President John Tyler signed the joint resolution three days before he left office.

1867
Nebraska Statehood
motto: Equality before the law
nickname: Corn Husker
Nebraska Territory was established in 1854
In the early 1840s, Nebraska's Platte River valley began to play an important role in the "Great Migration," the westward movement of thousands of pioneers.

27 February 1902

2006-02-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was born in Salinas, California. The third of four children, he attended Stanford University. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962
Check out The National Steinbeck Center

Find other western writer notables at the Directory of Authors.

26 February 1846, 1919

2006-02-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

click here for 1919

1846

William Frederick Cody was Born near Le Claire, Iowa, on 26th February, 1846. Cody moved with his family to Kansas in 1854 and settled near Leavenworth. His father died in 1857 and at age 11, Cody went to work as a Pony Express rider. During the Civil War he was a scout for the Ninth Kansas Volunteers and eventually joined the 7th Cavalry. After the war, he scouted for the 7th Calvary and was hired to shoot buffalo for the railroad. In eight months it's alleged he slaughtered 4,280 head of buffalo, hence his nickname "Buffalo Bill".

In 1872 Cody appeared in a play in Chicago written by Ned Buntline called "The Scouts of the Prairie." It was a great success and Cody went on tour with the play. Later he appeared in "Scouts of the Plains," a play written by Fred Maeder. He enjoyed the theater, and in 1883 Cody staged his first Wild West show in Omaha, Neb.

Additional information
a comprehensive bio
Buffalo Bill Museum
Buffalo Bill Historic Center
Museum in his birth town
Wild West Show

1919

On this day, Congress passed An Act to Establish the Grand Canyon National Park in the state of Arizona. Comprising over one million acres of northwestern Arizona, the park includes the most spectacular area of the 277-mile canyon carved out by the Colorado River.

24 February 1863

2006-02-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

The organization of a separate Territory of Arizona in the southern half of the New Mexico territory (along the 34th parallel, which made it east-west long, rather like Tennessee) were advanced as early as 1856, and provisional organization was done in 1860. The Civil War induced action to make the territory part of the Confederate States of America (CSA). That was superceded by the 1863 passage of Congressional bill outlining Arizona Territory in the approximate area that later became the state. President Lincoln signed the bill into law on 24 Februaru 1863.

20 February 2006

2006-02-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

It's President's Day!

The third Monday in February is officially designated as Washington's Birthday, but has become known as "President's Day."

Ten of the U.S. Presidents were born West of the Mississippi River. The dates in parenthesis are the years they were in office. Asterisks mark those men who had previously been vice-presidents.

Herbert Hoover, Iowa (1929 - 33)
Harry S. Truman, Missouri (1945 - 53)*
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Texas (1953 - 61)
Lyndon B. Johnson, Texas (1963 - 69)*
Richard M. Nixon, California (1969 - 74)*
Gerald R. Ford, Nebraska (1974 -77)
Ronald Reagan, California (1981 - 89)
George H. W. Bush, Texas (1989 - 93)
William J. Clinton, Arkansas (1993 - 2001)
George W. Bush, Texas (2001 - present)

Vice presidents from the West include
Charles Garner, Kansas (served under Hoover); John Garner , Texas (under Franklin Delano Roosevelt [FDR]); Henry Wallace, Iowa (under FDR).

more information on the holiday

14 February 1859, 1912

2006-02-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Two Western states entered the Union on this day

1859 Oregon

motto: "She Flies With Her Own Wings" (Alis volat Propriis) was the original 1859 motto, but was replaced in 1957 with "The Union"; in 1987, the original motto was restored.
nickname: The Beaver State

1912 Arizona

motto: (Ditat Deus) is the same motto used when Arizona became a Territory (1863)
nickname: Grand Canyon State

Arizona was the last of 48 contiguous states to join the Union.

Visit the Writers West Directories for more information about states of the American West.

12 February 1861

2006-02-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Kansas Statehood

motto: To the stars through difficulties (Ad Astra per Aspera)

nickname: Sunflower State

Leavenworth was first non-Indian settlement, established in 1827. At 81,823 sq. mi., it is 15th in size among the states.
In 1540, Coronado found his way to Kansas near the present-day Lindsborg, as he was exploring the “new world” in search of gold. In 1719, French adventurers claimed the region for France. In 1809 the United States acquired the land including Kansas in the Louisiana Purchase. In 1825, the federal government made Kansas part of Indian territory. From 1825 to 1840, nearly 30 tribes gave up land and moved to the Kansas territory, including the Shawnee, Delaware, Anishnaabeg, Iowa, Wyandotte, and Kickapoo.

Territorial Kansas was established May 30, 1854

Capital of Kansas is Topeka, and the state has a strong Old West history with the cowtowns. Abilene was the first railhead in 1867, and spawned the big trail drives north along the Goodnight and Chisholm Trails. The former forts during the Indian Wars of the 1850s became lucrative stops for the trains and cattle, and the cow traffic continued late into the 1880s.

The state is also notorious for the border Wars prior to and during the American Civil War.

more information
Old West Kansas
History 1]

Buy a book about Kansas from Writers-West authors

7 February 1867

2006-02-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's Laura Ingalls Wilder's (1867 - 1957) birthday!

Remembered best because of the Little House on the Prairie TV series, Laura Ingalls Wilder is an inspiration to writers. She didn't begin penning her stories until she was over 50. Her works are based on her own childhood, and give lively, accurate descriptions of the life of homesteading families. Since the Ingalls family lived in many places, there are a half dozen memorial parks in her honor, located in several states.

Check these sites for more information.
biography
overview
background
museum
history

5 February 1848

2006-02-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Belle Starr (1848 - 1889)
Born Myra Belle Shirley, she attended the Carthage (MO) Female Academy, where she learned music and classical languages, along with the three Rs. Life changed for her family when the Kansas-Missouri Border War broke out and her brother joined Quantrill.

After the family moved to Texas, Myra became romantically involved with several outlaws including Cole Younger and James Reed--whom she married. After Reed was killed, she married Starr, another outlaw, and for more than twenty years, she rode with or led outlaw bands throughout the Texas-Arkansas area. She was murdered in Indian Territory on 3 February 1889.

Additional Information:
biography
vignette
biography
over view of women outlaws
history

2 February 1848

2006-02-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on this day, 1848. This ended the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848) and called for Mexico to cede a portion of its land to the United States in exchange for $15 million. The new American territory included present-day Arizona, California, western Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. The treaty was ratified by U.S. Senate March 10 and went into effect on May 30, 1848.

Read the Treaty
Related Links
Overview
More information

28 Jan. - 2 February 1925

2006-02-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Serum Run to Nome

In the heroic effort to deliver much-needed serum to fight a diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska, twenty drivers took part in the record 674-mile relay race from Nenana to Nome. The sub -30 degree blizzard conditions kept small, antiquated planes grounded, and the only way to traverse the distance was with dog sleds. The life-saving efforts of men and dogs inspired the Iditarod Dog Sled Race.

31 January 1872

2006-01-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

Zane Grey (1872-1939) was born on this day in Ohio, and he had a longstanding love for the West. He traveled throughout the the western U.S. and owned a cabin in Oregon and another along the Mongollon Rim in Arizona.

During his writing career Grey produced nearly ninety books (about half were published after his death); these included fifty-six set in the West. They encompassed the entire experience of the Old West, from settlers to desperadoes, cattle drives and Native American concerns. Grey became one of the first millionaire authors.

30 January 1890, 1933

2006-01-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

1890
On this day, Angie Debo (1890 - 1988) was born in Beattie, Kansas. Debo was nine when her family moved to Marshall, Oklahoma. Very concerned about civil rights, Debo wrote classic books about Indians of Oklahoma. She was active in the Oklahoma chapter of American Civil Liberties Union, and received the American Historical Association's Award for Scholarly Distinction in 1987.
more information

1933
The first Lone Ranger radio program was broadcast from a station in Detroit, Michigan. The story was developed by Fran Stryker, who worked at the radio station (and had never been West). The Lone Ranger became a television show which ran from 1949 - 65 on ABC. Clayton Moore and later John Hart starred as the Masked Man, while Jay Silverheels was his sidekick. Lone Ranger books were written in 1936 by Gaylord Dubois. There were eighteen books in the series.

29 January 1863

2006-01-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Bear River Massacre (also called the Battle of Bear River or the Massacre at Boa Ogoi) took place in what is now Franklin, Idaho. In response to Shoshoni raids on Mormon settlers, the Union sent troops from Fort Douglas, Utah to punish the Indians. The orders were: 'Take no prisoners, fight to the death; nits breed lice.' Historians consider this one of the worst massacres during the Indian Wars. It is often overlooked because of the larger war effort and battles going in the Civil War. The 25+ acre site along Beaver Creek was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990.

28 January 1855, 1887

2006-01-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

1855

The first train crosses the Panamanian isthmus, greatly aiding the thousands who clamored to be part of the California Gold Rush. Although many countries had proposed a railroad along this route, the Gold Rush and the U.S. interest in faster mail service to the new rich territory of California, spurred the plans to reality. Previous mail service had been with steamships.

1887

The world's largest snowflakes were reported in a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana. They measured 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick.

Guiness Record Book

27 January 1825, 1951

2006-01-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

1825

U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory, much of which is present-day Kansas and Oklahoma.

1951

U. S. Nuclear testing begins. First bomb is dropped on Frenchman Flats, Nevada.

26 January 1892

2006-01-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

On this date Elizabeth (Bessie) Coleman was born and grew up in Atlanta, Texas. She graduated high school and briefly attended college in Oklahoma before moving to Chicago. She was the first African-American woman to earn a pilot's license--she had to go to France to do it, and she had to learn French before she went to France.

Featured in many aerial shows and stunt demonstration, Coleman was also a parachutist. She planned on opening an aviation school for African Americans, but she died in 1926 when she was thrown from a plane she was prepping for a stunt show in Florida.

In 1977, a group of African-American women pilots established the Bessie Coleman Aviators Club and in 1995, she was honored by the United States Postal Service with her image on a postage stamp. There's even a Bessie Coleman doll set.

In 2000, Bessie Coleman was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, and she will be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame (Dayton, Ohio) in July, 2006.

biography
bio-sketch
biography
excerpt of essay by her sister
Coleman quotes

Gold Rush Tidbits

2006-01-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

It took a while for the gold rush to really become a monumental event of history. The word about Sutter's Mill gold leaked out and by Spring was a topic of newspapers all across the country. But it took time to get to California, hence Oregon pioneers were some of the first to respond to the Eureka! cry. The height of the gold rush was 1850 - 1857--after the steamers came around the Horn bringing adventurers from the east coast and Europe, and people from the Midwest and South thought to have instant fortunes by heading to the gold fields of California. During this period, it wasn't unusual for a gully area, stream or small mine to produce upwards of $10,000 a day in ore.

As with any apparent prosperous situation, there were those who thought it easier to get their money by stealing rather than putting in the back-breaking, dirty, tedious hours it took to pan for gold. Among some of the notorious were bank/stage coach robbers Frank Dow and his partner, Milton Sharp; also Rattlesnake Dick, and the legendary Joaquin Murieta.
Black Bart (Charles E. Boles), who also wrote poetry, and several others came along later in the century.

More About Gold

2006-01-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Sutter's Mill gold find was not the first gold strike in California. It is, however, the one which drove millions of people to the Pacific coast with gold fever. Historically, approximately 13,500 gold mines were in California. In the early 21st century, California had 16 significant active gold mines in operation, many located in the historic Mother Lode Belt.

In 2002, the U.S. production of gold was 292 metric tons, putting the U.S. in the top five among gold-mining countries worldwide.

Get basic facts about gold--the mineral and global information with links for more dazzling specifics.

19 January 1848

2006-01-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

On this date, James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill on the South Fork of the American River.

John August Sutter, a Swiss adventurer, had secured an immense tract of land from Governor Alvarado. Sutter erected a Fort New Helvetica (Sutter's Fort), and needed a sawmill to produce wood for his many personal projects.

A millwright by trade, John Marshall begin working with Sutter in 1847. Marshall found the a suitable area and erected the mill. A few months later he begin expanding the trace by running water through it during the night. When turning off the water on 19 January, he noticed a glittery object. Marshall tested his find as best he could then showed it to Sutter. Further testing proved is was rich gold, and on 24 January, the news had leaked and spread throughout the community and then worldwide. Eureka (California's state motto)! The first major Gold Rush was on.

NOTE: Many sources list 24 January as the date of the find.

Additional links:
Read Marshall's account
California gold rush history links.
Gold Strike

The Gold Rush Album is a great book that documents the events. Take a look at a kid's book, too.

TV From Western Writers

2006-01-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few popular TV westerns of the 20th century that were based on books by western writers.

My Friend Flicka, 1956-1958, by Mary O'Hara, starring Johnny Washburn.: This had previously been an successful cinema series, with the first movie out in 1943, with Roddy McDowell playing the lead.
The Remount Ranch, a National Historical Place (located halfway between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming) was the filming place of the 1940 movies "My Friend Flicka" and "Thunderhead," "Son of Flicka" -- all novels written by Mary O'Hara. In 2005 My Friend Flicka was a Hollywood remake.
Zorro, on TV from 1957 - 1959, from the Johnston McCulley's serialized pulp magazine story.: McCulley's character Zorro first appeared in 1919 and was an instant hit with readers. In 1950, McCulley sold all his rights to the Zorro property to Mitchell Gertz and Walt Disney Productions. They produced the Zorro Television Series with Guy Williams playing the lead.
The Virginian (Men from Shiloh) 1962 - 70, based on Owen Wister's book The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains (© 1902): Set in the Wyoming territory during the late 1870s and 1880s Wister's book has been used as the basis for at least five movie films. The television show on NBC and starred James Drury and Doug McClure.
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters 1963 - 1964, by Robert Lewis Taylor: starring Kurt Russell, Charles Bronson.
Taylor won a Pulitzer for the book.
Little House on the Prairie, showed on NBC from 1974 - 1982; based on the Laura Ingalls Wilder classics.: Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert starred.

13 January 1901

2006-01-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Born on this day, A. B. [Alfred Bertram "Bud"] Guthrie, Jr. (1901 - 1991) won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1950 for his The Way West.
His three major novels (Big Sky, The Way West, and These Thousand Hills) chronicled the struggle of determined families settling the American West along the upper Missouri and Columbia rivers. Guthrie also co-wrote the screenplay for the movie classic Shane (novel written by Jack Schaeffer). Although Guthrie lived for many years in Kentucky, from six months old to his death, he considered Choteau, Montana his home.

12 January 1876

2006-01-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Jack (John Griffith) London (1876 - 1916)

[NOTE: Jack London's life has a variety of interpretations, and this is just an abstract of my take on the information I've read. The links offer a few interesting sites.]

From a working-class family, London left school at fourteen and worked a variety of labor jobs, but educated himself in public libraries. He began writing before he was twenty and is renown for his prodigious output.

His novel The Sea-Wolf became the basis for the first full-length American movie.Call of the Wild is his best-known novel, yet he produced more than sixty-five writings, including essays and classic short stories. His interest in political theory and naturalism fueled much of his life. He was, in his time, the highest paid writer in the U.S.

London is buried at his Beauty Ranch, near Sonoma, CA-- a State Historical Park.

general information
biographical information 1
biographical information 2
biographical information 3
You can also type in, "Jack London"+biography, in a search engine for a list of many pages.

8 January 1815

2006-01-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Defeat of the English at New Orleans (Louisiana is West of the Mississippi) by Gen. Andrew Jackson. Fifteen years later, the newly appointed President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act gave authority for the government to designate specific lands for Indians; as a consequence 92% of the all Indians living east of the Mississippi River were relocated to the West, primarily into what was later called Indian territory. Most notable were the Five Civilized Tribes of the S.E. (think Trail of Tears).

Andrew Jackson had been outspoken about Indian removal since 1812. He considered the act a benevolent solution to the Indian problem--moving Indians to an area where they could live unmolested by white settlement.

"Indian territory" was never an official territory. It had no federal input or territorial governor. The Indian Intercourse Act of 1834 gave it definition.

More information:

Jackson's address about the last Intercourse Act (the first was in 1790).

Indian Frontier

Indian Territory

Indian Territory

6 January

2006-01-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

1912

New Mexico statehood
-o- motto: It Grows As It Goes
-o- nickname: Sunshine State

New Mexico geographically classified as a Plateau State. It has a mean elevation of 5,700'.

The Spanish are attributed with the first European settlement in 1598 at San Gabriel; Lt. Zebulon Pike explored the area for the U.S. Army in 1806. The closure of the Mexican-American War gained acquisition of the territory for the U.S.

The Santa Fe Trail coursed from the northeast to southwest, and became one of the major byways in U.S. expansion and western commerce. Several forts were established to protect travelers from numerous outlaws and displeased Apache and Comanche. Fort Union and Fort Sumner are national sites.

Three Civil War Battles were fought in New Mexico Territory, with the most famous at Glorietta Pass.

More information at: New Mexico culture.

WW books set in New Mexico

Hombrecito's War, by W. Michael Farmer

THE PAINTED CLOCK: Memoirs of a New Mexico Ghost Town Bride, by Phyllis Hoge Thompson

Tidbit 1

2006-01-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't found a specific event or person for this date, but here's an interesting American West tidbit.

E. Remington and Sons, gunmakers, are noted for many popular revolvers, pistols and rifles that were carried in the American West; their firearms are referred to in most western literature.

The company also contributed to Western writing by manufacturing the first typewriter, which was marketed in 1874.

4 January

2006-01-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

Utah became the 45th of the United States.: motto: Industry; nickname: Beehive
American settlers first came to the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1847, although several Spanish explorers and American fur trappers had explored some regions of Utah from the 1500s. As a consequence of the Mexican-American War, the land became United States territory with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The highest point in the state in Kings Peak at 13,498'.: more information

3 January

2006-01-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Alaska became the 49th state in the Union.: motto: North to the Future; nickname: The Last Frontier
Alaska is the largest state; east to west, it extends through a distance greater than that from New York to San Francisco.. Russians were the first non-Native settlers. In 1867, the United States Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 (approximately $134,000,000 in 2005 dollars, adjusted for inflation).: more information

Additional links for Alaskan history can be found in the Writers West Directories.

Books About Homesteading

2006-01-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Click cover for more information.
The Plainswoman by Irene Bennett Brown SPUR FINALIST A woman homesteader survives on Western Kansas.
Long Road Turning by Irene Bennett Brown A young woman escapes abuse with a new identity.
Come Spring by Charlotte Hinger A story of homesteaders in Western Kansas.
Deliverance Valley by Gladys Smith Widowed Montana homesteader seeks her runaway daughter and a herd of prize horses.
Sheridan County, Kansas... by Charlotte Hinger 2-vol. set of history and biographical information.
People of the Moonshell by Nancy M. Peterson An account of the adventures of settlers along the Platte River.

All Books are Autographed. Buy At Writers West

1 January

2006-01-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

The first claim under the Homestead Act is made for a farm in Nebraska by Daniel Freeman. Freeman was a physician and Civil War veteran. He was also the plaintiff in a landmark separation of church and state decision. In the 1930s, the National Parks Service bought Freeman's homestead and preserved it as a national monument.: more information