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Posts from ‘October, 2009’

Mythbuster: Cattle Kate

Virago is a noun meaning a loud woman, one who displays strength and courage, and Ella Watson was just that [1]. An inspiring woman died on the fateful day of July 20, 1889. “Cattle Kate”, as she became nicknamed, was not known for her feminine touches, and was the first and the only woman hanged […]

Mythbuster – The Art, Legacy and Mythology of Frederic Remington

“History owes something, and art something less, to Frederic Remington.” – Author A. B. Guthrie Jr. If the current American image of the West can be attributed to a single person, it is undoubtedly Frederic Remington. Seemingly inexhaustible, Remington fashioned nearly “3,000 drawings and paintings, 25 sculptures, and eight volumes of writings throughout his career.” […]

Mythbuster – General Custer and the Little Bighorn: Hero or Glory-hound?

Throughout history heroes are born, whether it is through bravery, courage, or even myth. Certain men and women stand out in historical significance as a result of their heroism. General Custer is no different, as many of his feats have been portrayed in a way which most people consider heroic. Rough on the edges, and […]

Mythbuster: Wild Bill Hickok

James Butler Hickok was born on May 27th 1837 and was later known as “Wild Bill” Hickok. He is a legend of the old American west and was known for being a scout, a great marksman, and a lawman. In his later years he became a professional gambler, drank a lot and often got into […]

Everything I Know About the Alamo I Learned From John Wayne: Busting the Myth of Hollywood’s Alamo

One event in our American history often shrouded by myth and legend, is the 1836 siege of the Alamo Misión San Antonio de Valero, most commonly known as just the Alamo. On February 23rd, the Mexican army under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, had laid siege to the Alamo and the […]

Mythbuster – The Winchester 73

The Winchester repeating rifle model 1873 has been billed for years as “the rifle which won the west”. But what was left to be won by the year 1873? The transcontinental railroad had connected the coasts and divided the continent in twain [1], the great bison herd had been divided and the great Indians tribes […]

Unit 4 (10/21 – 11/4): Hollywood’s West

In this unit we’ll explore Western films from the silent era to the mid-1960s. What makes a movie a Western? What are the important or iconic elements? We will also listen in to popular radio Westerns from radio’s golden age (the 1930s and 1940s) – how does the fictional portrayal of the West change when […]

Overland Trails Map (in color)

Source: TrailsWest

Mythbuster – Cowboys: Are They More than Rodeo Entertainers and Gun Slingers?

When most people hear the term cowboy, the first thing that pops into their mind is rodeos. If that is not the case then they think of old western movies, notorious for gun fights, with Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid or Doc Holiday. Cowboys were more than rodeo participants, and more often than not, they […]

Mythbuster: Johnny Appleseed

The myth and legend of Johnny Appleseed is one that most children growing up in the US have learned. Johnny Appleseed was supposedly a man who wandered the lands west of the 13 colonies planting apple trees all around. Johnny could talk to animals and have them help him on his journeys. Johnny wandered the […]