wild west america?

[magicbeatle]

Where exactly is wild west America? I have been surfing on the internet and it does not seem to be able to give me a definite answer...it says Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada. What is the place the most synonymous with the wild west cowboy films?

[dot.hawkes]

the wild west and cowboys are two different concepts, cowboys worked on ranches and hearded cattle on some of the great cattle trails of America, there were many but the Chisum trail is probably the most famous. Cowboys did not carry guns the way outlaws did, and the Wild West relates to the lawlessness of outlaws such as Billy the kid, (William Bonney) and William preston Longley, (who actually was a cowboy for a short while), Whilst Wyatt earp had to deal with the rowdy cowboys on the Chisum trail, his biggest nemesis was of course were the Clanton gang who were real outlaws.

But of course we all know who the two most famous outlaws in the history of the west were don't we?

And in all the trains and banks they robbed they never shot anyone, which made our two latter day Robin Hoods very popular, with everyone but the railroads and the banks:

Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry.

I shall search the length and breadth of the t'internet until i find u a picture

[dot.hawkes]

http://i5.tinypic.com/14bhjrp.jpg

i found one but posted it on Vinny's thread'

(see vinny all confused, see Dot all dizzy)

[Clanad]

Call me pedantic, but dot.hawkes, it's The Chisolm Trail...
Cattle herds as large as ten thousand were driven from Texas over the trail to Kansas. It's terminus in Kansas was Abilene. The trail acquired its name from trader Jesse Chisholm, a part-Cherokee who, just before the Civil War, built a trading post in what is now western Oklahoma City.
Oh... and Wyatt Earp began his career in Dodge City, Kansas, not Abilene...each being at almost opposite ends of the State... otherwise, not bad for a tenderfoot... Unless one considers Earp didn't encounter the Clantons until he arrived in Tombstone, Arizona several years later... still....nice try...

[Big Al1st]

The Wild West spans from the Middle Border County of Kansas right to Pacific states and was considered as having started straight after the Civil War. The wild West included Cowboys,Ranchers as well as outlaws and gun fighters, particularly with the event of the County and Range Wars, for example, Billy the Kid was part of the Lincoln County War.

Cowboys did wear guns when they went into town after being on the trail some time. Alot of famous law men started their trade at the cattle rail head towns.

Also after the Civil War many young men were at a loss what to do and many turned to crime. Jesse James and the Younger Brothers started their crime days riding with William Quantrill who, during the Civil War formed the Quantrill Raiders. In addition to this there was a great drought in the late 1870s that ruined alot of the cattle industry and many cowboys found themselves out of work and decided to turn to the wrong side of the law.

The West has a fascinating, and sometimes complex, history and it is very difficult to sometimes seperate various factions as alot of the events are intertwined.

As for wild west films I think it is true to say that the majority are centred around the mid and south of the area with very few centred on the Pacific States.

[dot.hawkes]

Wyatt Earp had many careers, he drove stagecoaches and freight wagons in California as a young man after moving there with his family in 1864. he worked in Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, Kansas City, Missouri, Dodge City, Texas and his home town of Monmouth Illinois. He worked on a road grading project during the construction of the Union Pacific railway, hunted Buffalo and sold hides, rode shotgun on stage coaches, even chopped wood for miners. He had several businesses over his lifetime, mule teams,hide trading, hunting services and running saloons. He did begin his law career in Dodge City as a Deputy, Wild Bill Hickock taught Wyatt how to shoot a six gun in Kansas City.after the notorious gunfight he retired to prospecting and riding shotgun on railroads and then running a saloon up until his dath in 1929.

the first answer I wrote was off the top of my head, i have referred to the book on Wyatt Earp my dad bought in Tombstone for this latest reply. In the book it says that he and his brothers:

'kept the lid on mining and ranching towns frequented by hordes of rowdy cowboys traveling the Chisholm Trail.'

[Big Al1st]

Hi Dot, Read alot of your postings but reckon this is the first time I have spoke with you

As with alot of Western Legends certain events in their life varies depending on who wrote the story. However Wyatt Earps first job as a law officer was in Wichita all be it for a short time,although he did arrest Ben Thomson in Ellesworth Kansas prior to going to Wichita. Ben Thompson later became a famous law man.

The last few years of Earps life was prospecting and real estate. He started prospecting in Alaska and then started mining in the Mojave Desert where he was very successful. He became a national celebrity and spent the summer months in San Bernadino where he took an honoury lawman's job.

As I said, it really depends on who you read as some of the famous Westerners are a little bit like Robin Hood in as much as it is difficult to seperate fact from fiction.

Rgds Al