It was intense living in the Old West, which is also known as the Wild West. There were saloons everywhere, frequent gunfights, and men who wore crazy mustaches. Luckily, there are still some unbelievable photos from that bizarre period in the 19th and 20th centuries. Keep reading to meet some very colorful characters of that time and to find out about the ordeals people faced in the Wild West.
Taken In New Mexico
When Santiago McKinn was only a young boy, he and his brother went out to Mimbres Valley in New Mexico. The Chiricahua Apache people killed his brother and took Santiago with them. According to legend, General George Crook came to the boy’s rescue but the lad refused to go back and live with his family.
Taken In New Mexico
The Old West Saloon
Saloons could get bawdy. Some of these places had dice games and dancing girls, and others had pastimes, such as bowling. Some people went to relax while others took part in the seedier elements that saloons offered. Bob Leavitt’s Saloon was located in Jordan, Montana.
The Old West Saloon
Texas Jack
He was born John Wilson Vermillion but he was called Texas Jack in the Wild West. He was an outstanding gunfighter who once worked with the Earp (whom we’ll discuss more later) and together they went on a hunt for outlaw cowboys. John had another nickname, “Shoot-Your-Eye-Out Vermillion”, because he shot a person’s eye out.
Texas Jack
The Mission And The Legacy
Built in 1630, this Mission Church is among the Spanish Colonial era’s earliest signs. This church is located in New Mexico and yet on the small side, it is still impressive. To this day, you can visit the church if you want to see and experience some history.
The Mission And The Legacy
More Than Just Eye Candy
Goldie Griffith was more than just eye candy. She was part of an outdoor show called Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and she was famous for her wrestling and boxing skills. What’s more, she had a set of other skills which were not so feminine but more masculine. These abilities helped make her become a star.
More Than Just Eye Candy
Mining Was A Huge Part
Mining was a key part of the Old West. It was an extremely large part of the economy, providing a lot of jobs for people. The mine in this photo is found in Virginia City, Nevada. A city’s population was proportional to the amount of resources that were available in the mine. Thus, during the time the materials mined in Virginia City were at a high, and so was the population living there.
Mining Was A Huge Part
The Most Notorious Outlaw Of The Wild West
Billy the Kid is probably the most notorious outlaw of the Wild West and he was also a dangerous gunfighter. Born Henry McCarty, this man killed about eight men even when he was still very young. In the end, he was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett when the outlaw was at a friend’s home and was caught off-guard while in the dark.
The Most Notorious Outlaw Of The Wild West
The Saloon Scene Staples
Prostitutes were saloon scene staples in the Wild West. As a matter of fact, some of these women went on to become millionaires. People called prostitutes different names depending on their locations. Take the California-based women as an example. The cowboys called the women “soiled doves.”
The Saloon Scene Staples
Young Woman Attacked
When she was just 14 years old, this young woman and her family got attacked and murdered. Olive Oatman and her sister were kidnapped and then were bought by the Mohave people. You can see on her face a brutal tattoo, a symbol of slavery that the tribe put on her.
Young Woman Attacked
Charging Thunder
When Charging Thunder was 26 years old, he joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. He eventually married an American horse trainer in the show named Josephine. Once he quit the show, he registered with the British immigration and became a citizen, working at the Manchester circus. He changed his name later and became George Edward Williams. He also found a job at a factory.
Charging Thunder
The Notorious Jesse James
Jesse James was not just an outlaw, he was a bad man. He was a robber, a murderer, a gang leader, and a guerrilla fighter. James and his brother started the Younger Gang together and were Confederate bushwhackers in the Civil War. Well, you can’t say that two siblings didn’t have a bond.
The Notorious Jesse James
Famous Sharpshooter From The Wild West
Annie Oakley is among the most famous characters from the Wild West but she actually rose to fame at quite a young age. By the time she was eight, she already trapped and hunted, and when she was 15, she became an excellent sharpshooter. Annie did all these things to support her family since her father’s passing.
Famous Sharpshooter From The Wild West
The Teepees Of The Sioux
The Sioux Nation consists of three tribes namely Western Dakota, Eastern Dakota, and the Lakota. They lived in the northern Great Plains and hunted bison. They built and live in these teepees because these structures could be set up and taken down quickly, which allowed entire villages to move regularly. This photo was taken in the Territory of Dakota.
The Teepees Of The Sioux
An All-Around Guy
Doc Holliday is another well-known man. His gunfighting skills earned him his notoriety. In addition, he was a gambler and a dentist. While Holliday was a dentist, he got diagnosed with tuberculosis. That was the time he went off to Arizona and became a gambler.
An All-Around Guy
Ladies Sometimes Need A Drink Too
In the Wild West, a respectable woman wouldn’t be allowed in the saloons. The barstools were reserved for saloon girls, dancers, and prostitutes. A woman who wanted a drink would be getting the brew through the saloon’s back door.
Ladies Sometimes Need A Drink Too
Wyatt Earp Was An “Old Offender”
Wyatt Earp was Doc Holliday’s friend and was into gambling despite the fact that he was an Arizona sheriff. Earp became famous after the fabled shootout at the O.K. Corral, where he killed three cowboys. A local newspaper called the miner, brothel owner, and gambler an “old offender”.
Wyatt Earp Was An “Old Offender”
The Fierce Dunn
This story has the makings of a pretty entertaining movie storyline. When Rose Dunn was only 15, she became romantically involved with George “Bittercreek” Newcomb, a gang member. The gang, however, got into a shootout with lawmen and went into hiding. Later, Newcomb came to visit Dunn, but her brothers shot him. They collected his $5,000 bounty and some believe that Dunn set him up, though we’ll never know.
The Fierce Dunn
A Famous Cowboy And His Infamous Friend
Charley Nebo was a famous cowboy out in Texas, Nebraska, and New Mexico. During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army, but he sustained an injury that handicapped him. Thus, he became a stockman. Fun fact: Nebo was friends with the infamous Billy the Kid.
A Famous Cowboy And His Infamous Friend
Ladies And Guns
While it is a fact that several men on this list are famous for their gun skills, some women in the Wild West also had skills with their guns. Some women, including Lillian Smith Calamity Jane, and Big Nose Kate, were quite fierce and could be deadly if they wished to be so.
Ladies And Guns
The Cowboy Tradition
The word “cowboy” has its origins in the Spanish word “vaquero.” The term means a livestock herder who rides a horse. In addition, the cowboy tradition has both Spanish and European roots. To be a cowboy, you needed a lot of strength and skills from an early age. A cowboy’s standard attire included a pair of jeans, a bandana, leather gloves, boots, and of course, a wide-brimmed cowboy hat.
The Cowboy Tradition
Women Went To The American Frontier
With dreams of having a piece of the action, young men went to the American Frontier during the gold rush. This meant that there were fewer women around compared to men. For the ladies who were already there, this meant big business. The savvy women went and opened up brothels. They also hired other women that came to the West (if the said women didn’t go there to look for gold themselves).
Women Went To The American Frontier
Cowboys Were Common In The West
The quintessential cowboy look originally came from the Wild West. The cowboys rode their horses sporting a cowboy hat, a bandana, some leather gloves, chaps, and boots. Cowboys may often be depicted as white men, but in reality, there were also many cowboys who were freed African-Americans, Native Americans, and Mexicans.
Cowboys Were Common In The West
Maiman Was A Big Help
A Native American who belonged to the Mojave tribe, Maiman was often an interpreter and a guide, especially for Timothy O’Sullivan, a photographer who took this photo. Maiman was very important in scouting out locations for pictures. O’Sullivan preferred to capture his subjects in their natural Native American setting rather than a studio.
Maiman Was A Big Help
Mining Was Not Easy
This miner in Virginia City, Nevada was captured while being hard at work. After silver was discovered in the area, many people went to work in the mines in Virginia City. This particular mine is 900 feet underground. When it was excavated clean, the population of the city also died down.
Mining Was Not Easy
Lakota Chief Charging Thunder
Charging Thunder was a chief of the Lakota who he decided to join Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show when he was 26 years old. He was among the Native Americans who became a member of the company and got the opportunity to travel the world. He later decided to settle in the United Kingdom and got a job as an elephant trainer there.
Lakota Chief Charging Thunder
Mining Towns Were Everywhere
Little Cottonwood Canyon is situated about 15 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. A lot of mining towns like this came to exist all over the west. The ones within the Utah area were established often by Mormon miners, who had a hand in building Salt Lake Temple and adding quartz monzonite, granodiorite and granite to it.
Mining Towns Were Everywhere
Chinese Immigrants Constructed Railroads
One fact about the Old West that is often forgotten is about the Chinese railroad workers. Actually, they were usually paid very little compared to their white counterparts. What’s more, companies refused to provide them room and board. People should not forget that if it weren’t for the Chinese workers, the Transcontinental Railroad might not exist.
Chinese Immigrants Constructed Railroads
Gambling Was Very Popular
It was common for a lot of cowboys and other guys in the Old West to find themselves placing bets in gambling halls. As a matter of fact, numerous structures in the West had been built as gambling halls. This shows what people back in those days really valued. Gambling became such a popular sport back then that many considered it a profession.
Gambling Was Very Popular
The Bathhouse Was Quite Popular
This bathhouse is located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Actually, the area has been hailed for its warm and natural springs. It was also frequented by the native Cheyenne and Sioux tribes. They believed the springs had healing properties and thus considered Hot Springs a sacred space.
The Bathhouse Was Quite Popular
The Masked Outlaw
This is a picture of the famous outlaw William Whitney Brazelton taken in the late 1800s. He was also known as Bill Brazen and wore a mask most of the time so that his victims won’t be able to identify him. This specific photograph was taken only after Sheriff Charles A. Shibell and five other men shot Brazen dead in 1878.
The Masked Outlaw<
Hanging Out With The Guys
After they travelled a lot as part of Buffalo Bill’s troupe, taking time to relax must have had become important for these guys. Pictured here are John Burke and John Nelson with some cowboys. There’s also one Sioux Native American, who might be Charging Thunder.
Hanging Out With The Guys
Different Kinds Of Refreshments
Needless to say, there were refreshments in the Wild West! And there were no better refreshments than beer, bourbon, and whiskey! What’s more, some fancy saloons served a drink called “cactus wine,” which was actually a mix of peyote tea and tequila. Cowboys back then sure knocked these back like a pro!
Different Kinds Of Refreshments
The General Crosses The Territory
This photo shows cavalry, wagons, and artillery commanded by General George A. Custer. On their fateful journey to the west, the group crossed the Dakota territory. This was probably before Custer’s Last Stand which happened during the Battle of Little Bighorn. The battle occurred in modern-day Montana.
The General Crosses The Territory
A Crew At A Creek
This is another classic photo that was taken by Timothy H. O’Sullivan, the famed Old West photographer. O’Sullivan took this picture of a boat crew at the Diamond Creek, which is along the Colorado River. There are sources that say this crew is The Wheeler Survey Group, who embarked on an expedition in order to survey the western U.S.
A Crew At A Creek
A Navajo Family
Timothy H. O’Sullivan also took photos of family life that Native Americans had in the Old West. The picture below shows a Navajo family. They are in Canyon de Chelle in the New Mexico Territory. If you look at this photo closely, you can see that the woman on the right is with her loom while the man on the left is holding a bow and arrow.
A Navajo Family
A Stylish Tribe
In 1871, Timothy O’Sullivan became a part of a geological survey team. This enabled him to travel to the West. While O’Sullivan was in Cedar, Utah, he took this photo of the Pah-Ute Indian Group, or also known as Paiute. The people in this picture were probably Southern Paiute people due to the fact that this photo was taken in Utah.
A Stylish Tribe
Mother Nature’s Cleansing
This picture shows a man in the Pagosa Hot Springs in Colorado. The bath must have been refreshing and this man must have enjoyed the fact that he was the only one in the springs. This definitely would have felt better compared to a sponge bath, which was how people living in the Old West usually bathed.
Mother Nature’s Cleansing
All-Black Regiments
This photo shows a Buffalo Soldier who was part of the United States Army 9th Calvary Regiment in 1890. African-American members earned this name from Native American tribes at the time of the Indian Wars. Congress established the Buffalo Soldiers as all-black regiments back then.
All-Black Regiments
The Cowgirls
Cowgirls were actually prominent during the Wild West but it appears that people often forget about that! These ladies were equally tough and wild, similar to their male counterparts, shooting guns and riding broncos. The cowgirls who are the most famous are probably Annie Oakley, Pearl Hart, and Calamity Jane.
The Cowgirls
Crossing The Desert
Timothy O’Sullivan took this picture of a wagon traversing the Carson Desert sand dunes in Nevada. A big part of the western U.S. turned out to be sandy desert, which might have been surprising to the folks that haven’t traveled there before.
Crossing The Desert