"We
were passing the place (picture studio) and thought it
would be a good joke to have our pictures taken."
So said Butch Cassidy about what became the most famous
of wanted posters. Butch's
old west hideout - Hole in the Wall
Called
Dingus by his pals, Jesse James, was a cold blooded killer
who was left over from the viciousness of the Civil War.
Lifelong he was hunted like a wild animal, and justified
his crimes by, "they drove us to it. . . ."
Here
I lay me down to sleep
To wait the comming morrow,
Perhaps success, perhaps defeat
An everlasting sorrow,
Yet come what may, I'll try it once
My condition can't be worse,
And if there's money in that box,
'Tis munney in my purse. - Black Bart: Outlaw
Poet
Dodge
City was a mecca for gamblers, girls and cowboys. Known
as the "Queen of the Cow towns," the "wickedest
little city in America," and the "beautiful Babylon
of the frontier."
Dodge
gave the world two terms. "Boot Hill" has become
synonymous with a cemetery, "'cause most cowboys
died with their boots on."
The
first "Red Light District" started in Dodge
City in 1874. The most popular western brothel in town had
a red pane of glass in it's front door, as a guide to lonesome,
drunken cowboys.
"All
they raise around Dodge City," an old cowboy once
said, "is cattle and hell."
Many
"law and order" men tried taming the wild west
town, but they all got run outta Dodge or shot dead. Then
Wyatt Earp showed up with Bat, Jim Masterson and Joe Mason.
In short order Earp and is old west marshals, ".
. .made quite a dent in cowboy conceit."
Seated Left to right: Charley Bassett,
Wyatt Earp, Frank McLain, Neal Brown.
Back Row from Left: Longfellow
(recruited in 2007 and standing in for W. H. Smith),
Luke Short, Bat Masterson, and W. F. Petillon.
Want your picture blended in an archival old west
photo? Have
a look at our custom wanted poster page - here.
Our
Knives are premier quality, made from high
carbon steel and are built to last for generations.
We can custom make to anyone's taste or requirements.
E-mail your questions to:
Pictured
at right is one of our custom frontier Knives,
and giving this big fiunctional knife a unique
look is the curved handle made from goat horn.
Some
Old West Personalities just refuse to fade into
the history books. Men like Wild Bill Hickok (or
Hickock - depending on which reference book you
use) , Buffalo Bill Cody, George Armstrong Custer
and the US 7th Cavalry have more acclaim now - then
they did when alive. And they were dang famous when
they walked the Old West.
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