We’ve all heard of these Old West gunslingers by their fabled names. Do you know what their real names were? Here are the famous names:
Here are their real names. Match them to the list above. Don’t cheat now!
a. Myra Shirley
b. Robert Parker
c. Martha Canary
d. William McCarty
e. William Cody
f. Phoebe Moses
g. Marion Morrison
How well did you do?
Here are the answers: 1-d, 2-b,3-c,4-e,5-a,6-f,7-g.
I love looking through my grandparents’ photo albums and trying to get a glimpse of their world, what it must have been like to live in the early 1900s.
Take another look at that world at Frontier Life in the West, photos by John C. H. Grabill. Between 1887 and 1892, Grabill sent 188 photographs to the Library of Congress for copyright protection. Grabill is known as a western photographer, documenting many aspects of frontier life — hunting, mining, western town landscapes and white settlers’ relationships with Native Americans.
My guest interview today is with John McLaughlin, author of Our Time in the Sun and the new sequel, Red Sky at Morning. Both books are historical accounts of an Old West group of lawmen, the Arizona Rangers. John is retired from a 30-year career in law enforcement with the U.S,. Forest Service, National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
I retired after a thirty year career in law enforcement with the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. My career occurred primarily in the Southwest where I became an experienced Law Enforcement Ranger, wildland firefighter, farrier, and animal packer. My wife and I have been married thirty-seven years and we live in Peoria, Arizona, as well as part of the year on our property located south of Silver City, New Mexico. Currently, I work for the Arizona Division of Forestry as a member of the Arizona All Hazard Incident Management Team responding to wildland fires and other emergency management incidents throughout the state.
Well, my dad lived in Arizona shortly after the political demise of the Arizona Rangers, and he spoke fondly of this legendary band of lawm
en while I was growing up. Later, in my law enforcement career, I worked in many of the same border areas of the state that the old Rangers frequented. I couldn’t help wondering what it must have been like for them working as law enforcement officers in a time long, long ago. After my retirement, one of my main goals was to research the old Rangers and write a historical novel about them.
Yes, very much so. I belonged to the Quill & Scroll organization in high school and enjoyed writing for the high school yearbook. While in college, I majored in Wildlife Management and of course the ability to write reports and research papers was essential. During my law enforcement career, incident report writing and the ability to prepare criminal investigative case reports for prosecution was paramount.
Yes. Many of the characters in both novels are actual Arizona Rangers, Territorial Governors, politicians, and outlaws of that era. Most of the gunfights and major incidents the characters in the novels are involved in were actual incidents that I researched. Interestingly, in my research I found very little about the personal lives of these legendary men. And so, I created fictional characters to intermingle with the historical ones. Then I assigned these fictional characters backgrounds, love interests, family, etc.
My mother had all six of us kids reading about virtually everything at an early age. We didn’t have a TV in the house until I was in high school. For that I am now thankful. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading almost every book I have ever picked up. The most memorable and still enjoyable today is Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright. The beautiful descriptions of the Ozark Mountains, depictions of the life and culture of the mountain folks in late 19th century, and the exciting story line he presented so enchanted me. Wright was a master at creating interesting, believable characters with whom the reader can relate and interact.
There are so many and from varied genres, but within the western genre I would say the following: Zane Grey (I read all of his novels as an adolescent), A.B. Guthrie, Jr. (Big Sky, The Way West), Tony Hillerman, Elmer Kelton, Jack Schaefer, to name a few. Most recently, my wife and I have become fans of Arthur Upfield, a remarkable author, who wrote murder mysteries set for the most part in the outback of Australia.
Initially, after completing my first novel, I contacted numerous agents and publishers, who quite frankly weren’t interested in new authors. It seems to me they still prefer veteran authors who are well known with no or very little less risk for them in the publishing business. This is a sin of the times! A small independent publisher became interested in the first novel and published it for me. They were very honest and easy to work with; however, independent publishers do not market your book for you as the large traditional publishers do. This particular publisher went out of business two years ago during the Recession that we are all still dealing with, and I decided to self publish both the original book and its new sequel. My son, who is an artist, had already produced the art work for both covers, and I employed him to do the graphic design work necessary for the printer. Obviously, I still have to do all my own marketing which takes critical time away from my writing. But my wife and I enjoy the travel and interaction with other authors and fans.
Yes. I’m pretty well done with the initial draft manuscript of In the Shadow of the Mountain, a novel set in the early 1970s about a Vietnam veteran who returns home from the war and works for the U.S. Forest Service in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. Hoping to find peace and tranquility, he quickly becomes embroiled in murder and deceit. I’m hoping to have it completed soon this year and contract HEIDI THOMAS to edit it as she did with my first two novels.
Without a doubt, the marketing is the most difficult part. I have limited experience in marketing although I’m getting somewhat better at it, and I just don’t have the time and money that is essential for getting the job done well. And I believe all the time spent marketing would be better served in writing.
I like to read books first and foremost, and work on our five acres in New Mexico. I enjoy camping and hiking with my wife and the company of our two dogs. I like to shoot as often as I can and ride horse back. I am actively involved working as a volunteer with two organizations here in Arizona.
I would be honored if Denzel Washington would be so kind! My wife and sons think Sam Elliott would be a shoe-in!
From my website: www.johnmclaughlinbooks.com or on-line with amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com.
by Heidi M. Thomas
As the popular country song says, Cowgirls don’t cry. Even when they’re bucked off a nearly-half ton of 
angry muscle and bone–a wild steer, a bull or a bronc.
As I researched my novel, Cowgirl Dreams, based on my grandmother in the 1920s, I found a theme of courage as well as competitiveness. I’m in awe that someone as petite as Grandma (5-feet, 2 inches and 102 pounds) would even consider pitting her strength and skill against such a large animal whose goal is not only to get that foreign weight off its back, but also (in the case of a steer or especially a bull) try to stomp on the rider once she’s down.
But she wasn’t the only one. Most cowgirls of that era were not of average height. Annie Oakley and Lucille Mulhall (first to be dubbed “Cowgirl” by Teddy Roosevelt) were just five feet. Other top riders, Mable Strickland,Tad Lucas, Fox Hastings and Ruth Roach were about 5-feet, 3 inches, and Florence Hughes Randolph was only 4-feet, 6 inches.
And those intrepid Cowgirls rode with injuries–taped ribs, casts, bruises–just like their male counterparts.
Fox Hastings who began rodeoing about 1916, was once thrown from her horse and then it fell on her–twice. Her neck appeared to witnesses so twisted they feared it was broken. She was carried from the arena. But about 15 minutes later, she rode back to the judges stand in an open car and asked for a re-ride. She got it, rode to the end, and dismounted on her own. Only when out of sight of the crowd did she collapse.
Tad Lucas was one of the most famous trick riders. At the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, when going under her horse’s belly, Tad slipped. She hung there, her horse kicking her with every step as he kept galloping around the arena. Finally she was able to roll free, ending up with a badly broken arm. At first the doctors wanted to amputate. She said, “Absolutely not.” They told her she’d never ride again. Within a year, she proved them wrong, riding with her arm in a cast.
Marie Gibson, a Montana cowgirl with whom my grandmother competed, went to London with Tex Austin’s troupe in 1924. The first week out, she dislocated her knee, had it wrapped and came back later for trick riding. But when she stepped off the horse, she felt it go again. The doctor reset it, and told Marie to lay off. She did-for two days,then rode again. Marie had to have help saddling and mounting and had to be carried from the stadium, but she kept coming back.
Marie was killed in a freak accident in 1934 when a pickup man’s horse collided with hers. Several other cowgirls met their end at rodeos, including Bonnie McCarroll at the 1929 Pendleton Rodeo. But nothing would stop the cowgirls’ dreams. They had to compete, to feel the exhilaration of the ride, and the thrill of winning.
That’s why cowgirls don’t cry. At least until they’re alone.
©Heidi M. Thomas 2008
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Heidi M. Thomas 