What History Taught Me
Audrey Kalivoda
- Published March 29, 2011
- Written by Audrey Kalivoda
What’s with the jokes on Kansas being flat? Come on people! Mount Sunflower, our highest point, is 4,039 feet. We have the Arikaree Breaks, the Flint Hills and miles of beautiful rolling hills. Not very flat, from my point of view.
David Zucker
- Published February 22, 2011
- Written by David Zucker
Jeff Hildebrandt, STARZ Entertainment
- Published February 16, 2010
- Written by Jeff Hildebrandt
The essence of a great Western to me is John Wayne. I think his characters and the stories told, for the most part, convey the myth of the American West. Thanks to True West Magazine, we know what the West was really like. But when I see a John Wayne movie, I see the West the way it should have been.
Jeb Rosebrook
- Published January 11, 2011
- Written by Jeb Rosebrook
The guy who ripped me off the most was the late writer/director Richard Brooks. I adapted Jack (Shane) Schaefer’s historical book
Lynda A. Sanchez, Author
- Published January 06, 2010
- Written by Lynda A. Sanchez
The Lincoln County War comes alive at Fort Stanton through the ghosts that roam the nearby hills and the buildings on the parade ground. The jail that held just about every outlaw in Lincoln County at one time, including Billy the Kid; the place where the Dudley Court of Inquiry was held; the Commandant’s home where Kit Carson lived; and the site where Murphy, Dolan and the Santa Fe Ring tried to gain control all tie into the Fort.
Bob Stinson
- Published November 09, 2010
- Written by Bob Stinson
History has taught me that money and big-time family connections are still the only way to make it to the top.
Caleb Fox, Author
- Published November 03, 2009
- Written by Caleb Fox
"Redskin on one side of the mountain, redskin on the other" is what my aunts told me when I was a teen. My Cherokee family came to Arkansas on what was later known as the Trail of Tears. Someone in the family, though, decided that we should pass for white. I’ve always wondered what it felt like to those who weren’t light enough to pass as white, what a schism like that does to a family.
Mike Scovel
- Published October 06, 2010
- Written by Mike Scovel
I fell in love with the West when I first heard Gabby Hayes sing “Snag-Tooth Sal.”
Gary Ernest Smith, Artist
- Published September 25, 2009
- Written by Gary Ernest Smith
I grew up on a ranch in northeastern Oregon. Each season brought with it its designated work responsibilities. The work seemed endless. As a boy, it was challenging to find the time to pursue my love of painting. Yet my parents always encouraged my artistic pursuits.
Taylor Wong
- Published August 31, 2010
- Written by Taylor Wong
Miss Rodeo America is just like the Miss USA pageant without bikinis.
R.W. Hampton, Western Musician
- Published August 25, 2009
- Written by R.W. Hampton
I will always be a cowboy at heart. I worked hard to “earn my spurs”; I feel proud knowing that I rode with that special tribe, and they called me one of their own.
Waddie Mitchell
- Published July 27, 2010
- Written by Waddie Mitchell
What people don’t understand about cowboy poetry is that it’s not just about cowboying, cows, horses and living on the range, but it is anything in life, just coming from a cowboy’s perspective.
Ken Spurgeon, Filmmaker
- Published August 01, 2009
- Written by Ken Spurgeon
William Quantrill makes me angry and curious. A part of me roots against him and wishes for his demise. Another part of me is incredibly curious as to what made him tick. Did he really care about the cause, or was he simply a manipulator who found an audience? How did an Ohio farm boy and school teacher lead 450 Missouri bushwhackers to raid and practice irregular guerrilla warfare? Equally as intriguing was how long he could keep a lid on many of the brutal men he led.
Joe McNeill, Author
- Published June 29, 2010
- Written by Joe McNeill
I first became interested in the history of Western film after moving to Sedona, Arizona, in 2001. My interest in Westerns jump-started when I could look out my window and see the sites of numerous cinematic stagecoach robberies and gun battles.
Vince Murray, Historian
- Published June 01, 2009
- Written by Vince Murray
The problem with Arizona is most of the people who live here are from somewhere else. They don’t feel connected to the place and compare what we have to what they had “back home.” They try to make Arizona more like the Midwest, New England or California. Then two thirds of them move out, leaving a mess the rest of us have to clean up.
Jim Hatzell, Artist
- Published May 25, 2010
- Written by Jim Hatzell
The Artist Ride is going stronger than ever after 26 years. It is held once a year at the Shearer Ranch, 20 miles north of Wall, South Dakota. About 150 authentic Old West models provide scrap for the artists. The ride is so popular that we now have to set limits on how many artists can come each year. Right now we have slots for 50 artists.
Steve Shaw
- Published May 01, 2009
- Written by Steve Shaw
I reluctantly acquiesced to my wife Marcie’s idea that we take a steamboat cruise on the Mississippi River in 1998; I assumed it would be boring. We chose to dress in period-appropriate clothing—as a riverboat gambler and his lady. We had a ball! We enlightened our like-minded friends; then we thought, let’s organize trips so more people can enjoy this!
William C. Porter, Attorney
- Published April 27, 2010
- Written by William C. Porter
My favorite book is Michener's Centennial. I like an author who can draw you into history through family lines stretching over decades or, better, centuries.
Mark Lemon, Alamo Historian
- Published April 01, 2009
- Written by Mark Lemon
Don't get me started on respected Alamo artists who pompously sit on their laurels, let their research stagnate and then come unglued after viewing my work. My message: Grow up, stop crying, get current with your data and then maybe we can all get along ... but I’m not holding my breath.
Chris Enss, Author
- Published March 30, 2010
- Written by Chris Enss
Tiger Woods and Buffalo Bill Cody are men who thought monogamy was a type of wood. They were legendary talents with flaws who were eager to entertain the numerous women who threw themselves at the men, regardless of the fact that they were married.
Nate Funmaker, Hatmaker
- Published March 01, 2009
- Written by Nate Funmaker
When people come into my store, many are surprised to meet me. One customer said to me, “I’m thinkin I’m going to see a 60-year-old Jewish guy making hats, and instead I find a younger guy, and on top of that, Native American.”
