Louisa Ann Swain was the first woman to vote in a public election in the United States or, more correctly, the first woman to vote in an area that would become part of the USA.

1870 - September 6 – Louisa Ann Swain posted the first vote ever cast in a public election in the Territory of Wyoming.

The Territory had yet to become part of the United States and after the events of this day and other Wyoming events designed to enshrine women’s rights, there would be a lot of controversy before the state could join the union.

Louisa was aged 70 when she cast her historic vote and became one of those magic moments in Old West History.  This woman is as much a part of the fabric of the old West as Billy the Kid or Wyatt Earp.  She may not be a part of daily conversation as they are, but Louisa Ann Swain paved the path for women everywhere.  I cannot imagine a world today where women could not vote but is only 141 years since that was the situation for all women.

Click the photo of her commemorative statue to go the Statehood Dates page and learn more about her and her vote.

Go the 1890 – July 10 – this was the day Wyoming became a state and her story is recorded here.  The history page has been updated.  Click on the Wyoming flag to check out the Old West Stories history page.

Short Version

1869 December 10 – Old West History records that the Wyoming Territorial legislature passed a bill gave everyone woman living in the Territory of Wyoming the right to vote.

1870 – March – In Laramie in the Territory of Wyoming, a Grand Jury had been impaneled with 6 women and 6 men.

1870 – September 6 – Louisa Ann Swain post the first vote ever cast in a public election in the Territory of Wyoming.

1890 – July 10 – Wyoming became the 44th state.  During the application to join the Union there was significant opposition.  Wyoming stood firm on principle and the Territory stated:-

“We may stay out of the union for 100 years, but when we come in, we will come with our women.”

What does the Old West Stories website think about all this.  All we want to say is “congratulations Wyoming”.  Old West History would not be the same without this monumental event, indeed; world history would not be the same.  You led the way Wyoming and we thank you.

Old West Stories brings you a new game based on the legend of The Old West.

Saloon Brawl - A game based on the legend of The Old West

Old West History is full of wild west legends around the saloon brawl.

There is always a hero to step in a clean up the outlaw.  Often it will be the Marshal or the Sheriff that steps into this role.

In “Saloon Brawl” you will come across a collection of bad guys in Saloon who all want to fight.  You get to use your legendary skills with your fists to lay out all who oppose you.  Punch, kick, throw chairs, break tables, duck bottles and walk away a hero.

Old West Stories always need a hero.  At the Saloon Brawl, will you be the old west stories hero and go down in wild west history.  Just click on the image to give it a go.

This week there have been some updates to the Old West Stories History Page.  Check out 1803 in particular for an overview of events around Louisiana.

A new page is under development for the history of the War of 1812.  Keep an eye on the Old West Stories site to learn more about an even that secured the United States position as a world leader.  The threat from the British was significant and many at the time though America was facing overwhelming odds.  They were right but America still manager to win.  America could have become a British Colony again, stay tuned to learn how this impossible task was achieved.

We also have a new site being developed that will highlight Old West Fiction.  Contributions from fans of Old West Stories so, if you have written any short pieces of fiction about the Old West this could be your chance to be discovered.

Frontier Gambling

The cover of this book states  it covers the Games, The Gamblers and the Great Gambling Halls of the Old West.  It does exactly that in a vividly descriptive narrative that will help you feel the passion of the gamblers of those Old West Stories we all love.

BUT WAIT; THERE’S MORE.

This book covers Old West History from a unique perspective not often explored.  Most works about Old West Stories will mention gambling in passing, focusing on other historical aspects of the era.  This work puts into perspective how those gamblers in Old West Stories shaped the events more commonly referred to.  This is mostly because almost every man who went West was a gambler.

This book points out that the act of heading West into the frontier was an act of gambling in itself.  It included gambling your life itself to seek the potential that awaited.  Many died, most failed to achieve great wealth and only a few created the life they dreamed of and that we fondly look back on.

Many of the Gunslingers, Lawmen and Settlers of the time were gamblers.  Famous Lawman Wyatt Earp is a great example.  Famed mostly for his law keeping reputation, he was an expert gambler and even owned his own gambling operation on more than one ocassion.  This Part of Old West History is worthy of further reading and the reading this subject gets no better than this book.

If you aren’t particularly interested in the gambling aspect of Old West Stories don’t assume this book is not for you.  If you are interested in the lifestyle of the Old West at all (and lets face it, you would not be on this site if you weren’t) there will be information and stories here for you.  An aspect of this book that particularly appeals to me is the Glossary and Index pages.  They are some of the most comprehensive I have seen and Ron has kindly consented to allowing me to recreate his Glossary here on this web site.  So to get a feel for a his high quality work, take the link to GLOSSARY and check it out.

The index is easy to use and one of the most useful and comprehensive I have read.  I know I will be keeping this book on my shelf within easy reach for reference purposes.  This book has over 400 entries in the Index and several pages listed for many of the topics listed, eg: Bat Masterson alone is mentioned on 10 separate pages.

So the short review is:-

“A great work that makes a significant addition

to the historical record of the Old West.”

The Detailed Review

For more information, take the link to the Review Pages for a more detailed analysis.

Old West History Writer - G R Williamson

The Author is Mr G.R. (Ron) Williamson

Ron Williamson is a storyteller, western writer, a member of The Western Writers of America and The Wild West History Association.  His keen interest in real Old West Stories and authentic wild west history and broad knowledge of the topic are apparent in the book reviewed here.  Ron has given several presentations at the National Outlaw & Lawman History Association (NOLA) and at the Wild West History Association (WWHA) annual meetings on topics including John Coffee Hays, Ben Thompson, King Fisher and frontier gambling.

Ron truly knows his subject.  His knowledge began to accumulate during early childhood treks with his grandfather whilst growing up in the rough brasada of South Texas.  The Mexican legends and wild west lore he experienced through the stories passed down by those who lived the legend gives the magical era a reality that I often wish I had experienced.

Ron has published articles in newspapers and in national magazines, written screen plays and received several awards for his work.

The writing style employed by Ron Williamson in “Frontier Gambling” has the touch of the master about it.                             If you watch the movie “True Grit“, John Wayne or Jeff Bridges (depending on which version you have) draw you into the story and you can see yourself as the Texas Ranger tracking down the murderer and protecting Mattie Ross as you go.                                If you read “Rogue River” by Kerry Newcombe you will become Cole Anthem as he battles to bring in a murderer and protect everyone around him as they flee Indians on a wild river ride.                                If you Listen to the old “Gunsmoke” radio episodes and close your eyes you will become the brave and intrepid Sheriff Matt Dillon who would take on incredible odds to overcome evil and protect the citizens of HIS town.

The best fictional stories achieve this.  In a work of non-fiction it a true rarity.  Not since that wonder collection of Old West Stories in Dee Brown’s epic “Buy My Heart at Wounded Knee” have I found myself drawn into the narrative of a non-fiction work in this way.  I highly recommend “Frontier Gambling” to all enthusiasts of Old West Stories.  I have a small shelf above my desk where I keep a few treasured works that I want to keep at hand.  “Frontier Gambling“ by G R Williamson is being added to that shelf.

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Buy the book now at Amazon.

Available in Print Version shiped to your door and Kindle download version.

Just click on the book at right.

Tumbleweed – Texas Icon

1877 - Texas Tumbleweed. 

An interesting, intriguing plant eternally associated with Old West Stories and a native plant of Texas.  Well not quite, that may be the common belief but the Russian Thistle, commonly known in the States as the Tumbleweed was first officially reported in the States in 1877.  Until a recent trip with a work colleague I too thought this was a native Texas plant but she pointed out the error of my thinking.  It appears that the plant made its way from Russia to the USA around 1877.  Some unsubstantiated reports claim as early as 1873.

Several species are intrusive outside their native environment. They have encroached into parts of North America where they are officially listed as noxious weeds.  The salt tolerant species is first recorded in Bon Homme COunty in South Dakota in 1877 and probably came in as a stowaway in Flax imported from the Ukraine.  South Dakota proved too dry and far too harsh an environment for the flax but the “Tumbleweed” flourished.

So thank you Jody-Ann for educating me on this misunderstood icon of the old west.

Old West Stories Games

A new page has been added to the Old West Stories web site and there are several similar pages to come.  If you are at all like me, you enjoy most anything to do with the old west and this includes novels, movies, television stories, history and of course, old west games.

Check out the picture below for the first entry on the site, “Railroad Rampage”.

The train has been taken over by an outlaw gang in the style of that famous gang from The Old West, the Reno Brothers Gang (also referred to as the Jackson Gang).  The reno brothers Frank, John, Simeon and William formed the basis of the gang that rampaged through The Old West during the 1860s and formed one of the classic Old West Tales of the period.  The gang is credited with the first recorded peace time train robbery in history.

They led the way for such villians as Butch Cassidy and his gang.  Train robberies were big business for several decades and form a major part of the Old West Stories legends.

Railroad Rampage

Old West Stories recently came across a special story of The Old West that was completely unexpected and hysterically funny.  We have all  heard about the Oregon Trail and others, forged to trail beef cattle from Texas to the Northern States hungry for quality beef after the Civil War.

Did you know that cattle were not the only live stock herded across these trails?  This job was not for the feint hearted, it needed the toughest cowboys to tackle the dangers of over 800 miles trailing huge herds of cattle through dangerous and inhospital country.  For many of the Texas cowboys who undertook this work, it may have seemed tame after their experieince in the Civil War but was tough beyond modern understanding.

Many of our friends find one or two nights camping in good weather, with a great tent, a car near by and portable gas cooking and heating, tough enough to brag about to all the other wokrer in their week day office environment.  If it rained, obviously those two days would be even harder.  Imagine if you can, 6 to 8 weeks on the trail often with no shelter and the constant threat of outlaws and Indians all the way.

Did you know there was harder work than trailing cattle for 800 miles; and more rewarding too.

To view a very informative (and hysterically funny) video, click on the link below now.

Cat Herders

Don’t forget to check out some of the other posts while you are on site, including:-

Wild Bill Hickok

Sheriff Pat Garrett

Billy the Kid

Buford (Mad Dog) Tannen

Do you know who Mad Dog Tannen is?

Have you seen the movie “Back to the Future III”?

If you answered no to either of these questions Old West Stories would like to acquaint you with Buford Tannen, who  was born around 1862 but neither his exact date of birth or his place of birth can be determined with certainty.  Mad Dog has his own page at Mad Dog Tannen.

Old West Stories believes that the portrayal of Buford (Mad Dog) Tannen by Thomas F. Wilson is one of the best performances of an outlaw from The Old West we have ever seen.  Mad Dog is fictional but strikes me as just about as real as a movie outlaw can be.  With no previous acting experience in a Western and hampered by the comedic background of the character, Thomas Wilson’s performance is all the more remarkable.

Bufort Tannen was a notorious gunman whose short temper and a tendency to drool earned him the nickname “Mad Dog”.  He was quick on the trigger and bragged that he had killed 12 men, not including Indians or Chinamen.  Not as many as Billy the Kid is reputed to have killed but this character is every bit as convincing as that real life outlaw.

Old West Stories Meets Science Fiction

A Classic Lawman in the Old West Stories Style - Marshall Strickland

The movie is a time travelling comedy set in The Old West.  Old West Stories rates this as highly as any western we have ever seen.  It has all of the prerequisites for a classic tale from the legends of the Wild Wild West, including:-

• A hero who is prepared to make a great sacrifice for what he knows is right – Doc Brown was willing to leave behind his one true love in order to protect the future;

• A beautiful love interest – Clara Clayton is a very beautiful teacher with an interest in the sciences;

• A frontier lawman – In the tradition created around the likes of Pat Garret and Wyatt Earp , Marshal Strickland is tough, courageous, takes every advantage to enforce the law and looks to pass on his dedication to the next generation;

• A classic shootout – With a twist when Mad Dog Tannen is stared down and beaten by the under-dog, Marty McFly.  In case you haven’t seen the movie, I won’t reveal it here but there is a twist in this shoot out worthy of that other Old West Stories legend, Clint Eastwood;

• A bartender that knows everything that moves in the town; and
  

• A saloon full of old west stories type characters – Men that comment on everything and even place bets on who will live following a shootout.
  

Mad Dog Tannen and his gang of three operated around the remote hills and valleys surrounding the old west town of Hill Valley during 1885.  Hill Valley is situated close to Haysville where the infamous outlaw Stinky Lomax operated until he was hung on September 2, 1885.  In September of that year the town of Hell Valley was thriving on the back of the railway.

Mad Dog Tannen terrified the citizens of Hill Valley.  In the wonderful story of the old west told in the movie “Back to the Future III” it is clear even the armed men in the Saloon, probably very experienced with those firearms and knowing full well how to look after themselves, are not willing to stand up to Tannen and his gang.

In the Manure Again

Mad Dog Tannen was portrayed in the movie by Thomas F Wilson (Born 1959, April 15).  Wilson has appeared in several movies and television roles but as far as I know, this is his only Western.  For my money, his portrayal of mad Dog Tannen was superb.  Even within the restriction of playing a somewhat comedic and tragic character, the realism of his portrayal was simply fantastic.    Too bad he ends up in a pile of manure after Marty McFly punched out his lights.

Check out more about Mad Dog Tannen on his new page under the Stories heading on the title banner.

Thank you to all the entrants in the Old West Stories Book Competition

Kid Ramble on the Run

I trust the winners will enjoy the read.  They have each received their eBook copy by now and working their way through to a showdown in the Wyoming Wilderness that left not one participant unharmed.

The winners are:-

• Dagan Moss;

• Zhu Chanatsu;

• Brendan Phaustini;

• Phanindranath; and

• David Panter.

If you haven’t checked out the free chapters yet, they are available on the Kid Ramble page under the Stories banner at the top of the page.  Read about how Kid Ramble robs the bank in heartless manner of Butch Cassidy.  Find out if Cavalry Sergeant Brad White, a veteran of Black Hills Indian campaign can get his man and retrieve the Army money.  Learn why John Quaid can’t quit until he has bagged the man who attaked his family or dies in the attempt.

Old West Stories Special Offer

Old West Stories was intending to offer the book to anyone who entered but did not win, for $3.00.

After thinking about it for a while, we decided to make it available as a special offer to everyone at that price.

That’s right, it is now available for just $3.

It has been changed on the shopping trolley and will show up there for just $3.

Old West Stories will make sure that $1.00 of that will still go to the Wild Horse Rescue Center so they won’t miss out.

The hunt for Kid Ramble

If you haven’t seen the video advert for this story in the classic style of The Old West, check it out now on Youtube.

Remember also to check out the Review pages for updates on Movie Reviews and Book Reviews, being added to regularly.

Rogue River – Book Review by Old West Stories

Old West Stories Review of Rogue River

Rogue River was written by Kerry Newcombe and released in 1987.

Set in Montana near the Marias River, the location of the historical Fort Conrad, it traces the complicated story of Cole Anthem and his unlikely style of heroism.  If you have read other stories by this writer you may be aware that he has penned quite a few Old West Stories that includes a series under the banner of “The Texas Anthem”

An Old West Stories Style Logo belongs to Conrad High School - Montana

These books chronicle the life and times of the Anthem family in Texas and in this work of one the sons, Cole Anthem, has become a bounty hunter.

The district of Conrad is so strongly associated with many famous Old West Stories and The Old West and the Conrad High School carries this logo today.

After fellow bounty hunter Glory Doolin is gunned down by the subject of her bounty hunting efforts, she calls in Cole Anthem to help deal with Sam Dollard.  Sam sets off on his mission but hits a hurdle when he finds that Sam Dollard is working with the Army and has effectively enlisted their protection for as long as he keeps his job as a Scout.

The story weaves together the path of several disparate characters that come together in unexpected ways as they head for an encounter with a group of the Cheyenne Red Shield warriors.  The group, including sworn enemies, would need to work together to stay alive.  The group included:-

• Ben Wheatley – An educated black man with a command of Shakespeare but no knowledge of how to stay alive in a wild country;

• Cole Anthem – The Bounty Hunter with gun handling skills better than the legend of Billy the Kid or Wyatt Earp who knew how to survive under the most savage and dangerous of circumstances;

• Danny McKane – An ageing Irish Army Sergeant;

• Jay Lee Hammond – Over weight and slow but with a valuable intelligence and thoughtfulness under pressure but a mand who played his part in his father’s death and is not to be trusted;
  

• Sam Dollard – The Criminal and woman killer; and
  

• Zack Hammond – The brother of Jake Lee Dollard, a wiry and athletic figure that is less trustworthy the Butch Cassidy cannot be trusted and his killed his own father to claim his gold and his wife.

An Old West Stories Encounter

Medicine Bear - Cheyenne Chief from The Old West

Cole heads toward an dangerous encounter with the Cheyenne Chief Medicine Bear and his Red Shield Warriors.  At one moment in history, the real Medicine Bear was certainly heading toward a meeting with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse and the Cheyenne prepared to join with the Sioux to expel General Custer and his troops from their land.  Click on the picture to learn why this Medicine Bear is not the one in this book.

Bringing a degree of historical accuracy into a tale of the old west is always a major plus for me and added to my enjoyment of the overall story.  The location and the weaving of Indian movement toward the Little Big Horn set the time frame nicely.  The portrayal of the Indians may not be very accurate in this story but is probably an accurate portrayal of how white society viewed the Indian “menace” in the 1880′s.

A good read, firmly set in the tradition of Old West Stories.

Win the Old West Story – The Hunt for Kid Ramble

OLD WEST STORIES - The Hunt for Kid Ramble

Old West Stories is giving you a chance to win a copy of a tale of the old west, “The Hunt for Kid Ramble”.  Only available online as an eBook and you can download it for just $5.00.  But would you like to win a FREE copy of this book.

How do you win?   Read the free chapters that you can access on the link to Old West Stories – Kid Ramble.

Then answer the following question and send your answer to Old West Stories at enquries@oldweststories.net or answer                    through a comment at the bottom of the                       Old West Stories – Kid Ramble page.

Question – During a classic old west shoot out between the Cavalry and the outlaws, one of Sergeant White’s soldiers lost a leg after being shot in the knee.  Who was that soldier?

Entries close on 30 April 2011, so jump in now for your chance to win and 5 winners will be announced on this site on 5 May 2011 and they will receive their FREE copy of the book courtesy of Old West Stories.

If you haven’t seen the video advertisement, click the picture above to check it out.

But what is this Old West Story really about?

The story starts with a bank robbery in Wyoming with a Billy the Kid style character leading a bad bunch of young men who want to be old west outlaws.  They steal a Cavalry payroll and kill the of the Sheriff’s deputies and four others that included a bound and helpless woman.

The town Sheriff takes on Marshal duties and leads a posse into the old west wilderness of Wyoming.  The Sheriff turns out not to be up to the job but a Cavalry Sergeant with the tenacity of Wyatt Earp is also on his trail.  A classic shoot out in a remote valley, in the style of your favourite old west stories leaves both soldiers and outlaws dead but Kid Ramble is still on the run.

While on the run the remnants of the gang kill a man’s daughter and cripple his wife.  Even though John Quaid knows he is not a tough western Sheriff and Ramble has already shot him once, he heads out to track him down.  Read how Kid Ramble turns himself into an old west legend and how John Quaid, the cavalry Sergeant and the gang end up in a deadly encounter near that famous old west town of Deadwood.

The crew at Old West Stories is certain you will enjoy reading this classic story of old west lawmen and outlaws.  So happy reading and good luck.

While your on site, take a moment to check out some of the other popular posts and page, including:-

• Billy the Kid

• Butch Cassidy

• Sheriff Pat Garret – (Scheduled release 23 April 2011)

• Wyatt Earp