11 Wild West Myths

People picture the Wild West as gun-slinging bandits, Native American ambushes, and fast-shooting cowboys everywhere. Reality shows most towns were quite peaceful.Most towns were pretty peaceful.Some historians argue the Wild West "was a far more civilized, more peaceful and safer place than American society today."

Private groups and clubs handled property, theft, and crime, keeping things orderly even without official "governments."

Contrary to popular belief, the Stetson cowboy hat was not a common choice for many early frontiersmen.The Stetson cowboy hat.Cowboys rarely wore cowboy hats in the Old West. The idea of cowboys always wearing ten-gallon hats was mostly a movie trick. Bowlers and derbies proved more practical headwear choices because they stayed put when riding fast horses.

Wearing a huge, white hat during a gunfight would be unsafe. It would make a perfect target for enemies, even though it looks good.

The OK Corral gunfight.The OK Corral gunfight.The OK Corral gunfight is likely the most famous shootout in Wild West history. The fight did not happen in the OK Corral.The fight happened in the vacant lot behind the OK Corral instead. The whole fight lasted just 30 seconds.The fight happened in the vacant lot behind the OK Corral. The entire fight lasted only 30 seconds.

Those 30 seconds caused many deaths and wounds.

Card playing often becomes life or death in Western films. Yet, in the Old West, not every person engaged in major card games becauseGambling card games.Gambling card games were more serious than shown. Players became professional sportsmen when they started.

Many gambling halls, brothels, and saloons hosted card games and competitions, not just random fights.

In 1855, the Southern US held hundreds of feral camels.Feral camels.Seventy-five animals arrived from Egypt for army surveys. These animals stayed in central Texas to serve as pack animals for army camps for some time.

However, some camels escaped and began roaming and breeding freely. The legendary "Red Ghost" of Arizona was one of these feral camels.

Classic western films show only white cowboys. The Wild West had many different ethnic groups. The Lone Ranger's character might have come from a black U.S. Marshal named Bass Reeves.A black U.S. Marshal named Bass Reeves.The first known group of western cowboys were actually Mexican ranchers called Vaqueros and Spanish gentlemen called Caballeros.Mexican ranchers called Vaqueros and Spanish gentlemen called Caballeros.Both groups knew cattle driving and horse riding.

Not all outlaws ruling the West were men. Some were women.Ladies took on the role of outlaws.These women committed serious crimes, including robberies, gun attacks, and murders.

Fighting occurred between Native Americans and settlers over land. Cinema makes people think cowboys and Indians constantly fought.

Cowboys and Native Americans shared many instances of tolerance and living together as they did animosity.Native Americans made good business with settlers.They often traded goods and offered guiding services.

Many ranchers and early settlers owned guns or rifles. However, not everyone in the Old West carried a firearm. Gun laws were strict in western towns; people often could not carry a weapon inside city limits.

By law, this situation was not always easy or honorable for women in the Old West. These women earned high wages, special freedoms, and comfortable living arrangements. Brothel madams were some of the freest, most educated, and wealthiest women of that time.carrying a gun was illegal.This carried a penalty in Tombstone.

Life for a prostitute was not always easy or honorable for women in the Old West. They earned high wages, special freedoms, and comfortable living.Madams of brothels were some of the freest, most educated, and wealthiest women of that time.Bank robberies in the Old West did not happen often. Only three or four robberies occurred across 15 states over 40 years.

Bank robberies did not happen often in real life. Only three or four robberies occurred across 15 states over 40 years.

The Pony Express showed a rider galloping fast to deliver mail across the West. This image was romantic, but the Pony Express did not succeed. The company operated only for 19 months, from 1860 to 1861.Men moved messages along a 2,000-mile route. Small, light riders swapped horses every 10 to 15 miles and changed riders every 75 to 100 miles. This method was fast but expensive; the company lost an estimated $200,000 over its short run, a huge sum for the era.Men moved messages quickly over a 2,000-mile route. Small, light riders swapped horses every 10 to 15 miles and changed riders every 75 to 100 miles. This method was fast but costly; the company lost an estimated $200 over its short time, a huge sum for that period.

It's a romantic image: a rider atop a horse, galloping full speed to deliver mail to the far-flung outposts of the American West. While the Pony Express captured the popular imagination, it wasn't a huge success. In fact, the company only operated for 19 months from 1860-1861.

During that time, men were tasked with shuttling messages as fast as possible along a 2,000 mile route. The small, lightweight riders switched horses every 10-15 miles, and changed riders every 75-100 miles. It was a speedy method, but a costly one - the company lost an estimated $200,00 over its brief operating time, a staggering sum for the era.