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Wild Wild West

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Task Force 16

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I did some pondering about what is was probably like back in the 1800's, often refered to as the Old Wild West. It's been my opinion that there were not that many "gunfights in the streets" as was written about by the western novel writers of that period. So I figured there had to be something else about the Old Wild West that some folks don't want to see return. And I think I know what. I set in to write the following article. I plan to submit it to variuos media. Feel free to print it out to share, if you like.


edit: damned dislexic fingers :banghead:
 
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Notso

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I totally agree TF. I've often thought that for the most part, the men of this country over the last 30 or 40 years have become total wimps. Not sure why, but they have.
 
Michigander

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The place I have seen that most closely resembles the common idea of the old west is New Mexico. It's very gun friendly, and very old fashion looking in many places. It's incredibly common to see people dressed in full cowboy apparel. Aside from Albuquerque, it's an extremely friendly place in my experience.
 
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imperialism2024

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Notso wrote:
I totally agree TF. I've often thought that for the most part, the men of this country over the last 30 or 40 years have become total wimps. Not sure why, but they have.
Click to expand...
No need to take personal responsibility when the government takes care of it for you. The sad truth is that the American (only by virtue of birth, not character) people overwhelming want a nanny state of some variety.
 
Huck

Huck

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To quote the last paragraph in the linked article;

"There simply is no justification for blaming contemporary American violence and lawlessness on a frontier heritage. The time is long past for Americans to stop excusing the violence in society by trotting out that old whipping boy, the frontier. On the contrary, it would seem that the frontier, instead of representing America at its worst may have, in many respects, represented the nation at its best."

http://www.guncite.com/wild_west_myth.html

I totally agree. There was much less violent crime, people had respect for each other and better morals by far, andcriminals were treated as they should be, (which is one reason why crime was low) We could'nt go wrong going back to the standards of themis-named "wild west". That's the "change" I'd like to see.
 
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563

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Many years ago, when I lived in Coalinga, Ca, I took the time to read thru the micro film of our newspaper at out Library, The Coalinga Record has been published since 1901.

In it, I found many stories of Gun fights, Murders, Kidnappings, and even stage coach robberies, in which the local Sheriff sent out posse's to find the culprits that eneded in shoot outs and deaths in the hills. pretty wild stuff.

take the time to read some of your old newspapers on Micro film at the Library. pretty neat stuff to read thru.
 
C

Citizen

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Well, if the other thread's assertion is true--that some police departments are willing to hire people with misdemeanor convictions--we may not be all that far removed from the Wild West as it is.
 
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Task Force 16

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Notso wrote:
I totally agree TF. I've often thought that for the most part, the men of this country over the last 30 or 40 years have become total wimps. Not sure why, but they have.
Click to expand...
It isn't just the men, the women of the Old West were of tough stock as well. And most of them could handle a firearm as well as the men. If a family moved west to settle in a remote area, and the man died or was killed, the woman had to take up the slack to raise her children. She didn't have a government office to turn to for assistance.
 
deepdiver

deepdiver

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Task Force 16 wrote:
Notso wrote:
I totally agree TF. I've often thought that for the most part, the men of this country over the last 30 or 40 years have become total wimps. Not sure why, but they have.
Click to expand...
It isn't just the men, the women of the Old West were of tough stock as well. And most of them could handle a firearm as well as the men. If a family moved west to settle in a remote area, and the man died or was killed, the woman had to take up the slack to raise her children. She didn't have a government office to turn to for assistance.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, and not just in the Old West. Rural women in general. One of my great-grandmothers and a great-aunt (who were sisters) were accidentally shot by hunters in rural KY at different times while by themselves and walked home afterwards. My g-g/m was shot in the shoulder with a deer slug while berry picking and afterwards walked home at least a few miles through the rural, wooded hills. My great aunt was shot in the shoulder and back with buckshot by someone who thought she was a revenuer. She walked home, saddled up a horse and rode about 5 miles to her sister's house because they had a general store and a telephone to call the doctor. According to the youngest sister who is still living and kicking at 99, my great-aunt self-medicated with whiskey waiting for the doctor to arrive and remove the pellets and was cooking meals and out working in her substantially sized garden the next day. Tough women indeed.
 
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Orygunner

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deepdiver wrote:
Task Force 16 wrote:
Notso wrote:
I totally agree TF. I've often thought that for the most part, the men of this country over the last 30 or 40 years have become total wimps. Not sure why, but they have.
Click to expand...
It isn't just the men, the women of the Old West were of tough stock as well. And most of them could handle a firearm as well as the men. If a family moved west to settle in a remote area, and the man died or was killed, the woman had to take up the slack to raise her children. She didn't have a government office to turn to for assistance.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, and not just in the Old West. Rural women in general. One of my great-grandmothers and a great-aunt (who were sisters) were accidentally shot by hunters in rural KY at different times while by themselves and walked home afterwards. My g-g/m was shot in the shoulder with a deer slug while berry picking and afterwards walked home at least a few miles through the rural, wooded hills. My great aunt was shot in the shoulder and back with buckshot by someone who thought she was a revenuer. She walked home, saddled up a horse and rode about 5 miles to her sister's house because they had a general store and a telephone to call the doctor. According to the youngest sister who is still living and kicking at 99, my great-aunt self-medicated with whiskey waiting for the doctor to arrive and remove the pellets and was cooking meals and out working in her substantially sized garden the next day. Tough women indeed.
Click to expand...

Oh, I suppose you're going to tell us they also walked to school, 12 miles, uphill, both ways, barefoot in 3' of snow? ;)

...And that they liked it that way?...

I'm just kiddin'.People were hella tougher back then. My grandpa grew up in a rural Oregon town. My dad used to tell me about how even in his 70's, my grandpa would walk several miles through the woods hunting or picking fern all day long and my dad (in his 30s and in good shape) couldn't keep up with him.

...Orygunner...
 
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Doug Huffman

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563 wrote:
Many years ago, when I lived in Coalinga, Ca, I took the time to read thru the micro film of our newspaper at out Library, The Coalinga Record has been published since 1901.

In it, I found many stories of Gun fights, Murders, Kidnappings, and even stage coach robberies, in which the local Sheriff sent out posse's to find the culprits that eneded in shoot outs and deaths in the hills. pretty wild stuff.

take the time to read some of your old newspapers on Micro film at the Library. pretty neat stuff to read thru.
Click to expand...
Hey, I know Coaling Station A, tarpits and coyotes hanging on the barbed-wire.
 
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murphy2

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If you think about it. The "old west" was not that long ago. It ended early 1900's. Ideology has changed. Freedom is not what it used to mean. Freedom used to be cutting your own path in life,going where you wanted to go,doing what you wanted to do,being who you wanted to be, protectingyourhonor, your family name, yourname, and so on. Now it's the freedom to text in the coffee house, have somebody save your hide when you are threatened,call the cops because they looked at you wrong......... . "......They where deferent times and a deferent breed of men.The likesof which we'll never see again". (T. Roosevelt) I personalynot having been there, I miss it!
 
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NevJohn

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563 wrote:
Many years ago, when I lived in Coalinga, Ca, I took the time to read thru the micro film of our newspaper at out Library, The Coalinga Record has been published since 1901.

In it, I found many stories of Gun fights, Murders, Kidnappings, and even stage coach robberies, in which the local Sheriff sent out posse's to find the culprits that eneded in shoot outs and deaths in the hills. pretty wild stuff.

take the time to read some of your old newspapers on Micro film at the Library. pretty neat stuff to read thru.
Click to expand...
Yep, "Coaling-station-A". This central valley of Calif has quite a history of crime, be it Joaquin Murrieta and others. Alot of good book around dealing with the subject here.
 
Sonora Rebel

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I live on the far edge of habitation in a section of the Sonora Desert. 1/8th mile west is nuthin'... for a long ways. The West is still alive here... in places... but 'lotta people haven't a clue... Nor care to get one. First street sign I see is 'Open Range'. I chose to live here on purpose. I ain't askin' nobody for nuthin'... 'never will.
 
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Task Force 16

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Sonora Rebel wrote:
I live on the far edge of habitation in a section of the Sonora Desert. 1/8th mile west is nuthin'... for a long ways. The West is still alive here... in places... but 'lotta people haven't a clue... Nor care to get one. First street sign I see is 'Open Range'. I chose to live here on purpose. I ain't askin' nobody for nuthin'... 'never will.
Click to expand...

Yup, goes with that song,"Country Boy Can Survive".

I believe it was those dang city slickers from back east that populated the towns. They couldn't handle living out of sight of town........and they still can't. I guess the sound of crickets at night :what:scared em. :lol:
 
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