Book Review: The True West

The True West: Real Stories about Black Cowboys, women sharpshooters, Native American Rodeo Stars, Pioneering Vaqueros, and the Unsung Explorers , Builders, and Heroes who Shaped the American West by Mifflin Lowe, illustrated by Wiliam Luong, Bushel and Peck Books, 2020. 

This book is primarily brief biographies of western characters, including minority groups and women.  Some of the stories I was familiar with; but most I was not.  It includes the stories of Bill Pickett, Annie Oakley, Nat Love, Patricia and Martin De León, Bass Reeves, Mamie Hafley and many more.  It talks of women sharpshooters, women wagon and stage drivers, Native Americans and African Americans in rodeo, and persons important important in the westward movement.  It also has general stories such as talks of the Mexican vaqueros, Buffalo Soldiers, Chinese rail workers, western clothing, wagon trains and Jews in the west.  The book provided me some very good material regarding people I did not know about.

Butch Cassidy Bank Robbery Museum, Montpelier Idaho

 This is an actual bank that was robbed by Butch Cassidy and has now been turned into a museum.  The docent indicated it was Butch and Bob Meeks who went into the bank while Elzy Lay held the horses.  Bob Meeks forgot to wear a face covering so was later identified and tried and sentenced to prison.  Cassidy and Lay were not.

Summary of the robbery

artwork in progress

Butch's ghost robbing the bank

Fort Worth picture taken for fun, but allowed detectives to know what they looked like.  Butch lower right, Sundance lower left.  Ben Kilpatrick in middle, Will Carver on left, Kid Curry (Harvey Logan) on right.  Photo lead to the demise of the Wild Bunch.

This number differs from bulletin across the street which says take was $16000

Meeks had a rough time after the hold up.  In addition to his prison time, he also spent time in the State Hospital in Blackfoot.  His detyeriorated mental condition eventually took his life.

New statue unveiled the week we were there.  On corner of Heritage Park.

Laramie Depot Railroad Museum

 There is plenty to see at the museum which in addition to housing a train station also housed a telegraph office.  There is a replica of the golden spike in the telegraph office.  

The National Oregon/California Trail Center

 In Montpelier is the National Oregon/California Trail enter as the trail crossed the creek where the trail passed and the city was built.  Seven miles before reaching town is the Big Hill.  This is likely the most serious impediment up to this time on the trail.  Going up was steep, but not too severe.  However gong down was another story.  Pioneer had to tie ropes to the wagons and around a tree to keep them from descending too fast.  Included is a reenactment of the Oregon Trail trek, and a permanent art collection by Gary Stone depicting scenes of the Oregon Trail across Idaho. 

rough work going down the Big Hill

This shows pictures of Winter Quarters on the Mormon Trail in Omaha

Big Hill marker

Lewis and Clark who pioneered trail west

painting by Minerva Teichert

Trial of Bud Meeks who road with Butch Cassidy at Montpelier Bank robbery

Meeks, Elza Lay and Butch Cassidy

mural from two angles, below and above