This timeline of the American Old West

American Old West

The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...

, is a chronologically ordered list of significant events, births and deaths, associated with the period of westerly expansion of white settlers across northern continental America. This period is often referred to as the Wild West, referencing the largely lawless nature of much of the pattern of settlement which ensued immediately after the Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...

 opened the frontier west of the Mississippi river

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 to settlers from the established colonies on the East coast.

Exploration and Discovery

Initial interest in the vast unexplored territory came through the fur trade, with trappers and hunters moving ahead of settlers. The early years were largely a period of scientific exploration and survey, such that by 1840 the rough outline of the entire West had been mapped to the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

.

Year	Date	Event
1800		Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...  elected third President of the United States President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
1803		Louisiana Purchase Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
1804	Aug 31	Start of Lewis and Clark expedition to explore and chart the regions west of the Mississippi
1832		Bonneville Expedition

1840s

Year	Date	Event
1843	Jan 10	Frank James Frank James Alexander Franklin "Frank" James was a famous American outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw Jesse James.-Childhood:...  is born in Clay County, Missouri
1845	Jun 1	John C. Frémont John C. Frémont John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder... 's 3rd expedition with 55 men & Kit Carson Kit Carson Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...  as guide left St. Louis to "map the source of the Arkansas River Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas... " but continued to the Sacramento Valley Sacramento Valley The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
1846	Feb 26	William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody is born near LeClaire, Iowa
1846	Dec 27	An army of volunteers led by Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan wins a major battle in the Mexican-American War by occupying El Paso El Paso El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
1847	Jan 19	Charles Bent Charles Bent Charles Bent was appointed as the first Governor of the newly acquired New Mexico Territory by Governor Stephen Watts Kearny in September 1846....  is assassinated and scalped during the Taos Revolt Taos Revolt The Taos Revolt was a popular insurrection in January 1847 by Mexicans and Pueblo allies against the United States' occupation of present-day northern New Mexico during the Mexican–American War. In two short campaigns, United States troops and militia crushed the rebellion of the Mexicans and...
1847	Sep 5	Jesse James Jesse James Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...  born in Kearney Kearney, Missouri Kearney is a city in Clay County, Missouri, United States. The population was estimated to be 8,599 in 2008. It is most famous for being the birthplace of Jesse James, and there is an annual festival in the third weekend of September to recognize the notorious outlaw.Kearney was unofficially... , Clay County, Missouri
1848	Jan 24	James Marshall James W. Marshall James Wilson Marshall was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, whose discovery of gold in the American River in California on January 24, 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush. The mill property was owned by Johan Sutter who employed Marshall to build his mill...  discovers gold in Sutter's Creek, California
1848	Feb 5	Belle Starr Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr , better known as Belle Starr, was a notorious American outlaw.-Early life:...  is born near Carthage, Missouri Carthage, Missouri Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 14,378 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."...
1848	Mar 19	Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...  is born in Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warfield Park, West Park, South Park, Garwood Park, Buster White Park and the Citizens Lake & Campground. It is the host...

1850s

1850

Year	Date	Event
1850	Jan 29	Responding to questions of how to accommodate slavery in a growing nation, Henry Clay Henry Clay Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...  proposes a series of measures to preserve the Union that come be called the Compromise of 1850 Compromise of 1850 The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five bills, passed in September 1850, which defused a four-year confrontation between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War...
1850	Feb	Pinkerton Detective Agency founded
1850	Feb 27	Birth of Henry Huntington, U.S. railroad pioneer and art collector (d. 1927)
1850	Apr 4	City of Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...  incorporated
1850	Apr 15	City of San Francisco incorporated
1850	May 3	Birth of Johnny Ringo Johnny Ringo John Peters "Johnny" Ringo was an outlaw Cowboy of the American Old West who was affiliated with Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell in Cochise County, Arizona Territory during 1881-1882.-Early life:... , U.S. cowboy (d. 1882)
1850	Jun 3	Five Cayuse Cayuse The Cayuse are a Native American tribe in the state of Oregon in the United States. The Cayuse tribe shares a reservation in northeastern Oregon with the Umatilla and the Walla Walla tribes as part of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation...  tribesmen hanged in Oregon City Oregon City, Oregon Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...  for Whitman massacre Whitman massacre The Whitman massacre was the murder in the Oregon Country on November 29, 1847 of U.S. missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa Whitman, along with eleven others. They were killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians. The incident began the Cayuse War...
1850	Jun 5	Birth of Pat Garrett Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid... , lawman known for killing Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...  (d. 1908)
1850	Jul 9	Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass... , 12th president on United States, dies of cholera after serving 16 months Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...  becomes president.
1850	Sep 9	California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...  is admitted as the 31st U.S. state U.S. state A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
1850	Sep 9	New Mexico Territory New Mexico Territory thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...  is organized by order of the U.S. Congress
1850	Sep 9	Utah Territory Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....  is organized by order of the U.S. Congress
1850	Sep 27	Donation Land Claim Act Donation Land Claim Act The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...  to promote homestead Homesteading Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency.-Current practice:The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading...  settlement in the Oregon Territory Oregon Territory The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
1850	Sep 29	Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...  appoints Brigham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...  first governor of Utah Territory Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....

1851

Year	Date	Event
1851		Horace Greeley Horace Greeley Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...  popularizes the saying "Go West, young man Go West, young man "Go West, young man" is a popular saying in the United States about Manifest Destiny popularized by American author Horace Greeley.Greeley favored westward expansion. He saw the fertile farmland of the west as an ideal place for people willing to work hard for the opportunity to succeed... ", though the phrase was originally written by Indiana newspaper writer John Soule in the Terre Haute Express in 1851
1851		Western Union Western Union The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...  founded as The New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company
1851	Jan 23	The flip of a coin determines whether a new city in Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...  is named after Boston, Massachusetts, or Portland, Maine Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000... , with Portland Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...  winning
1851	Mar 27	Mariposa Battalion, led by James D. Savage are first reported non-natives to enter Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
1851	Apr 24	Birth of Morgan Earp Morgan Earp Morgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually... , younger brother of Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...  (d. 1882)
1851	Jul 21	Birth of Sam Bass Sam Bass Sam Bass was a nineteenth-century American train robber and outlaw.-Early life:Bass was orphaned at the age of 10. For the next five years, he and his siblings lived with an abusive uncle. In 1869, he set out on his own and spent the next year in Mississippi... , train and bank robber (d. 1878)
1851	Aug 10	Birth of Mysterious Dave Mather Mysterious Dave Mather Dave Allen Mather , known as Mysterious Dave, or sometimes as New York Dave, was an American lawman and gunfighter in the American Old West. The date and circumstances of his death are not known with any certainty... , lawman and gunfighter
1851	Aug 14	Birth of Doc Holliday Doc Holliday John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral... , gambler and gunfighter (d. 1887)
1851	Sep 17	Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) Although many European and European-American migrants to western North America had previously passed through the Great Plains on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, the California gold rush greatly increased traffic...  signed with Sioux Indians
1851	Oct 6	Birth of William P. Longley William P. Longley William Preston Longley , also known as Wild Bill Longley, was an American Old West outlaw and gunfighter noted for his ruthless nature, speed with a gun, quick temper, and unpredictable demeanour... , outlaw and gunfighter (d. 1878)
1851	Nov 13	The Denny Party Denny Party The Denny Party is a group of white pioneers credited with founding Seattle, Washington because they settled at Alki Point on November 13, 1851.A wagon party headed by Arthur A. Denny left Cherry Grove, Illinois on April 10, 1851...  lands at Alki Point, the first settlers of what will become Seattle, Washington

1852

Year	Date	Event
1852	Mar 18	Wells Fargo Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...  company founded to provide express and banking services to California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
1852	Mar 20	Uncle Tom's Cabin Uncle Tom's Cabin Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....  by Harriett Beecher Stowe published
1852	May 1	Birth of Calamity Jane Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans... , frontierswoman (d. 1903)
1852	Jun 29	Death of Henry Clay Henry Clay Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives... , US statesman and senator, key figure in Compromise of 1850 Compromise of 1850 The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five bills, passed in September 1850, which defused a four-year confrontation between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War...
1852	Jul 19	Birth of Commodore Perry Owens Commodore Perry Owens Commodore Perry Owens was an American-born lawman and gunfighter of the Old West. One of his many exploits was the Owens-Blevins Shootout in Arizona Territory during the Pleasant Valley War.- Early life :... , lawman and gunfighter (d. 1919)
1852	Nov 2	Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...  elected president

1853

Year	Date	Event
1853		Omaha City was founded in the Nebraska Territory Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854... .
1853	Feb 8	Washington Territory Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....  organized from portion of Oregon Territory Oregon Territory The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
1853	Mar	Levi Strauss Levi Strauss Levi Strauss was a German-Jewish immigrant to the United States who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans. His firm, Levi Strauss & Co., began in 1853 in San Francisco, California.-Origins:...  arrives in San Francisco and opens store supplying goods and clothing to Gold Rush California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...  miners
1853	May 26	Birth of John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin was an American outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk hero of the Old West. He was born in Bonham, Texas. Hardin found himself in trouble with the law at an early age, and spent the majority of his life being pursued by both local lawmen and federal troops of the... , outlaw (d. 1895)
1853	Oct 25	Paiute Paiute Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...  Indians attack U.S. Army Captain John W. Gunnison John W. Gunnison John Williams Gunnison was an American military officer and explorer.-Biography:Gunnison was born in Goshen, New Hampshire in 1812. He graduated from West Point in 1837, second in his class of fifty cadets. His military career began in Florida, where he spent a year in the campaign against the...  and his party of 37 soldiers and railroad surveyors near Sevier Lake, Utah.
1853	Nov 24	Birth of Bat Masterson Bat Masterson William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph... , gunfighter, lawman, journalist (d. 1921)
1853	Nov 28	Olympia, Washington Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...  designated capital of Washington Territory Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
1853	Dec 30	U.S. and Mexico agree to Gadsden Purchase Gadsden Purchase The Gadsden Purchase is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S...  giving U.S portions of Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...  and New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

1854

Year	Date	Event
1854		Birth of Luke Short Luke Short Western frontiersman Luke L. Short was a noted gunfighter, who had worked as a farmer, cowboy, whiskey peddler, army scout, dispatch rider, gambler and saloon keeper at various times during the four decades of his life.- Early life :... , gunfighter (d. 1893)
1854		Death of Chief Conquering Bear Conquering Bear Matȟó Wayúhi was a Brulé Lakota chief who signed the Fort Laramie Treaty . He was killed in 1854 when troops from Fort Laramie entered his encampment to arrest a Sioux who had shot a calf belonging to the Mormons. Little Thunder took over as chief after his death... , Lakota Sioux Sioux The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
1854	Feb 13	Mexican Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...  troops force would be conqueror William Walker and his mercenary troops to retreat to Sonora Sonora Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
1854	Feb 14	Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...  is linked by telegraph Telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...  with the rest of the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... , when a connection between New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...  and Marshall, Texas Marshall, Texas Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...  is completed
1854	May 24	Birth of John Riley Banister John Riley Banister John Riley Banister was an American law officer, cowboy and Texas Ranger.-Early years:Banister, was born in Banister Hollow, a small settlement located in Camden County, Missouri, which was to become a local hub or center for surrounding communities. His parents were William Lawrence and Mary ... , law officer, cowboy, and Texas Ranger (d. 1918)
1854	May 30	Kansas-Nebraska Act Kansas-Nebraska Act The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement, and had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty if they would allow slavery within...  becomes law, rescinding the Missouri Compromise Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30'...  of 1820 and creating Kansas Territory Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas....  and Nebraska Territory Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854... . Provision that settlers will vote on slavery in the new territories leads to Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events, involving anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery "Border Ruffian" elements, that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of the U.S. state of Missouri roughly between 1854 and 1858...  violence beginning the next year
1854	Jun	The Grand Excursion Grand Excursion The Grand Excursion was a voyage by train and steamboat into the Upper Mississippi River valley, USA that first took place in June 1854. 150 years later, in 2004 the Grand Excursion route was retraced by both riverboats and a steam locomotive....  takes prominent Eastern United States Eastern United States The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...  inhabitants from Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...  to Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...  by railroad, then up the Mississippi River Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...  to St. Paul, Minnesota by steamboat Steamboat A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
1854	Jun 14	Birth of Dave Rudabaugh Dave Rudabaugh David Rudabaugh , was an outlaw and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" on account of his alleged aversion to water, no evidence has emerged to show that he was ever referred to as such in his own lifetime.-Early life:Rudabaugh was born as David...  (Dirty Dave), outlaw (d. 1886)
1854	Jul 6	First statewide meeting of the Republican Party History of the United States Republican Party The United States Republican Party is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its great rival, the Democratic Party. It emerged in 1854 to combat the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into the territories, and to promote more vigorous... , formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, is held in Jackson, Michigan Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...

1855 - 1859

Year	Date	Event
1855	Jan 21	John Browning John Browning John Moses Browning , born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world...  is born in Ogden, Utah Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
1858	May 11	Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...  admitted as the 32nd U.S. state
1859	Feb 14	Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...  admitted as the 33rd U.S. state
1859	Nov 23	Accepted by many historians to be Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier... 's date of birth. It is also widely believed that he was born in New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

1860s

Year	Date	Event
1860	Apr 14	The Pony Express Pony Express The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...  arrived in Sacramento, California Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
1860	Nov 21	Tom Horn Tom Horn Thomas "Tom" Horn, Jr. was an American Old West lawman, scout, soldier, hired gunman, detective, outlaw and assassin. On the day before his 43rd birthday, he was hanged in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the murder of Willie Nickell.-Early life:Born to Thomas S. Horn, Sr...  is born in Memphis, Missouri Memphis, Missouri Memphis is a city in Scotland County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,822 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Memphis is located southeast of Pulaski, Iowa, north of Baring, east of Lancaster, and west of Kahoka....
1862	Nov 5	More than 300 Santee Sioux in Minnesota are sentenced to hang for the rape and murder of Anglo settlers
1863	Jan 1	Daniel Freeman Daniel Freeman Daniel Freeman was an American homesteader, physician and Civil War veteran. He was recognized as the first person to file a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862...  submits the first claim under the Homestead Act Homestead Act A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....  for land near Beatrice, Nebraska Beatrice, Nebraska Beatrice is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska.Beatrice is located south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River. It is surrounded by agricultural country. The population was 12,459 at the 2010 census.-History:...
1863	Feb 24	Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...  organized as a territory
1863	Mar 3	Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....  organized as a territory
1864	May 26	Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...  organized as a territory
1864	Oct 31	The U.S. Congress admits Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...  as the 36th state
1864	Nov 29	Colonel John Chivington John Chivington John Milton Chivington was a colonel in the United States Army who served in the American Indian Wars during the Colorado War and the New Mexico Campaigns of the American Civil War...  and his volunteer militia massacre a Cheyenne village near Sand Creek in Colorado territory
1868	Nov 27	Battle of Washita River Battle of Washita River The Battle of Washita River occurred on November 27, 1868 when Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s 7th U.S... .
1869	May 19	Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...  organized as a territory

1870

Year	Date	Event
1870		Bret Harte Bret Harte Francis Bret Harte was an American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California.- Life and career :... 's The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Sketches, a collection of stories based on his years as a San Francisco journalist, is published.
1870		William "Hurricane Bill" Martin, a notorious Kansas outlaw, begins rustling cattle southeast of Abilene before he and his gang are driven off by a posse from Marion Marion, Kansas Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named in honor of Francis Marion, a Brigadier General of the American Revolutionary War, known as the "Swamp Fox". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,927.... .
1870		Settling in the New MexicoTerritory, gunfighter Robert Clay Allison purchases a ranch in Colfax County Colfax County, New Mexico -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*83.8% White*0.5% Black*1.5% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*10.1% Other races*47.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:... . During this time, Allison is reported to have killed as many as fifteen men in gunfights according to local newspapers.
1870		With the growing railroad industry and cattle boom, buffalo hunters begin moving onto the Great Plains Great Plains The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S... . In less than ten years, the buffalo American Bison The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...  population are vastly reduced in numbers and remain an endangered species Endangered species An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...  for much of the next century.
1870		The Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...  territorial legislature, supported by Brigham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah... , grants women the right to vote. Over the next several decades, this provides the Mormons with an added margin of political power.
1870		Chinese laborers are brought in by the Union Pacific in Wyoming and are paid $32.50 a month as opposed to $52.00 a month for American-born railroad workers. Hiring cheap foreign labor will become a common practice for the railroad and other companies during the late 19th century. In time, this will create resentment from American laborers throughout the western United States in the belief that Chinese immigrants are competing unfairly for jobs and will eventually lead to racial violence and labor unrest in years to come.
1870	Jan	Shortly after leaving office as Sheriff of Ellis County, Kansas Ellis County, Kansas Ellis County is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 28,452. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays... , James "Wild Bill" Hickok Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...  travels to Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...  to visit friends and eventually he resumes his duties as a U.S. Marshal.
1870	Spring	With the emergence of Abilene Abilene, Kansas Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...  as a major stopover for cattle ranchers, the town trustees unsuccessfully attempt to curb the violence brought by the beginning of the cattle season by passing a gun ordinance ban. This proves unenforceable as Texas cowboys made a habit of shooting up ordinance posters and tore town the city's first jailhouse. Although a posse was organized by local residents which successfully captures several of these cowboys, violence continues in the city until the appointment of "Bear River" Tom Smith Thomas J. Smith Thomas James Smith, known as Tom "Bear River" Smith , was a town marshal of Old West cattle town Abilene, Kansas, who was killed and decapitated in the line of duty.-Early life:...  as city marshal on Jun 4.
1870	Jul 17-18	James Hickok is involved in a shootout with several members of the 7th Cavalry Regiment in Hays City Hays, Kansas Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...  after killing one trooper and wounding another.
1870	Jul 17	Death of Jeremiah Lonergan, US 7th cavalry trooper
1870	Jul 18	Death of John Kile, US 7th cavalry trooper
1870	Nov	Death of Thomas J. Smith Thomas J. Smith Thomas James Smith, known as Tom "Bear River" Smith , was a town marshal of Old West cattle town Abilene, Kansas, who was killed and decapitated in the line of duty.-Early life:... , Abilene town marshal

1871

Year	Date	Event
1871		John K. "King" Fisher King Fisher King Fisher was a gunslinger of the American Old West.- Early life :John King Fisher was born in Collin County, Texas, to Jobe Fisher and Lucinda Warren Fisher. He had two brothers, Jasper and James, and his mother died when he was two years old. His father then remarried to a woman named Minerva...  is hired by settlers of the Pendencia River country, Dimmit County, as a hired gun to protect their livestock and other property. It is during this time that Fisher became known as a skilled gunfighter.
1871	Jan 1	After a long illness, Captain John Barry is forced into retirement. While stationed at Fort Ord Fort Ord Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California... , Barry attempted to improve relations between the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...  and the Apaches as well as encouraging the enlistment of scouts to combat against renegade Apaches.
1871	Feb 16	John Younger John Younger John Harrison Younger was an American outlaw, the brother of Cole, Jim and Bob.-Biography:He was the 11th child of Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe's 14 children and their 5th son, the fourth to survive into adulthood.In July, 1862, his father was shot and killed while on a...  kills Captain S.W. Nichols in a gunfight in Dallas, Texas Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... .
1871	Feb 23	While heading an Apache hunting force near present-day Clifton, Arizona Clifton, Arizona Clifton is a town in and the county seat of Greenlee County, Arizona, United States, along the San Francisco River. The population of the town was 3,311 at the 2010 census. It was a site of the Arizona Copper Mine Strike of 1983.... , John M. Bullard is shot and killed while approaching a wounded Apache warrior.
1871	Feb 28	"Handsome Jack" John Ledford, a former outlaw involved in counterfeiting and horse theft in Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...  and the Indian Territory Indian Territory The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...  turned hotel owner, is killed in a shootout between him and a group of U.S. Army soldiers led by army scout Lee Stewart and US Marshal Jack Bridges which claimed to have a warrant for his arrest. Although he had recently come under suspicion for his involvement in the robbery of a government wagon train in which several teamsters had been killed, later newspaper accounts claimed that Ledford had been murdered by Bridges due to a previous argument in which bridges had threatened his life.
1871	Mar 16	Death of Barboncito Barboncito Barboncito was a famous Navajo political and spiritual leader. His name means poorly groomed child in Spanish. He also was known as , , , and...  (Hastin Daagii), Navajo chieftain
1871	Apr 15	Wild Bill Hickock succeeds "Bear River" Tom Smith Thomas J. Smith Thomas James Smith, known as Tom "Bear River" Smith , was a town marshal of Old West cattle town Abilene, Kansas, who was killed and decapitated in the line of duty.-Early life:...  as City Marshal for Abilene, Kansas Abilene, Kansas Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...  and remains in that position until Dec 13.
1871	Apr 28	In what becomes known as the Camp Grant Massacre Camp Grant Massacre The Camp Grant Massacre, on April 30, 1871, was an attack on Pinal and Aravaipa Apaches who surrendered to the United States Army at Camp Grant, Arizona, along the San Pedro River. The massacre led to a series of battles and campaigns fought between the Americans, the Apache, and their Yavapai... , over 100 Apache Apache Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...  women and children are killed by a mob of Mexicans and Papagos Tohono O'odham The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico...  led by several Tucson businessman including D.A. Bennett and Sam Hughes. Bennett and several others are indicted in Dec, however all are acquitted.
1871	May	Professional gambler Phil Coe Phil Coe Phil Coe , born Phillip Houston Coe, was a soldier, and Old West gambler and businessman from Texas. He became the business partner of gunfighter Ben Thompson in Abilene, Kansas...  and gunfighter Ben Thompson Ben Thompson Ben Thompson was a gunman, gambler, and sometime lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock, some of whom considered him a trusted friend, others an enemy.Ben Thompson had a colorful career,...  open the Bull's Head Tavern and Gambling Saloon in Abilene, Kansas Abilene, Kansas Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:... . The establishment becomes widely known for its large painting of a bull whose genitals are much larger than the rest of its body. Known as the "Shame of Abilene" by local townspeople, Marshal James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...  is asked to intervene. When the owners refuse to take down the painting, Hickok takes it upon himself to repaint parts of the picture. This results in a personal dispute with Coe eventually leading to a shootout on Oct 5 in which Hickok shot both Coe and Deputy Mike Williams. Coe would die from his wounds in his death in four days later.
1871	Jun 14	Thomas Carson Thomas Carson The Rt Rev Thomas CarsonLLD was a 19th century Irish Anglican Bishop . He held incumbencies at Urney, Cavan and then Cloon. Next he was Archdeacon of Ardagh , and after that Vicar general and then Dean of Kilmore in 1860 before elevation in 1870 to the Episcopate as the 5th Bishop of the United... , reportedly a nephew of mountain man Kit Carson Kit Carson Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married... , is appointed to the Abilene police force under City Marshal "Wild Bill" Hickok. After an incident with gunfighter John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin was an American outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk hero of the Old West. He was born in Bonham, Texas. Hardin found himself in trouble with the law at an early age, and spent the majority of his life being pursued by both local lawmen and federal troops of the...  over Hardin's insistence of wearing his gun in public, he was briefly hired as Deputy in Newton, Kansas Newton, Kansas Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...  before returning to Abilene in Nov. Along with Deputy John W. "Brocky Jack" Norton John W. Norton John Warner Norton was an Illinois muralist and easel artist who pioneered the field in the United States.Among his works are the landmark 1929 long ceiling mural for the concourse ceiling of the Chicago Daily News Building , the Ceres mural in the Chicago Board of Trade Building ,... , the two were fired from the police force on Nov 27 after assaulting a local bartender.
1871	Jun 30	Shortly after robbing a nearby bank, Jesse James Jesse James Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...  addresses a crowd at a political rally in Corydon, Iowa Corydon, Iowa Corydon is a city in Wayne County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,585 in the 2010 census, a decline from 1,591 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wayne County....
1871	Oct 5	Death of Mike Williams, Abilene deputy sheriff
1871	Oct 9	Death of Phil Coe Phil Coe Phil Coe , born Phillip Houston Coe, was a soldier, and Old West gambler and businessman from Texas. He became the business partner of gunfighter Ben Thompson in Abilene, Kansas... , professional gambler
1871	Dec 5	Future rodeo star Bill Pickett Bill Pickett Willie M. "Bill" Pickett was a cowboy and rodeo performer.Pickett was born in the Jenks-Branch community of Travis County, Texas. He was the second of 13 children born to Thomas Jefferson Pickett, a former slave, and Mary "Janie" Gilbert. Pickett had 4 brothers and 8 sisters...  is born near Austin, Texas Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... .

1872 - 1875

Year	Date	Event
1872		William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, as a scout for the U.S. 5th Cavalry Regiment, is awarded the Medal of Honor Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her... . Later that year, he appears on stage for the first time portraying himself in "Scouts of the Prairie".
1872		Ellsworth Ellsworth, Kansas Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,120.-19th century:...  succeeds Abilene Abilene, Kansas Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...  as the northern stopping point on the Old Texas cattle trail Great Western Cattle Trail The Great Western Cattle Trail was used in the 19th century for movement of cattle to markets in the East. It ran west of and roughly parallel to the Chisholm Trail. The Great Western Trail began at Bandera west of San Antonio and passed near Buffalo Gap and Abilene in West Texas... .
1872		Following the completion of the Santa Fe Railroad line across the border of the Colorado Territory Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado.... , the use of the Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...  begins to decline although Dodge City would remain a major cattle shipping town for the next decade. The Santa Fe Railroad would also complete a rail line at Wichita, Kansas Wichita, Kansas Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...  causing a major population boom over the next several years.
1872		"Home on the Range Home on the Range "Home on the Range" is the state song of Kansas, U.S.Home on the Range may also refer to:* Home on the Range , a drama directed by Arthur Jacobson* Home on the Range , a Disney animated feature film... ", later adopted as the state song of Kansas, first appears in a poem "My Western Home" written by Dr. Brewster M. Higley. Following its publication, is it set to music by Daniel Kelley
1872	Jan 31	Author Zane Grey Zane Grey Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...  is born in Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,586 at the 2000 census.Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road through present-day Ohio... .
1872	Mar 1	Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...  is designated America's first national park by President Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
1873		Inventor Henry Rose Henry Rose Henry R. Rose was the 29th Mayor of Los Angeles from July 1913 to July 1915. He only served for one term. He was regarded as "anti- [trade] unionist"...  first introduces barbed wire Barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...  at a county fair in De Kalb, Illinois.
1874		Ham Anderson, a cousin of gunfighter Wes Hardin, is killed in a gunfight in Dodge City, Kansas
1874		Outlaws Ceberiano and Reymundo Aguilar are killed during the Harrold War of Lincoln County, New Mexico Lincoln County, New Mexico -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.1% White*0.5% Black*2.4% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*9.1% Other races*29.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
1874	May 25	John Alexander, an outlaw and horse thief Horse thief -United States:The term horse thief came into great popularity in the U.S. during the 19th century. During that time the Great Plains states, Texas, and other western states were sparsely populated and negligibly policed. As farmers tilled the land and migrants headed west through the Great... , is shot and killed by a mob in Belton, Texas Belton, Texas Belton is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,623 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bell County.Belton is part of the Killeen – Temple – Fort Hood metropolitan area.-Geography:...  while attempting to steal horses
1874	Jun 27	While occupying an old trading post, 28 hunters including a 21-year-old Bat Masterson Bat Masterson William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...  are besieged and eventually drive off 700 Commanche warriors at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls Second Battle of Adobe Walls The Second Battle of Adobe Walls was fought on June 27, 1874 between Comanche forces and a group of twenty-eight U.S. bison hunters defending the settlement of Adobe Walls, Texas in what is now Hutchinson County, Texas.-Adobe Walls Settlement:...
1875	Aug 8	Jermin Aguirre is killed near the San Augin Ranch in the New Mexico Territory New Mexico Territory thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...

1876

Year	Date	Event
1876		After being wounded in the hip during a gunfight in Sweetwater, Texas Sweetwater, Texas Sweetwater is the county seat of Nolan County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,415 at the 2000 census.-History:Sweetwater received a U.S. post office in 1879. The Texas and Pacific Railway started service in 1881, with the first train arriving on March 12 of that year, beginning... , Bat Masterson Bat Masterson William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...  agreed to become assistant city marshal of Dodge City
1876	Jan 12	Jack London Jack London John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...  is born in San Francisco
1876	Mar 17	After Sioux chieftains Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (in Standard Lakota Orthography), also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies...  and Crazy Horse Crazy Horse Crazy Horse was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the U.S...  refuse to comply with the Federal government's order to leave the Black Hills Black Hills The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, USA. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of...  of the Dakota Territory Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of... , General George Crook George Crook George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...  attacks their forces, defeating them at the Battle of Powder River Battle of Powder River The Battle of Powder River occurred March 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Cheyenne Native Americans during Crook's Big Horn Expedition in the Great Sioux War of 1876.-Overview:...  beginning the Great Sioux War
1876	Apr 19	Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...  is not rehired by the Wichita Wichita, Kansas Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...  Police Department for beating up a candidate for county sheriff
1876	Jun 17	Crook's forces are forced to withdraw following his defeat by Crazy Horse at the Battle of Rosebud
1876	Jun 25	While leading an attack into a Sioux village, the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army Cavalry Regiment, whose lineage traces back to the mid-19th century. Its official nickname is "Garryowen," in honor of the Irish air Garryowen that was adopted as its march tune....  under Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...  is ambushed and wiped out by over 2,000 Sioux and Comanche warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at the Battle of Little Bighorn.
1876	Aug 1	Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...  admitted as the 38th U.S. state.
1876	Aug 2	James "Wild Bill" Hickok Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...  is shot in the back of the head and killed by a drunk during a poker game in Deadwood, South Dakota Deadwood, South Dakota Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census... . Hickok had supposedly been holding two pair of aces and eights at the time of his death, which has since been known to gamblers as the "dead man's hand Dead man's hand The dead man's hand is a two-pair poker hand, namely "aces and eights". This card combination gets its name from a legend that it was the five-card-draw hand held by Wild Bill Hickok, when he was murdered on August 2, 1876, in Saloon No. 10 at Deadwood, South Dakota.According to the popular... ".
1876	Sep 7	Several members of the James-Younger Gang James-Younger gang The James-Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of American outlaws that included Jesse James.The gang was centered in the state of Missouri. Membership fluctuated from robbery to robbery, as the outlaws' raids were usually separated by many months... , including Cole Younger Cole Younger Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw with the James-Younger gang... , are captured after the failed robbery of the First National Bank leads to a gunfight with bank employees and local residents in Northfield, Minnesota Northfield, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...

1877 - 1879

Year	Date	Event
1877		Nez Perce War Nez Perce War The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict between the Nez Perce and the United States government fought in 1877 as part of the American Indian Wars. After a series of battles in which both the U.S. Army and native people sustained significant casualties, the Nez Perce surrendered and were relocated...  in Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... , Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.... , Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...  and Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,... .
1877		Gunfights involving John Morco John Morco John Morco, usually known as "Happy Jack" Morco was an alleged gunman by his own accounts as well as a corrupt lawman of the Old West, most notably during the wildest days of the cattletown Ellsworth, Kansas....  in Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... .
1877		Gunfights involving John Higgins John Higgins (gunman) John Higgins, better known as "Pink" Higgins was a little known gunman and cowboy of the Old West, despite his having killed more men in his lifetime than more notable and well known gunfighters.-Early life:...  in New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... .
1877		Gunfights involving the Horrell Brothers Horrell Brothers The Horrell Brothers, sometimes referred to as the Lawless Horrell Boys were five brothers from the Horrell family of Lampasas County, Texas, who were outlaws of the Old West, and who committed numerous murders over a five year period before four of the brothers were killed in different incidents...  in Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... .
1877	Aug 17	At 17 years old, Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...  shoots his first man, Frank "Windy" Cahill, in self-defense, after Cahill wrestled him to the ground at a saloon in Fort Grant, Arizona Fort Grant, Arizona Fort Grant, located in the U.S. state of Arizona, is a state prison and a former United States Army fortification. Fort Grant began its life as an Old West outpost in Arizona Territory, built in 1860 at Aravaipa Canyon originally as Camp Grant.-History:... . Cahill died the next day.
1878	Feb 18	Rancher John Tunstall John Tunstall John Henry Tunstall , born in England, became a rancher and merchant in New Mexico, where he became a prominent figure and was the first man killed in the Lincoln County War, an economic and political conflict perhaps compounded by ethnic rivalries.-Early life and education:John Henry Tunstall was...  is killed by a posse, whose members included gunman Charles Wolz, beginning the Lincoln County War Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...
1878	Mar	John Younger John Younger John Harrison Younger was an American outlaw, the brother of Cole, Jim and Bob.-Biography:He was the 11th child of Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe's 14 children and their 5th son, the fourth to survive into adulthood.In July, 1862, his father was shot and killed while on a... , a member of the Younger Gang, is killed by Pinkerton detectives Louis Lull and Jim Duckworth Jim Duckworth James Raymond 'Jim' Duckworth , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1963-1966....  in St. Clair County, Missouri
1878	Jun 18	Nick Worthington, a well known outlaw throughout New Mexico and Colorado, is killed by residents of Cimarron, New Mexico Cimarron, New Mexico -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 917 people, 382 households, and 255 families residing in the village. The population density was 479.5 people per square mile . There were 449 housing units at an average density of 234.8 per square mile...  and killing several men and stealing horses
1878	Jul 15-19	The 5-day Battle of Lincoln Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...  occurred in Lincoln, New Mexico Lincoln, New Mexico Lincoln is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located approximately 57 miles west of Roswell and just south of the Lincoln National Forest. The town had a population of about 800 in 1888, and Main Street has been beautifully preserved by current residents....
1878	Jul 19	Alexander McSween Alexander McSween Alexander McSween was a prominent figure during the Lincoln County War of the Old West, and a central character, alongside John Tunstall, opposing the "Murphy-Dolan Faction".-Early life:... , a major character in the Lincoln County War Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...  and former partner of John Tunstall John Tunstall John Henry Tunstall , born in England, became a rancher and merchant in New Mexico, where he became a prominent figure and was the first man killed in the Lincoln County War, an economic and political conflict perhaps compounded by ethnic rivalries.-Early life and education:John Henry Tunstall was... , is shot and killed during the Battle of Lincoln Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...
1878	Jul 19	McSween gunman Francisco Zamora Francisco Zamora Francisco Zamora Salinas 1939 – † April 8, 2002) was a famous football player from El Salvador. He retired in 1973.-External links:* http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20020408/deportes/dep12.asp...  is killed in a gunbattle during the Lincoln County War
1879		Captain Marcus Reno Marcus Reno Marcus Albert Reno was a career military officer in the American Civil War and in the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne... , the highest ranking officer to have survived the Battle of Little Big Horn, is brought before a general court-martial Court-martial A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...  but is acquitted of cowardice
1879		Ike Ike Clanton Joseph Isaac Clanton was born in Callaway County, Missouri. He is best known for being a member of group of outlaw Cowboys that had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan Earp and Wyatt's friend Doc Holliday. The Clantons repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with...  and Bill Clanton enlist William "Curley Bill" Brocius William Brocius William "Curly Bill" Brocius was a gunman, rustler and an outlaw Cowboy in the Cochise County area of Arizona Territory during the early 1880s. He had a number of conflicts with the lawmen of the Earp family, and he was named as one of the individuals who participated Morgan Earp's assassination....  and Johnny Ringo Johnny Ringo John Peters "Johnny" Ringo was an outlaw Cowboy of the American Old West who was affiliated with Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell in Cochise County, Arizona Territory during 1881-1882.-Early life:...  as the Clanton's begin cattle rustling in the New Mexico and southern Arizona Territories
1879	Nov 4	Will Rogers Will Rogers William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....  is born on a ranch in Cherokee Indian territory in what is now Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

1880s

Year	Date	Event
1880		George Alford is sentenced to five years imprisonment for murdering a sheriff in Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
1880	Mar 2	James Allen James Allen James, Jim, or Jimmy Allen may refer to:*James Allen , American football linebacker*James Allen , American football running back... kills James Moorehead after ordering eggs in a tavern in Las Vegas, New Mexico Las Vegas, New Mexico Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...  and, after escaping from prison for Mooreland's murder, is killed by a posse soon after
1880	Dec 19	Tom O'Folliard Tom O'Folliard Tom O'Folliard was the best friend of the famous outlaw William Bonney . Both were members of the Regulators, a gang of cattle rustlers operating in the New Mexico Territory.... , best friend of Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier... , is shot and killed by members of Pat Garrett Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid... 's posse in Fort Sumner, New Mexico Fort Sumner, New Mexico Fort Sumner is a village in De Baca County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,249 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of De Baca County...
1880	Dec 23	Charlie Bowdre Charlie Bowdre Charles Bowdre was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was an associate and member of Billy the Kid's gang.-Early life:... , a member of Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier... 's gang, is shot and killed by members of Pat Garrett Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid... 's posse at Stinking Springs, New Mexico
1880	Dec 24	Abran Baca kills A.M. Conklin in Socorro, New Mexico Socorro, New Mexico Socorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It stands in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of . The population was 9,051 at the 2010 census...  with several other outlaws, for which he is acquitted of the following year.
1881	Jul 14	Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...  is shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid...  in Fort Sumner, New Mexico Fort Sumner, New Mexico Fort Sumner is a village in De Baca County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,249 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of De Baca County... . He was buried the next day between his friends Tom O'Folliard Tom O'Folliard Tom O'Folliard was the best friend of the famous outlaw William Bonney . Both were members of the Regulators, a gang of cattle rustlers operating in the New Mexico Territory....  and Charlie Bowdre Charlie Bowdre Charles Bowdre was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was an associate and member of Billy the Kid's gang.-Early life:...  in Fort Sumner Fort Sumner Fort Sumner was a military fort in De Baca County in southeastern New Mexico charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations from 1863-1868 at nearby Bosque Redondo.-History:... 's old military cemetery
1881	Oct 26	Arguably the West's most famous gunfight, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Gunfight at the O.K. Corral The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a roughly 30-second gunfight that took place at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona Territory, of the United States. Outlaw Cowboys Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne ran from the fight, unharmed, but Ike's brother... , took place in Tombstone, Arizona Tombstone, Arizona Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million... , pitting the Earps and Doc Holliday Doc Holliday John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...  against the Clantons, the McLaurys, and Billy Claiborne. After the smoke cleared, Frank and Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton were dead. Virgil Virgil Earp Virgil Walter Earp fought in the Civil War. He was U.S. Deputy Marshal for south-eastern Arizona and Tombstone City Marshal at the time of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the Arizona Territory. Two months after the shootout in Tombstone, outlaw Cowboys ambushed Virgil on the streets of...  and Morgan Earp Morgan Earp Morgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually... , along with Holliday, were wounded.
1882	Mar 18	Morgan Earp Morgan Earp Morgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually... , brother of famous lawman Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known... , is shot and killed while playing a game of pool in Tombstone, Arizona Tombstone, Arizona Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million... . His assassination was very possibly due to his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Gunfight at the O.K. Corral The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a roughly 30-second gunfight that took place at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona Territory, of the United States. Outlaw Cowboys Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne ran from the fight, unharmed, but Ike's brother... .
1882	Mar 24	Outlaw William "Curley Bill" Brocius William Brocius William "Curly Bill" Brocius was a gunman, rustler and an outlaw Cowboy in the Cochise County area of Arizona Territory during the early 1880s. He had a number of conflicts with the lawmen of the Earp family, and he was named as one of the individuals who participated Morgan Earp's assassination....  is shot and killed by Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...  at Iron Springs Iron Springs (Cochise County, Arizona) Iron Springs is historical name of a natural spring in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona, now known as Mescal Springs.The site is known as that of the confrontation between Wyatt Earp and William Brocius on March 24, 1882...  in Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... .
1882	Apr 3	Jesse James Jesse James Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...  murdered by Bob Ford Robert Ford (outlaw) Robert Newton "Bob" Ford was an American outlaw best known for killing his gang leader Jesse James in 1882. Ford was shot to death by Edward O'Kelley in his tent saloon with a shotgun blast to the front upper body...
1886		Jack Langrishe Jack Langrishe John S. "Jack" Langrishe , popularly known as the "Comedian of the Frontier", was an actor and impresario who travelled extensively throughout the American West.... , a popular western entertainer, is elected justice in Coeur d’Alene Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur... , Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
1886	Feb 18	Dave Rudabaugh Dave Rudabaugh David Rudabaugh , was an outlaw and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" on account of his alleged aversion to water, no evidence has emerged to show that he was ever referred to as such in his own lifetime.-Early life:Rudabaugh was born as David... , a former member of Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier... 's Dodge City Gang Dodge City Gang The Dodge City Gang were a group of Kansas gunfighters and gamblers who dominated the political and economic life of Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1879 and early 1880. This came at a time when Las Vegas was booming and was thought to be the future metropolis of New Mexico... , is reportedly captured and decapitated by townspeople after terrorizing the village of Parral, Mexico
1886	Mar 21	'The Big Fight' in Tascosa, Texas, where three ranch hands, ex-members of of Pat Garrett's 'Home Rangers', are killed by rival ranch hands and assorted gunmen.
1886	Jul 16	Death of Ned Buntline Ned Buntline Ned Buntline , was a pseudonym of Edward Zane Carroll Judson , an American publisher, journalist, writer and publicist best known for his dime novels and the Colt Buntline Special he is alleged to have commissioned from Colt's Manufacturing Company.-Naval and military experience:Edward Judson was... , writer
1886	Aug 7	Fort Fred Steele, used to protect railroads from local Native American tribes in the Wyoming Territory Wyoming Territory The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital... , is closed
1886	Aug 20	Fort Duchesne is officially opened by Major Frederick William Benteen in the Utah Territory Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
1886	Sep 4	Apache renegade Geronimo Geronimo Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...  surrenders to forces under General Nelson Miles and taken into custody at Fort Grant
1886	Dec 1	Brothers Jim Jim Burrow Jim Burrow is a former all-star defensive back in the Canadian Football League and the National Football League.Burrow was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the eighth round of the 1976 NFL Draft and played that season with the team...  and Rube Burrow Rube Burrow Reuben Houston Burrow , better known as Rube Burrow, was a nationally infamous train-robber and outlaw in the Southern and Southwestern United States. During the final years of the American frontier, he became one of the most hunted in the Old West since Jesse James...  rob their first train in Bellevue, Texas Bellevue, Texas Bellevue is a city in Clay County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 386 at the 2000 census.- History :...
1886	Nov 8	Doc Holliday Doc Holliday John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...  dies from tuberculosis in Glenwood Springs, Colorado Glenwood Springs, Colorado The City of Glenwood Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 8,564 in 2005...
1887	Feb 8	Luke Short Luke Short Western frontiersman Luke L. Short was a noted gunfighter, who had worked as a farmer, cowboy, whiskey peddler, army scout, dispatch rider, gambler and saloon keeper at various times during the four decades of his life.- Early life :...  kills former Fort Worth Marshal Jim Courtright Jim Courtright Timothy Isaiah "Longhair Jim" or "Big Jim" Courtright was an American lawman, outlaw and gunfighter....  in a gunfight on the streets of Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and... . The shooting was ruled self-defense, since Courtright drew his pistol first.
1888	Dec 18	Richard Wetherill Richard Wetherill Richard Wetherill , a member of a prominent Colorado ranching family, was an amateur explorer in the discovery, research and excavation of sites associated with the Ancient Pueblo People...  and his brother-in-law discover the Indian ruins of Mesa Verde Mesa Verde National Park Mesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. It was created in 1906 to protect some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the world...  in southwestern Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
1889	Feb 3	Belle Starr Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr , better known as Belle Starr, was a notorious American outlaw.-Early life:...  is murdered in Oklahoma
1889	Nov 2	North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....  and South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...  are admitted as the 39th and 40th U.S. states
1889	Nov 8	Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...  admitted as the 41st U.S. state
1889	Nov 11	Washington admitted as the 42nd U.S. state

1890s

Year	Date	Event
1890	Jul 10	Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...  admitted as the 44th U.S. state
1890	Dec 29	The U.S. Cavalry kills 146 Sioux at Wounded Knee Wounded Knee Massacre The Wounded Knee Massacre happened on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, USA. On the day before, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Samuel M...  on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
1893	Sep 8	Luke Short Luke Short Western frontiersman Luke L. Short was a noted gunfighter, who had worked as a farmer, cowboy, whiskey peddler, army scout, dispatch rider, gambler and saloon keeper at various times during the four decades of his life.- Early life :...  dies of dropsy Edema Edema or oedema ; both words from the Greek , oídēma "swelling"), formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in one or more cavities of the body that produces swelling...  in Geuda Springs, Kansas Geuda Springs, Kansas Geuda Springs is a city in Cowley and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 185.-Geography:Geuda Springs is located at...
1896	Jan 4	Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...  admitted as the 45th U.S. state

1900s

Year	Date	Event
1905	Dec 30	Former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg Frank Steunenberg Frank Steunenberg was the fourth Governor of the State of Idaho, serving from 1897 until 1901. He is perhaps best known for his 1905 assassination by one-time union member Harry Orchard, who was also a paid informant for the Cripple Creek Mine Owners' Association...  is wounded by a bomb in his home in Caldwell, Idaho Caldwell, Idaho Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area....  and dies a short time later.
1908	Feb 29	Death of Pat Garrett Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid... , former New Mexico sheriff and killer of Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
1909	Apr 19	Joseph Allen Joseph Allen Joseph Allen may refer to:* Joseph Allen , member of the eleventh United States Congress* Joseph Allen , Bishop of Bristol and Bishop of Ely* Joseph Allen * Joseph H... is hanged in Ada, Oklahoma Ada, Oklahoma Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019....  for his involvement in a local feud
1909	Nov 16	Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...  admitted as the 46th U.S. state
1909	Nov 24	Outlaw Donaciano Aguilar is captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in New Mexico
1917	Jan 10	William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody dies of kidney failure in Denver
1929	Jan 13	Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...  dies of chronic cystitis Cystitis Cystitis is a term that refers to urinary bladder inflammation that results from any one of a number of distinct syndromes. It is most commonly caused by a bacterial infection in which case it is referred to as a urinary tract infection.-Signs and symptoms:...  at his home in Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...