Tall in the Saddle Articles

Chuparosa Gorge

Things seem fairly normal for drifter Johnny Bass as he wanders into this small
town in Arizona. But things start moving quickly as Sheriff Ronson closes down
the only Church in town. Soon after, the Reverend is arrested. The town blames
Gus Pierce, the deputy, for Reverend Smith's imprisonment. Gambler Grant Morgan
knows the Sheriff's secret, but will he tell it or ignore the problems in town?
And will Johnny find the Savior who is calling him to His side?

Origin of the Lone Star

Texas is a state with a good deal of history behind it. But I think perhaps one of the most interesting facts about it is how it became the 28th member of the United States of America.

Convict Lake

Recently I was in the Sierras on vacation, and I got interested in the history of Convict Lake, and how it got it's name. It is a very beautiful lake and good for trout fishing. It is just under a mile long and a half-mile wide.

Ways of the West

Writing articles for a website is a fun thing to do. It's a time when I can forget about my pitiful punctuation, and just relax to write about a subject I enjoy. One reason I like learning about the West, is there are many morals and ideals that can be gained from the study of it.

A House Divided

I'm sure that at a later date, I will regret this, but this is an article which gives my thoughts on the Civil War. You are probably all waiting with baited breath to find out whether you want to read this, in other words, am I a Union or Confederate sympathizer. Well I'll be brief and say that I think both sides made so many mistakes that I don't come close to agreeing with either side.

The Legend of a Legend

I admit, the title sounds a bit repetitive, but it is accurate. If you were to go to an average street corner in the United States, and ask 10 random people who Wild Bill Hickok was, and you'd probably find that most had heard the name, but had no idea who he was. A few might tell you he was a famous lawman in the west and that is true. But how did he gain his fame?

Chuckwagons

In the early days of cattle drives, cowhands had to carry with them what they were going to eat and wear. Because of this, hunger was common among them. Some ranchers decided to change this.

West in a Wagon Train

Traveling west in a wagon train was very tedious and tiring. The pioneers faced many difficulties. Some of them included starvation, heat, storms, rivers, snow and disease.

The Long Ride

The cattle drives of the west were not romantic or full of adventure. They were dirty, tiring, and hard. So why did men sign up for cattle drives? And why did boys in school dream of the day when they would be drovers themselves? Its hard to say for sure. I wish I had been in one myself, and I don't know why either.

The Most Dangerous Fever

January 24th, 1848. That was the day when it all began. James Marshall, one of about twenty men who had been hired by John Sutter to build a sawmill, discovered gold in the river. The news was held back at first, until a San Francisco merchant named Sam Brannan got wind of it.

The American (or un-American) Outlaw

Why do some choose crime to solve their problems? Is it the simple way? Free and easy? Or is it merely the thrill of the wrong doing? These answers are up to you to determine. After you read this you still may not have them answered, but you may have a closer idea. Right now, I would like to take a look at some of the different outlaws who graced our young country of America.

Summary of the old west

When the west was still wild and untamed, men lived and often died for reasons which, today, we would think of as wasteful and wrong. Many think that they would be happier if they had lived in those years. But to be entirely truthful, most would find it much harder than in modern times, where talking to someone is but a click of the mouse or telephone dial away.