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Paiute Girls, c. 1866


Ghost Cowboy is about real tales from the 19th-century American frontier, when the Old West was young. Most of the posts here are actual news items from the 1800s and early 1900s. We'll be adding "new" content every week. Travel with us and sign up for an account, and you'll be able to leave comments and post in our forums. Your trailmasters, Ken in Alabama and Dave in Virginia, don't get to saddle up and vacation out west as often as they'd like, so they started this site. Drop us a note.

frontiersman


Coeur d'Alene Gold Fields.


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Reported in The Daily Independent, Helena, Montana / Nov. 4, 1888

A correspondent of the New North-West, just returned from Ilerou (he did not get to the mines), has the following to say in reference to them:

While down in that country your correspondent met with a number of men who had been in the mines, and from every one nothing but the most encouraging reports were heard. Berry Davis's claim cleaned up ten ounces the last day's run, among which were two specimens weighing $10 and $14 respectively.

The Escaped Horse Thief.


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Reported in The Daily Independent, Helena, Montana / Nov. 4, 1888

Concerning the chase after Clark, the horse thief who escaped from the Meagher county jail, the Husbandman says: "As Mr. Baldwin came in from Sheep creek last week he met Clark, the horse thief, going in the direction of Neihart mounted upon a good horse and carrying a Winchester rifle. Hustling Under-sheriff Kyes started at once in pursuit and has not been heard from since. Clark will not probably be taken alive, and Kyes will not likely give up the chase as long as he can get any trace of him. A collision is therefore not improbable at any time."

FARMER’S FATAL RIDE!


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Lincoln, Nebraska, Evening News / August 28, 1897

Charles Sipp of Woodlawn Killed at a Grade Crossing Today.

Charles Sipp, a young farmer, was killed at about 7:45 o’clock this morning at a grade crossing on the Burlington track, about a mile this side of Woodlawn.

Sipp was driving a horse at the time, and the animal became frightened at the near approach of the train, and the young man speedily lost control of it. Whether the

NEWS FROM NEW-MEXICO


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New York Times / July 17, 1860

ARRIVAL OF THE SANTA FE MAIL – ATTACK BY INDIANS.

INDEPENDENCE, Mo., Monday, July 18

The mail from New-Mexico, with dates to the 2d inst., arrived this evening. The news from Santa Fe is of no importance.

On the 8th inst, Mr. Thompson, who resides at Ash Creek, in the neighborhood of Pawnee Fort, discovered, as he supposed, some buffalo or ponies, approaching the ranch, and John Cunningham, his head man, went out to see what they were. Mr. Thompson soon after heard a noise, and upon looking, discovered Cunningham running toward the house, pursued by three Indians, who shot their arrows into

 

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