Additional information
by Russell W. Estlack (Author)
These entertaining stories from Old West history include cowboys, Indians, lawmen, lawbreakers, entertainers, prostitutes, priests, and politicians. They all helped shape the myth and legend of the American West. This book reveals the stories of characters like Mary Fields, Cleophas Dowd, and Judge Roy Bean, and offers glimpses of gunfights, holdups, mining claim battles, and more.
Back Jacket
Reading line: Entertaining stories and quirky characters that shaped the myths and legends of the American West The Wild West earned its rowdy reputation from the unconventional personalities that inhabited its lawless towns and unforgiving landscape. But these stories go far beyond iconic villains and heroes, to tell of strong women, bumbling highwaymen, sophisticated conmen, and even a teleporting Spanish nun and a bona fide rainmaker. These intrepid individuals each left an indelible--and colorful--mark on American history. Read about: -Loreta Velázquez, a beautiful woman who was raised with all the privileges of high society, but fooled even her husband by disguising herself as a man and fighting alongside other soldiers on Civil War battlefields -Joshua Norton, a bankrupt San Francisco businessman who declared himself the first Emperor of the United States, and enjoyed the privileges of his self-proclaimed royalty, including a funeral fit for a king -Dilchthe, an Apache grandmother who escaped a slave camp in California's Baja Peninsula and led a group of women on a treacherous 1,000-mile journey through a merciless wilderness to be reunited with her tribe in Arizona -Alfred Estlack, a great storyteller and frontier scout who warned General Custer not to fight the battle at the Little Bighorn--and himself lived to the ripe old age of 100 Russell W. Estlack lives in the red mountains outside of St. George, Utah. His numerous articles about the American Southwest have appeared in national and regional publications. Russell served in the United States Air Force during the Cold War, and graduated from New Mexico State University with a BS in management.
Author Biography
Russell W. Estlack lives in the red mountains outside of St. George, Utah. He is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in national and regional publications. A native of Wildwood, New Jersey, Russell served in the United States Air Force during the early years of the Cold War. He attended New Mexico State University and graduated with a BS degree in management. Russell has lived in the American Southwest for many years and is intimately familiar with the people and places he writes about.
