Exploring the Real Wild West
Over a hundred years later, the world is still in love with America’s Old West. From the seventeenth century right up until the 20th, the American Frontier swept through North America, setting in motion a wave of cultural development. Out of the entire American Frontier, however, no other period is quite so memorable as that one between 1865 and 1895 that saw prospectors and pioneers panning for gold, and gun-slinging cowboys and outlaws duking it out behind saloon doors.
The Wild West’s impact on global pop culture spans everything from Wild Wild West-themed iGaming experiences to movies, TV shows and, of course, theme park rides. It’s even possible to get a glimpse of the distant past in some of those frontier boomtowns that were at the centre of the action – you just need a guide to help you find them.
If you’re on the lookout for a fun road trip the next time you hit the States, check out one of the following Wild West hotspots for a taste of the real Old West.
Tombstone, Arizona
AKA the “town too tough to die”, Tombstone in Arizona holds the claim of being the setting of one of the most notorious events in the Wild West period – the O.K. Corral gunfight. On 26th October 1881, the Earp brothers and their sidekick Doc Holliday took on the Clanton brothers, the McLaury brothers and Billy Clairborne. A total of 30 shots were fired and the casualties were immense. Incredibly, the shootout itself only lasted for 30 seconds, but it’s since been memorialised in popular culture from art to film and TV.
Modern-day Tombstone is a recognised National Historic Landmark District and is a treat to explore. Check out the Tombstone Epitaph in the historic area of Fremont 6th and Toughnut and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Re-enactments of the shootout are a regular occurrence at O.K. Corral, while the Old Tombstone Wild West Theme Park is a must for adrenaline junkies.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Once the stomping ground of a teenage Billy the Kid, before he was thrown in Santa Fe jail by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1880, Santa Fe predated the American Frontier by several decades. It is, in fact, one of the oldest European settlements on the western side of the Mississippi river, having been established in 1610 by Spanish immigrants who travelled there from southern lands.
Recognised today as New Mexico’s capital, Sante Fe in the 21st century has been recognised as an UNESCO Creative City and is renowned for its expansive arts scene. This is the place to visit to discover a wealth of folk art, housed in collections at the Museum of International Folk Art, the Museum of Indian Art and Culture and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.
Deadwood, South Dakota
The heart of the American gold rush, Deadwood was a no-holds-barred boomtown with a notorious reputation. A motley crew of outlaws and gunslingers took up residence in the town during the Wild West period including the fearsome Calamity Jane, famed gold-panner Potato Creek Johnny and, of course, Wild Bill Hickok – the gunslinger who was shot in the back by Jack McCall mid-poker game. Wild Bill’s hand, a pair of aces and pair of eights, has since become known in the poker world as the Dead Man’s Hand.
Today, Deadwood is a charming heritage town and itself a National Historic Landmark. It keeps its Wild West heritage flourishing with all manner of attractions, including parades and old-style casinos. If you pay a visit to the Mount Moriah Cemetery, you’ll find Calamity Jane buried side by side with Wild Bill, her rumoured paramore. Meanwhile, if you head over to the Lost Boot Mine you can even try your hand at panning for gold.
Cody, Wyoming
The Rodeo Capital of the World was named for William Frederick Cody, aka Buffalo Bill. The hotspot for the most riotous rodeos of the Wild West, Cody is also home to the Old Trail Town, where mountain man John Johnson and Wild West outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were often in residence.
The entrance to Yellowstone National Park, Cody is a wild and rugged town that still maintains its buckaroo spirit with regular Nite Rodeos. The Buffalo Bill Centre of the West also contains not one but five different museums dedicated to important historical periods in the town.