Wild West States (war, Mexico, Lincoln, state)

[CelticViking]

couple of questions...when it comes to the wild west, what state in America do you think of the most? What state do you think became the most notorious for outlaw gangs and wild west life? Just thought it would be interesting to discuss.

[BlackShoe]

Tough one to answer,since crime,lawlessness and gunmen were widespread.The James/Younger gang operated in and around Missouri,more a Midwestern state than West.The Indian Territory,now Oklahoma,was a haven for outlaws.The Kansas cow towns were known for their rowdyness.New Mexico had its Lincoln County war,and so on.However,the state most often thought of surely is Texas.Many of the famed gunmen,on both sides of the law,lived at least part of their lives in that huge state.We can start with Wes Hardin,born in Texas,who was said to have killed 42 men,and go from there.

[Fred314X]

I think Texas probably comes to mind first, although the names of Dodge City (Kansas), Deadwood (South Dakota) and Tombstone (Arizona) are pretty high up on the list as well.

[WildWestDude]

TX for the win.

You couldnt get much wilder than El Paso during those wild west days:

El Paso Southwest.com

"1848 - To protect the settlers from marauding Apaches, the first U.S. Army post is created at the "Pass."

1858-1859 El Paso thrives as a major stop for the famous Butterfield Overland Mail Coach.

1873 - El Paso becomes a U.S. city.

1881 - The first train arrives in El Paso.

1881-1887 El Paso's rambunctious era of gunfighters, cattle rustlers, saloons, famous marshals and Texas Rangers—the Wild West!"




WIkipedia sais : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso...22Wild_West.22

"After the arrival of the railroads, El Paso became a boomtown: it earned the nickname "Six Shooter Capital" because of its lawlessness, with "scores of saloons, dance halls, gambling establishments, and houses of prostitution lin[ing] the main streets."[12] El Paso hired a town marshal with rough reputation, Dallas Stoudenmire, who was known to shoot first and ask questions later. The "Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight" took place here on April 14, 1881"

[Tanque Verde]

The town to tough to die. . Boot Hill Cemetery. . Gunfight at the OK corral.. Wyatt Earp & the Earp brothers. . Doc Holiday. . Ike Clanton.

All are related to Tombstone and most people have heard of Tombstone, the town to tough to die.
Tombstone may not have been the wildest town in the wild west but I have to wonder if Wyatt Earp's collaboration with hollywood producers in his later years helped to put Tombstone on the map so to speak.

Wyatt Earp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[CelticViking]

you know its funny how a lot automatically think of arizona or even texas...but missouri..and other surrounding states were a haven for outlaws

great answers.

[Tanque Verde]

Seeing the other thread, I wonder if the wild west, or what we might imagine it to be, has more to do with Cowboys and Indians than outlaw gangs.

[NorCal Dude]

Originally Posted by CelticViking

couple of questions...when it comes to the wild west, what state in America do you think of the most? What state do you think became the most notorious for outlaw gangs and wild west life? Just thought it would be interesting to discuss.

Californee with out question. Texas is the story of the rangers and other heroic lawmen. california had real vigilante justice well into the 1920's.

[CelticViking]

california is too hippiefied for that image...

[stillkit]

Both Kansas and Oklahoma have histories which embody the whole gamut of things in the old West, from outlaws to sod busters to cattle drives to Indian Wars and Civil War battles. They are true microcosm's of the western experience.