THE TARNISHED WEST
The Old West—Researched, Documented, and Stripped of the Legend
We travel the American Southwest searching for the history behind the legend—then go back to the contemporary record.
Period newspapers, court records, coroner’s inquests, diaries, photographs, maps and eyewitness accounts help reconstruct what actually happened.
When the evidence is uncertain, we’ll tell you. When popular legend conflicts with the historical record, we’ll show you why.
It’s researched. It’s documented. And it’s real.
Featured Stories from the Tarnished West
From the Historical Records
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Nellie Cashman in Tucson and Tombstone
On May 20, 1879, the Tucson Citizen carried a short announcement from Miss Nellie Cashman. She would open a new restaurant two days later on the south side of Church Plaza.
The Latest From The Tarnished West
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TOMBSTONE: THE PHOENIX OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA
The familiar version says Tombstone boomed, the mines flooded, and the town died. The record is less tidy. Water crippled the district, but Tombstone endured
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The Picture Behind the Legend
Remove the Bird Cage caption, set aside the names Josephine Marcus, C. S. Fly and John Behan, and look at what remains: a young woman beneath a long transparent veil.
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Who was “Sadie Jo” Earp
A framed photograph displayed in Tombstone identifies the nearly nude woman as Josephine “Sadie” Marcus, the longtime companion of Wyatt Earp.
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The Battle of Burleigh Springs
On March 27, 1882, the Tombstone Epitaph reported that Wyatt Earp’s party had fought nine Cowboys at Burleigh Spring and killed William “Curly Bill” Brocius
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The Train Robbery Near Papago Station
Less than four months after a passenger train was robbed near Papago Station, another westbound train was held up on the night of August 10, 1887.
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The Tombstone Duel That Never Happened
Two Tombstone editors traded insults, gathered seconds and surgeons, carried Colt revolvers into Sonora, and stood ten paces apart.
Explore All Stories
Where it Happened
The stories of the Old West happened in real places—mining camps, railroad towns, saloons, ranches, lonely roads, and stretches of desert that sometimes look much the same today.
Where It Happened follows the stories back to those locations, using period photographs, maps, contemporary records, and our own visits to see what remains. Explore the places where the documented history of the Tarnished West unfolded.
