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Outlaw Stories
New Books Available Now
Etta Place: History with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
by D. J. Herda
The Pinkertons knew her as "Ethel,” "Ethal,” "Eva," and "Rita" before finally settling on "Etta" Place for their wanted posters.
After Sundance introduced her to Robert Parker (Butch Cassidy), the three joined the rest of their Wild Bunch gang and set off on a spree of bank, stagecoach, and train robberies. With the law hot on their heels, they rode up to Robber’s Roost in southwestern Utah where they laid low until word reached local authorities of their whereabouts.
On the run again, Place accompanied Longabaugh to New York City where on February 20, 1901, she sailed with Butch and Sundance, posing as Etta’s fictional brother "James Ryan," aboard the British ship, Herminius, for Buenos Aires.
On December 19, 1904, Place, Longabaugh, Parker, and an unknown male robbed the Banco de la Nacion in Villa Mercedes, four hundred miles west of Buenos Aires. Pursued by armed federales, they crossed the Pampas and the Andes and returned to Chile, but Place had grown tired of life on the run and deeply lamented the loss of their ranch and the promise of stability it had held for her. In June 1906, Longabaugh accompanied her from Valparaiso, Chile, to San Francisco, where she kissed him goodbye for the last time before he returned to South America and infamy.
After Sundance introduced her to Robert Parker (Butch Cassidy), the three joined the rest of their Wild Bunch gang and set off on a spree of bank, stagecoach, and train robberies. With the law hot on their heels, they rode up to Robber’s Roost in southwestern Utah where they laid low until word reached local authorities of their whereabouts.
On the run again, Place accompanied Longabaugh to New York City where on February 20, 1901, she sailed with Butch and Sundance, posing as Etta’s fictional brother "James Ryan," aboard the British ship, Herminius, for Buenos Aires.
On December 19, 1904, Place, Longabaugh, Parker, and an unknown male robbed the Banco de la Nacion in Villa Mercedes, four hundred miles west of Buenos Aires. Pursued by armed federales, they crossed the Pampas and the Andes and returned to Chile, but Place had grown tired of life on the run and deeply lamented the loss of their ranch and the promise of stability it had held for her. In June 1906, Longabaugh accompanied her from Valparaiso, Chile, to San Francisco, where she kissed him goodbye for the last time before he returned to South America and infamy.
Available now in the Museum Store on sale for $26.95
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
The Outlaw Trail Journal
Summer Pages from the Past 2021
- Remembering Old Glory
- Dry Fork Canyon: Early Irrigation Flume and Mill History
- Highlights of Steinaker Draw and Red Mountain
- The World's Largest Watercolor
- Uintah County Courthouse History: Through the Years
- Skinwalkers
- Uintah Railway and Gilsonite Mines: Then & Now
Available now in the Museum Store on sale for $10.00
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
When Outlaws Wore Badges
by Melody Groves
Lawman or Outlaw?
At times, the black-hatted “villains” and white-hatted “good guys” of the Old West were one and the same. Often it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish who was who. Sheriff Wyatt Earp stole horses and ran brothels. Albuquerque’s first town marshal, Milton Yarberry, was accused of murder and subsequently “jerked to Jesus.” Burt Alvord, town marshal of Willcox, Arizona, and friends, robbed a train. Alvord then deputized these same friends into a posse to apprehend the robbers. It came as no surprise when his posse came up empty handed. Justice Hoodoo Brown and Deputy JJ Webb ruled Las Vegas as leaders of the Dodge City Gang until they were run out of town by citizens fed up with their type of justice. “Mysterious” Dave Mather and even two of the Dalton Gang spent time behind a badge, as well as behind bars.
When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the double lives of outlaw lawmen through some of the West’s most memorable frontier characters.
At times, the black-hatted “villains” and white-hatted “good guys” of the Old West were one and the same. Often it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish who was who. Sheriff Wyatt Earp stole horses and ran brothels. Albuquerque’s first town marshal, Milton Yarberry, was accused of murder and subsequently “jerked to Jesus.” Burt Alvord, town marshal of Willcox, Arizona, and friends, robbed a train. Alvord then deputized these same friends into a posse to apprehend the robbers. It came as no surprise when his posse came up empty handed. Justice Hoodoo Brown and Deputy JJ Webb ruled Las Vegas as leaders of the Dodge City Gang until they were run out of town by citizens fed up with their type of justice. “Mysterious” Dave Mather and even two of the Dalton Gang spent time behind a badge, as well as behind bars.
When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the double lives of outlaw lawmen through some of the West’s most memorable frontier characters.
Available now in the Museum Store on sale for $17.05
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
Dam Nation: How Water Shaped The West And Will Determine Its Future
by Stephen Grace
During the frenzied days of early emigration and expansion in the West, running out of water was rarely a concern, and the dam-building fever that transformed the map of the region in the twentieth century filled empty spaces with cities and farms. Today, metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Denver are desperate with thirst. These cities are growing explosively, but water supplies are dwindling. Scientists agree that the region is heating up and drying out, leading to future water shortages that will expose the startling fragility of civilization in the western United States.
Dam Nation looks first to the past, to the stories of explorers venturing into a forbidding wilderness, gold miners and farmers devising arcane laws to govern water use, and pioneers struggling to settle the "Great American Desert." Next, it delves into an era of technological mastery that fulfilled the nation's dream of taming wild rivers, and finally it tackles the on-going legal and moral battles over water in the West. Author Stephen Grace weaves the facts into a compelling narrative that informs, entertains, and tells an important story.
Dam Nation looks first to the past, to the stories of explorers venturing into a forbidding wilderness, gold miners and farmers devising arcane laws to govern water use, and pioneers struggling to settle the "Great American Desert." Next, it delves into an era of technological mastery that fulfilled the nation's dream of taming wild rivers, and finally it tackles the on-going legal and moral battles over water in the West. Author Stephen Grace weaves the facts into a compelling narrative that informs, entertains, and tells an important story.
Available now in the Museum Store for $16.95
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
The Last Canyon Voyage
by Charles Eggert
In 1955 photographer Charles Eggert and renowned river guide Don Hatch set off down the Green River with six others to duplicate the 1870s journey of John Wesley Powell. With dams soon to be built at Flaming Gorge and Glen Canyon, they planned to film the voyage and be the last to travel these waters before the landscape changed forever. Eggert’s film A Canyon Voyage debuted successfully after the trip, but his written narrative of the river, its landscape, its people, and the adventures of the crew was never published.
This book finally brings Eggert’s writings out of the archives and into the public eye. With his keen photographer’s vision and colloquial voice, Eggert describes canyons and towns now deep under water as he tells the story of friendships forged upon the rapids and currents of the rivers. Roy Webb’s foreword provides historical context; river historian Alfred E. Holland Jr. introduces Eggert, the man who transformed into an environmentalist after visiting the West; and Sarah Holcombe’s afterword looks at what transpired in the lives of all eight crew members after the journey. Color and black-and-white illustrations further enliven the text. An engaging read, this is an important piece of river history that also shines light on Eggert’s tremendous influence as a conservation cinematographer.
This book finally brings Eggert’s writings out of the archives and into the public eye. With his keen photographer’s vision and colloquial voice, Eggert describes canyons and towns now deep under water as he tells the story of friendships forged upon the rapids and currents of the rivers. Roy Webb’s foreword provides historical context; river historian Alfred E. Holland Jr. introduces Eggert, the man who transformed into an environmentalist after visiting the West; and Sarah Holcombe’s afterword looks at what transpired in the lives of all eight crew members after the journey. Color and black-and-white illustrations further enliven the text. An engaging read, this is an important piece of river history that also shines light on Eggert’s tremendous influence as a conservation cinematographer.
Available now in the Museum Store for $34.95
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
Playful Prairie Dogs
by Neecy Twinem
Playful Prairie Dog introduces children to the life of a prairies dog “town,” where the squirrel-like animals carve out vast systems of borrows and tunnels in order to raise their families and protect themselves from predators such as coyotes, badgers, and hawks. The book describes what prairie dogs eat, how they look after each other, and their unique “bark” to warn other prairie dogs of danger nearby. Prairie dogs also often share their burrows with rattlesnakes, spiders, mice, rabbits, and burrowing owls. The book concludes with a page of prairie dog “fun facts.”
Available now in the Museum Store for $15.95
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
Wildest Lives of the Wild West: America through the Words of Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, and Other Famous Westerners
by John Richard Stephens
By and about the greatest celebrities of the Wild West, these are the stories of their adventures told in their own words through excerpts from autobiographies, articles they wrote, newspaper interviews, private journals, personal letters, and court testimony. These glimpses into the worlds of these legendary figures as they describe their own personal experiences, impressions, what life in the Wild West was like, reveal the roles they played in notable events in American history.
Available now in the Museum Store for $18.95
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To order call 435.789.7399
How 4 Feet of Plywood Saved the Grand Canyon Paperback
by Jerry Borrowman
History turns on small points. From the world's most catastrophic game of chicken to the nail-biting success story at the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, discover fascinating events you've probably never heard of. In this collection of eight true stories from the forgotten pages of history, learn about disasters caused by human error as well as calamities avoided by quick and clever thinking—the lawsuit that launched Abraham Lincoln's political career, the collapse of the Teton Dam, the invention that revolutionized the world of sound, and more. This book is truly love at first sight for lovers of history.
Available now in the Museum Store for $12.99
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
How Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ears Hardcover
by Heather Irbinskas
Because he doesn't listen carefully to what the Great Spirit tells him about each of the animals he is supposed to lead to their desert homes, Jackrabbit causes much unhappiness with his careless answers to the animals' questions.
Available now in the Museum Store for $15.95
To order call 435.789.7399
To order call 435.789.7399
Iron Women
The ladies Who Helped Build the Railroad
by Chris Enss
When the last spike was hammered into the steel track of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Point, Utah, Western Union lines sounded the glorious news of the railroad’s completion from New York to San Francisco. For more than five years an estimated four thousand men mostly Irish working west from Omaha and Chinese working east from Sacramento, moved like a vast assembly line toward the end of the track. Editorials in newspapers and magazines praised the accomplishment and some boasted that the work that “was begun, carried on, and completed solely by men.” The August edition of Godey’s Lady’s Book even reported “No woman had laid a rail and no woman had made a survey.” Although the physical task of building the railroad had been achieved by men, women made significant and lasting contributions to the historic operation.
However, the female connection with railroading dates as far back as 1838 when women were hired as registered nurses/stewardesses in passenger cars. Those ladies attended to the medical needs of travelers and also acted as hostesses of sorts helping passengers have a comfortable journey. Beyond nursing and service roles, however, women played a larger part in the actual creation of the rail lines than they have been given credit for. Miss E. F. Sawyer became the first female telegraph operator when she was hired by the Burlington Railroad in Montgomery, Illinois, in 1872. Eliza Murfey focused on the mechanics of the railroad, creating devices for improving the way bearings on a rail wheel attached to train cars responded to the axles. Murfey held sixteen patents for her 1870 invention. In 1879, another woman inventor named Mary Elizabeth Walton developed a system that deflected emissions from the smoke stacks on railroad locomotives. She was awarded two patents for her pollution reducing device. Their stories and many more are included in this illustrated volume celebrating women and the railroad.
Available in the Museum Store $19.95
However, the female connection with railroading dates as far back as 1838 when women were hired as registered nurses/stewardesses in passenger cars. Those ladies attended to the medical needs of travelers and also acted as hostesses of sorts helping passengers have a comfortable journey. Beyond nursing and service roles, however, women played a larger part in the actual creation of the rail lines than they have been given credit for. Miss E. F. Sawyer became the first female telegraph operator when she was hired by the Burlington Railroad in Montgomery, Illinois, in 1872. Eliza Murfey focused on the mechanics of the railroad, creating devices for improving the way bearings on a rail wheel attached to train cars responded to the axles. Murfey held sixteen patents for her 1870 invention. In 1879, another woman inventor named Mary Elizabeth Walton developed a system that deflected emissions from the smoke stacks on railroad locomotives. She was awarded two patents for her pollution reducing device. Their stories and many more are included in this illustrated volume celebrating women and the railroad.
Available in the Museum Store $19.95
Butch Cassidy
The Wyoming Years
by Bill Betenson
Author Bill Betenson grew up hearing family stories around the campfire about his famous uncle Robert LeRoy Parker, better known as the outlaw Butch Cassidy. Betenson has spent decades asking questions about the life and exploits of Butch Cassidy. He presents new details, raises questions, challenges old assumptions, and presents informed interpretations.
For this book, the author focuses his attention on the time Butch Cassidy spent in Wyoming, starting in 1889 when he hightailed it north to Wyoming after robbing his first bank. The book details Butch's escapades, rustling and robberies, capture, trials, and imprisonment until his pardon in 1896. It follows Butch to the Southwest where he was the mastermind behind other Wyoming robberies before he set sail for Argentina with the Sundance Kid and Etta Place. Some believe Butch returned to Wyoming to visit with old friends beginning around 1925.
The Old West stories that hold our attention the longest, even decades after the facts, are those with unanswered questions. Butch Cassidy's story is full of contradictions, aliases, and mysteries. It's also filled with fascinating men and women who lived in a very different rough-and-tumble world.
Betenson has tracked down old accounts, descendants of Butch's cohorts, records from dusty courthouses, and seldom seen photographs. He's traveled all over the West and visited Argentina to stand in the doorway of the cabin where Butch, Sundance, and Etta lived.
Now he turns his considerable mastery to Butch's Wyoming days, perhaps the most engrossing period of a captivating life.
Signed Copies Available
Available in the Museum Store $19.95
For this book, the author focuses his attention on the time Butch Cassidy spent in Wyoming, starting in 1889 when he hightailed it north to Wyoming after robbing his first bank. The book details Butch's escapades, rustling and robberies, capture, trials, and imprisonment until his pardon in 1896. It follows Butch to the Southwest where he was the mastermind behind other Wyoming robberies before he set sail for Argentina with the Sundance Kid and Etta Place. Some believe Butch returned to Wyoming to visit with old friends beginning around 1925.
The Old West stories that hold our attention the longest, even decades after the facts, are those with unanswered questions. Butch Cassidy's story is full of contradictions, aliases, and mysteries. It's also filled with fascinating men and women who lived in a very different rough-and-tumble world.
Betenson has tracked down old accounts, descendants of Butch's cohorts, records from dusty courthouses, and seldom seen photographs. He's traveled all over the West and visited Argentina to stand in the doorway of the cabin where Butch, Sundance, and Etta lived.
Now he turns his considerable mastery to Butch's Wyoming days, perhaps the most engrossing period of a captivating life.
Signed Copies Available
Available in the Museum Store $19.95