Popular myths about the American West are found in such entertainment such as: the films Young Guns and Tombstone, along with the T.V. show Deadwood. These shows are about the perception of the West as violent, lawless, and packed with vice. Unlike other popular culture myths, this one is based on truth.
That the Old West was chaotic may not be surprising, but the degree degree of chaos came as news to me. Take a look at these facts:
Deadwood, South Dakota was founded as a mining camp in 1874. In its first year the town averaged one murder per day. 365 murders per year, in a town of 3,000 people is probably the highest murder rate ever recorded for a single city. Another interesting fact about Deadwood: Ninety percent of the female population were prostitutes.
Charles Helm was a gunman and cowboy who was shot and killed by Billie McCauley in Tombstone, Arizona in 1882 after arguing about whether to drive cattle fast or slow.
John Wesley Hardin was one of the worst outlaws of the Old West with 30+ kills to his name. He reportedly shot a man in a hotel for snoring too loud.
Vigilante groups were common in the Old West. In San Francisco one Committee was established in 1851 and revived in 1856 to deal with crime related to the Gold Rush. In those two years the Committee lynched 12 people, kidnapped hundreds of others, and forced several elected officials to resign.
Doc Holiday once played a game of cards with a man named Ed Baily. When Baily thought Holliday was cheating, he attempted to shoot Holiday. Doc stabbed Baily to death before he could get off the shot.
It seems the world has been going to "hell and a handbasket" for over 100 years.
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