HISTORY DISPATCH

Daniel Boone and the Founding of Kentucky

Daniel Boone will always occupy a unique place in our history as the archetype of the hunter and wilderness wanderer. He was a true pioneer.

The Way to the West: Kit Carson

Kit Carson, frontiersman and wilderness guide, is best known for his trail-blazing excursions into New Mexico and California.

The Way to the West: Davy Crockett

From backwoodsman and bear hunter, to magistrate, legislator and congressman, and ultimately defender of the Alamo, Davy Crockett remains one of America's indelible heroes.

The Way to the West: Daniel Boone

In 1775, American folk-hero Daniel Boone blazed the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky and founded Boonesborough.

The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West (Book Notes)

Larger-than-life stories of the wild west - from notorious outlaws like Jesse James and legendary lawmen such as Wyatt Earp to Belle Starr and Wild Bill Hickok.

Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West (Book Notes)

The rise and fall of the American cattle industry during the late 19th century, and the story of the cowboy.

Texas Ranger: The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, The Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde (Book Notes)

From cattle rustlers, bandits, labor strikes and corruption to the relentless pursuit of Bonnie and Clyde, Texas Ranger takes the reader on a wild ride of the lawman's legendary life.

The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream (Book Notes)

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 sparked a massive influx of people from all over the world, transforming the region and the nation.

Bodie Ghost Town (Photography)

Founded in 1859 as a mining camp, Bodie became a boomtown in 1876 with the discovery of gold. 

American Icon Eagle (Photography)

The bald eagle represents strength and freedom, and was chosen as the emblem of the United States of America in 1782.

Socorro Mission Bell (Photography)

A wooden-cross tops the graceful, stepped facade of the 1843 Socorro Mission, just south of El Paso, Texas.

Monument Valley View (Photography)

Characterized by its cluster of sandstone buttes, Monument Valley is one of America's most iconic western landscapes.

Curious Snow Horse (Photography)

A curious horse poses for the camera in the snow and mingles with a mixed herd of wild and domesticated horses on a ranch.

Snow Frolic Horses (Photography)

A mixed herd of wild and domesticated horses frolic in the snow.

Yosemite Falls (Photography)

This infrared image captures one of Yosemite's spectacular waterfalls.

Denali Snow (Photography)

A dusting of snow is captured atop Ruth Gorge, a glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. 

Drifting Sands (Photography)

Rippling waves of gypsum sand are captured as they drift at White Sands National Park in southern New Mexico's Tularosa Basin.

North Window, Arches (Photography)

Arches National Park has the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world.

Rodeo (Photography)

A rider in action at one of the West's most celebrated rodeos.

Trans-Pecos Horses (Photography)

Horses in the rugged terrain of the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas.

Slot Canyon (Photography)

A ray of light pierces through Slot Canyon in Page, Arizona.

Salton Sea Tree (Photography)

A twisted tree near the Salton Sea, California.

Mono Lake Tufa Tower (Photography)

A tufa tower is captured at dusk in Mono Lake.

Teton Range Reflection (Photography)

The majestic peaks of the Teton Range are reflected in a mountain stream in Grand Teton National Park.

The Wave - Vermilion Cliffs (Photography)

The Wave is a colorful, undulating sandstone rock formation located in Arizona.