by Henry F. Deter (Author)
How much of history is lost over time because only the most exciting, or most dangerous, events were passed down through time? Most "old west history" contains accounts of Indian attacks, gunfights in the streets, and famous outlaws and lawmen. Although those events certainly occurred, it is doubtful that that is a true picture of everyday life in the early west. The real story is that of the fortitude and perseverance needed by these early pioneers just to survive. The true cowboy, although made into a hero by history and literature, only existed for about thirty of forty years, during the open range era of the west. That era faded rather rapidly with the arrival of civilization in the form of the "Iron Horse" and homesteaders.