More People in American History - Includes dozens of characters in American History

FRONTIER LEGENDS

Other Characters of the Old West

There are literally hundreds of colorful characters in the Wild West that weren't outlaws, lawmen, trailblazers, gunfighters, or other easily categorized figures; but, were still extremely interesting characters that deserve to be mentioned in our lists of Old West people.

Here, you'll find eccentrics, businessmen, poker players, ministers, entertainers, doctors, photographers, historians, writers, and more.

Though these many people may not have become icons of the American West, so often referred to, in everything from history books to "dime novels," each and everyone of them had some interesting tale to tell.

From such colorful names as Poker Alice, to Potato Creek Johnny, Rawhide Jimmy, Levi Strauss, and others. Watch while this Old West List of Colorful Characters grows.

Index of Other Old West Characters:

Rodeo Clown, 1940

Rodeo Clown, 1940, by Russell Lee.

Find someone of the Old West

Wayne Brazel (1876-1915?) - A stockman in New Mexico, Brazel allegedly killed Pat Garrett in 1908.
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) (1835-1910) - The best known author during the days of the Old West.
James Joshua Dolan (1848-1898) - One of the primary instigators of New Mexico's Lincoln County War, James Dolan attempted to control the economy of Lincoln County in the 1870s. He led the Murphy-Dolan faction and was suspected of riding with the posse that killed John Tunstall. He was charged with the murder of H.J. Chapman on February 18, 1879, but nothing came of it.
Camillus Sydney "Buck” Fly (18??-1901) – Best known for his photography of the Geronimo's surrender in 1886, Fly was living and working in Tombstone during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He also served as the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona for two years.
Albert Jennings Fountain - Soldier, lawyer, and politician, the mystery surrounding Albert Jennings Fountain’s disappearance in the deserts of southern New Mexico has puzzled lawmen and historians for more than a century.
Joseph F. Glidden (1813-1906) - The inventor of the barbed wire widely used in the west.
Frank "Shorty" Harris (1856-1934) - One of the best-known and colorful prospectors of Death Valley, Frank Harris discovered the ore of the Bullfrog District in Nevada and at Harrisburg, California, which was named for him.
William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) - A painter, photographer, and explorer, Jackson is known as the first person to photograph the wonders of Yellowstone and other places in the American West, as well as documenting the Civil War in a number of sketches. He also became a partner in the Detroit Publishing Company, who utilized thousands of his images in the first color postcards and prints to be published in America.

Jack Langrishe (18??-1895) - A native of New York, Jack (John) S. Langrishe, an actor, impresario, and production manager, operated theatres throughout the West, including Deadwood, South Dakota, Denver, Colorado, and and another in Helena, Montana.

Peter Maxwell (1848-1898) - The only son of New Mexico land baron, Lucien B. Maxwell, Peter was living at Fort Sumner during the reign of Billy the Kid and it was at his home that the Kid was shot by Pat Garrett in 1881.

Alexander McSween (1843?-1878) - A lawyer in Lincoln County, New Mexico, McSween, along with partner, John Tunstall, opened a rival store in Lincoln, which ignited the Lincoln County War.

Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872) - Creator of a single wire telegraph system, co-inventor of the Morse Code, and painter of portraits and historic scenes.

Lawrence Murphy (1831 or 1834-1878) - An Irishman who immigrated to the United States, Murphy was a Civil War Veteran, cattleman, and businessman, whose greed ultimately spawned New Mexico's Lincoln County War.

John Perrett, aka: Potato Creek Johnny - One of Deadwood's most colorful characters, John Perrett, more often referred to as "Potato Creek Johnny,” is credited with finding one of the world’s largest gold nuggets. Though he never made his fortune, he did become a local attraction, in and of himself, up until the day he died at the age of 77 in February, 1943.

Frederic Sackrider Remington (1861-1909) - An American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S. Cavalry.

William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (1879-1935) - Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, Presidential candidate and actor.

Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926) - One of the great artists of the American West, Russell created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Indians, and landscapes set in the Western United States, as well as bronze sculptures.

Charles M. Schwab (1862-1939)- Making his fortune in the steel industry, Schwab invested heavily in Death Valley mining ventures. After living a lavish lifestyle for years and the stock market crash of 1929, he died in poverty.

Erwin E. Smith (1886-1947) - Often referred to as "one of the greatest photographers of cowboy life,” Smith created engaging and action-filled images of cowboys and ranch life that have come to symbolize the universal western cowboy type.

Joseph Smith (1805-1844) - Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more well known as the Mormons. He was one of the most charismatic and influential religious figures in American history.

Levi Strauss (1829-1902) - The inventor of Levi's, Strauss first sold them to California gold miners.

Alice Ivers Tubbs; aka: Poker Alice (1851-1930) – Perhaps the best known female poker player in all of the Wild Old West, Alice Ivers Tubbs moved from mining camp to mining camp building her reputation as a superb gambler. After rambling through the West for years, she finally settled down in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where she died in Rapid City in 1930.

John Henry Tunstall (1853-1878) - An English cattleman in Lincoln County, New Mexico, Tunstall, along with partner, Alexander McSween, opened a rival store in Lincoln, vying for the business that had been controlled by the Murphy & Dolan Mercantile and Banking. Tunstall's rivals murdered him in February, 1878, igniting the Lincoln County War.

Frederick J. Turner (1861-1932) - Historian of the American West.

Mark Twain - See Samuel Clemens

Compiled by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated October, 2011.

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Fine Art and Canvas Prints - Legends of America has recently acquired a new Fine Art printer, where we can provide Giclée prints with three different finishes, as well as Gallery Wrapped Canvas displays. You'll find our pricing extremely competitive and the quality as high as you can find anywhere. Choose any image from our Photo Store and select Giclée Prints or Canvas from the product list. Our vintage images, current scenes, and Photo Art are beautiful when printed with a fine art process on paper or canvas. Makes great gifts!!