Colorful Characters of the Old West


Other Colorful Characters of the Old Wild West More Lists: Explorers \| Gunfighters \| Lawmen \| Native Americans \| Others \| Outlaws \| Outlaw Gangs \| Scoundrels \| Soldiers \| Trail Blazers & Cowboys \| Vigilantes \| Women

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Alice Ivers Tubbs; aka: Poker Alice (1851-1930) – Perhaps the best known female poker player in all of the Wild Old West, Alice Ivers actually hailed from England. Born on February 17, 1851 in Devonshire, she was the daughter of a conservative schoolmaster. While still a very young girl, her family came to the United States, first settling in Virginia before moving on to Leadville, Colorado during its gold rush days. Alice married a miner when she was 20 and often accompanied her husband to the gambling halls, where she learned to play. When her husband was killed in a mining accident, she turned to gambling full time to support herself. Working as both a dealer and a player, she worked a number of gambling halls throughout Colorado. A pretty little thing when she began her poker playing career, the frontier life took its toll on her, and she became somewhat hardened, smoking cigars, and learning to swear and drink like a man. She was married three times and bore seven children during her lifetime. 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) - Born in England on March 6, 1853, Tunstall emigrated to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in 1872, where he worked at the Turner, Beeton & Tunstall, a business in which his father was a partner. Four years later; however, Tunstall moved to the United States with thoughts of becoming a sheep rancher. He first investigated land in California but soon headed to New Mexico, where land was more affordable. He first arrived in Santa Fe, where he met a Lincoln County lawyer and cattle rancher named Alexander McSween. After talking to McSween, Tunstall was convinced that there were profits to be made in Lincoln County and soon began ranching there.

But, he also found that the area was monopolized by two men by the names of Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan, who owned the only store in Lincoln County -- Murphy & Dolan Mercantile and Banking. Murphy and Dolan, having influential ties with Santa Fe politicians, virtually controlled the trade of the county, a fact that neither Tunstall nor his friend, Alexander McSween, were happy with. The 24-year old Englishman and McSween soon set up a rival business called H.H. Tunstall & Company near the Murphy & Dolan Mercantile. Alarmed by Tunstall's plans, Murphy & Dolan attempted to put the pair out of business, harassing them legally and when that did not work, Dolan tried goad Tunstall into a gunfight. However, Tunstall refused to use violence himself but soon recruited Billy the Kid, and a half dozen other tough cowboys to protect him and his investments. In February, 1878, Dolan and Murphy obtained a court order to seize some of Tunstall's horses as payment for an outstanding debt. When Tunstall refused to surrender the horses, Lincoln County Sheriff, William Brady, formed a posse led by Deputy William Morton to seize them. After protesting the presence of the posse on his land, Tunstall was shot in the head on February 18, 1878. This incident started what became known as the Lincoln County War. Billy the Kid was deeply affected by the murder, claiming that Tunstall was one of the only men that treated him like he was “free-born and white." At Tunstall's funeral Billy swore: "I'll get every son-of-a-bitch who helped kill John if it's the last thing I do." Adding fuel to the fire, it was rumored that Tunstall had been murdered on the orders of James Dolan and Lawrence Murphy. Frederick J. Turner (1861-1932) - Historian of the American West. Mark Twain - See Samuel Clemens Brigham Young - Leader of the Mormon movement to Utah, president of the church from 1847 to 1877, and the first governor of Utah. Young's legacy is varied, with praise for his many accomplishments and historical influence, as well as controversy, for a number of 19th century events, including the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Dr. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman - Among the first American settlers in the West, the Whitmans played an important role in opening the Oregon Trail, opening the Whitman Mission in 1836. They were killed in what is known as the Whitman Massacre. © Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated May, 2008.
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From the Rocky Mountain General Store Vintage Magazines - Legends of America and the Rocky Mountain General Store has collected a number of Vintage Magazines, including True West, Frontier Times, Treasure and more for our Old West and Treasure Hunting enthusiasts. For most of these, we have only one available. To see this varied collection, click HERE!