I came by my interest in history in what I call the right way.
My family has been in America since 1630. The first officially recorded birth was in 1637. Counting backwards from me, and in four generations we go from my birth in 1936 to my great, great grandfathers birth in 1757.
My family, has always been a family of movers, never staying one place very long. They moved from 1757 Connecticut, to arriving in Mentor, Ohio, before the 1804 birth of my great grandfather. They were in Clarinda, Appanoose county, Iowa for the 1850 birth of my grandfather. My grandfather was a tough old nut, he lasted until the fall of 1950.
My family has participated in every action our country has been involved in from before the French and Indian War, to the Viet-nam war. And, participated in some localized conflicts such as the Johnson County War, to the Lincoln County War. Two of my ancesters off spring, Robert Beckwith, and Marmaduke Beckwith, were killed in the Lincoln County War.
My grandfather, as a young man, had been in Montana since 1866 and was a scout, hired by Gibbons, to lead the cavalry toward what later proved to be the Little Big Horn battlefield. Gibbons and his cavalry arrived the day after the Custer debacle. They got to clean up the battlefield and bury the dead.
In doing genealogy I found that the Maria Fitzgerald that married Emanuel Custer, was my own fathers, great aunt, Her maiden name was Ward. She had a prior marriage to a man named Fitzgerald, and three children, before she married Emanuel Custer, and bore him three children. They were George Armstrong Custer, Thomas Ward Custer, and Boston Custer.
In doing genealogy I also found that there was a Privateer (legal pirate), named Seth Beckwith, who had papers of Marque issued to him during the American War of Independence, by the Colonial government so he could legally capture British ships and bring them to American ports. Shareing the prize derived, with the Colonial Government.
I was born in Columbus, Montana which is just a short ways from the Little Big Horn Battlefield. I could always count on a spring time horse back ride, from our home in Columbus, to the Little Big Horn. We would stay for a few days, walk the battlefield with my grandfather pointing out where facets of the action, happened.
What piqued my interest in history, at an early age, was much closer at hand. It was my grandfather. He used to tell me Montana fur trapping stories, Indian fighting stories, Buffalo hunting stories, bad guy hanging stories by the hour. He had an avid listener in me.
I found our local library, even though a small town library, was an excellent source of Western Americana. Evidentially whoever put the books together, for the library, was also an Old West History Buff. After that there was no turning back.
I have tried to visit every area where a major event took place. I have walked every battlefield from Adobe Walls, to the Little Big Horn, to the Hayfield fight , to the Wagon Box fight. I still have quiet a few eft to visit. If I live long enough I'll make them all.
I have visited Tombstone, AZ, Dodge City, Kansas, and a lot of other places where action happened in the Old West era. It is a passion with me.
When I was young, I never wanted to play baseball, or foot ball, I just wanted to read books about the Old West. I got a lot of harassment for that from the other school kids. Usually, and hard over hand right, to the loud mouths nose stopped the verbal harassment.
If I wasn't reading a book, I was out shooting, or hunting. My first rifle was a 22 caliber Stevens Crack shot.
I came by my love of the Old West by living with a person, my grandfather, who participated in so much of it, in the Montana, Wyoming area. Anything else, pales into insignificance, beside the Old West in my manner of thinking.
I have an extensive library of Western Americana. I have original books, I have bison books reprints of western Amricana books, from the University of Nebraska Press. The University of Oklahoma Press also reprinted Western Americana books. I have a few books from the University of New Mexico Press.
I have sought out authors such as Robert M. Utley, Paul I. Wellman and other well respected Western Americana authors. I have nothing but contempt to Dee Brown, who wrote "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."
I have Western American in my family, my birth and in my avocations. I love the Old West and it's characters.
What I enjoy doing, is taking someone who doesn't know the Old West, introduce them to it, and watch their interest grow.
However, being extremely protective of my books, as I am with my firearms, I don't lend books, firearms or Western movies. I know, some will think thats very selfish, but it keeps track of them and keeps them in good condition...
Bill
News & Blogs
Home
Posts
Recent Posts
Help
Business Directory
Calendar
Advertising Rates
Contact Us
Login
Register
