Commentary and stories from the towns, farms, and ranches of the modern West
When we think of Western heroes, there’s a slew of them to consider. Men like Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, Juan Bautista de Anza, or Crazy Horse - all were larger life and stand tall in the history of our land. There’s one more to add to that list. He’s an unlikely candidate, a Catholic priest …
Continue reading John Crowley, the Desert Padre
Do you remember sheepherder wagons? I recall seeing them off in the distance, out on the prairie, in those Wyoming hills west of Cheyenne. They were found on open range around the west, on land where cows don’t do well but sheep thrive. That sheep wagon, with its white canvas top, was a beacon in …
Ballarat, California is a town on the edge of nowhere, a collection of mud huts and tin shanties in one of the most hostile deserts in the world. The town was born to serve those fortune hunters known as the Rainbow Chasers. The Rainbow Chasers hunted minerals all around the Mojave Desert. One of the …
There’s yet another group that wants to split up California. Their idea is gaining traction, and enough people signed a statewide petition to get the measure on the November ballot. This isn’t the only effort to split the state. In fact, the man behind this particular campaign tried to do this before, back …
If you’re driving to or from California this summer, you’re following one of the great wagon trails left by our forefathers. Consider taking a little time along the way to learn about the route and the intrepid travelers that built this nation. Most of the California emigrants took the northern route from St. Louis …
