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Central States Lawman and Outlaws Historic Assoc. In the late 1800s - and early 1900s The River of humanity flowing west, was both wide and deep. Caught in the current of manifest destiny, were settlers, soldiers, business interests, and Outlaws. It was a perfect whirlwind of the Wild west. G.C. Stevens This page is copyrighted (c)
Friday, October 16, 2026
An Author in the Mid-West by G.C. Stevens
As a writer from the Mid-West, I find that there's more than enough to write about locally. I live in Iowa, and I'm sure my readers understand, that I focus on Iowa as a Western State, and I emphasize this as a matter fact, because it's true. Before Wyatt Earp went west, he lived in Pella Iowa, some of his relatives are even buried in my new hometown, Newton Iowa. (I'll be doing an article on this later on), Before Buffalo Bill became a western icon, he lived in Le Claire Iowa, in fact, there's a great museum there dedicated to Buffalo Bill, I'd love to do an article about the museum, I've been there, it has a lot to offer as a historic site, it sits right next to the Mississippi river, it's in a breathtaking location. But I can't and to be honest, I'm a little hurt about it. I tried to set something up with them a few years back. I don't why, but they proactively ghosted me and they won't speak to me about it. But I guess it is what it is... I digress. Adding to Iowa's western lore is Jesse James, an outlaw who was a villain to many and a hero to others. Iowa is where Jesse and his brother Frank pulled off the first train robbery west of the Mississippi river. It was the first of many train robberies for them, they also robbed the bank in Corydon Iowa before that. After they attempted to rob a bank in Northfield Minnesota, they trekked across western Iowa after their gang got shot up there. During their daring escape, which was about a two-week ordeal, the famed bandits stole multiple horses and even kidnapped a doctor that they ran into on the trail. They stole his horse and his clothes.
--------------------------------
The Future of the
Central States Lawman & Outlaws Assn.
I've personally written over 300 articles and published nine books, eight are in print, and the ninth book is scheduled to come out in the spring of 2027. This blog gets over 20,000 views a month. The invitations to speak and participate keep rolling in. So the CSL&OH.A. is just getting started. Theres a great spark of interest i the American West, as an author, I promise to be here.
Comin soon: More on the Wyatt Earp, Stuart Lake Letters!
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Fiction; Chato, Indian Scout, Apache Dawn, By G.C. Stevens
Chato was a scout for the U.S. Army, was a man caught between worlds, trusted by few in a changing world, and understood by fewer. His latest assignment came straight from Indian Agent John Clum, a wiry, bald headed man with a stubborn streak and a vision for peace on the San Carlos Reservation. Clum had handpicked Chato for a delicate mission: track down a band of Apache renegades who’d slipped off the reservation, stirring unrest among the settlers and threatening Clum’s fragile truce.
“Chato,” Clum had said, peering over his desk in the dusty agency office, “you’re the only one who can do this. You speak their tongue, know their ways. Find them—bring them back alive if you can.” I will support you with a detachment of soldiers and all the supplies you need.
Chato nodded, his face unreadable. He didn’t care much for Clum’s idealism—peace was a word men like Clum tossed around too easily—but he respected the man’s grit. And Chato was actually John Clum's favorite Scout. Besides, Chato knew the renegades: young warriors, restless and proud, led by a firebrand named Naiche. They weren’t outlaws, not yet—just men who’d rather die free than live penned up like cattle.
Mounted on his wiry mustang, Chato rode alone into the canyons, following trails only an Apache could read: a broken twig, a scuff in the dirt, the faint scent of smoke on the wind. By nightfall, he found their camp nestled in a dry arroyo, a flicker of firelight betraying their position. He tethered his horse and approached on foot, silent as a shadow. In the distance he saw Apache warrior's. He knew he and his detachment had probably been watched for many hours. But Naiche spotted him first, riding briskly up to Chato in charge while whooping, then dismounted his horse while leaping up with a knife in hand. “You,” he spat in Apache, recognizing Chato’s mixed features. “Clum’s dog. Come to drag us back?” Chato raised his hands, empty. “Not his dog,” he replied in the same tongue. “Just a man who knows what it’s like to not fit anywhere. Clum wants you alive. The Army? They’ll shoot first, ask later. Your choice.” The warriors muttered among themselves, weighing his words. Naiche’s eyes burned with defiance, but Chato saw the flicker of doubt. He pressed on, switching to Spanish, a language they all understood from border raids. “Vivir para luchar otro día,” he said quietly. Live to fight another day. Suspecting an attack, Chato and the detachment took up a defensive positions crouched behind a ridge of jagged boulders, his dark eyes scanning the horizon. After several hours of waiting, it became apparent that the hostiles had no intention of surrender, and that they had fled into the desert. His detachment—eight soldiers under Lieutenant Harrow—tracked the band of Apache warriors for another three days, following hoofprints and broken twigs through the unforgiving terrain. But now, the chase had ended. The Apache waited ahead, concealed among the rocky outcrops of a narrow canyon.
Chato adjusted the bandana around his neck, his rifle resting lightly in his calloused hands. He’d warned Harrow that the Apache leader, a cunning warrior named Tza-Ke, wouldn’t flee forever. “He’ll turn and fight when the ground favors him,” Chato had said that morning, his voice low and steady. Harrow, a green officer fresh from West Point, had nodded but said little, his jaw tight with untested confidence.
Now, the trap was sprung. A sharp cry echoed through the canyon, followed by the crack of gunfire. Bullets ricocheted off the rocks as the soldiers scrambled for cover. Chato darted to Harrow’s side, pulling the lieutenant down just as a shot whizzed past his head. “They’re above us,” Chato hissed, pointing to the canyon rim where faint silhouettes moved like ghosts against the orange sky. “Tza-Ke’s got the high ground.”
Harrow cursed under his breath, his face pale but resolute. “We’ll flank them. Take three men and circle left. I’ll hold here.”
Chato nodded, though doubt gnawed at him. The Apaches knew this land better than anyone—every crevice, every shadow. Still, he signaled to Privates Dunn, Lopez, and Carter, and the four slipped away, moving low through the brush. The air smelled of gunpowder and dust as they climbed a steep incline, Chato’s moccasins silent against the stone.
At the canyon’s edge, they spotted Tza-Ke, Naiche and six warriors, their rifles trained on the soldiers below. Chato raised a hand, halting his men. He studied Tza-Ke—a lean figure with a red cloth tied around his head, his eyes fierce and unyielding. For a moment, Chato felt a pang of kinship; he, too, had once lived by the old ways before the Army claimed him. But duty was duty.
He whispered a plan: Dunn and Lopez would draw fire while he and Carter closed in. The privates nodded, grim-faced, and opened fire. The Apaches spun toward the noise, and Chato moved like a shadow, his knife flashing as he tackled a warrior to the ground. Carter’s rifle barked, dropping another. Below, Harrow’s men rallied, their shots echoing up the canyon walls.
Tza-Ke turned, spotting Chato. The Apache lunged, his tomahawk gleaming in the fading light. Chato rolled aside, the blade striking sparks from the rock, and drove his shoulder into Tza-Ke’s chest. They grappled, dust swirling around them, until Chato’s knife found its mark. Tza-Ke slumped, his breath fading with a final, defiant glare.
The battle ended as swiftly as it began. Three Apaches lay dead, the rest vanished into the dusk. Two soldiers were wounded, but none lost. Harrow clapped Chato on the shoulder, his voice hoarse. “Good work, Villareal. Damn good work.”
Chato said nothing, wiping his blade clean. He gazed at the canyon, the weight of the fight settling into his bones. Victory tasted bitter when the enemy wore a face so like his own.
By dawn, Chato led the renegades back toward San Carlos, their weapons sheathed but their spirits unbroken. Clum waited at the reservation’s edge, his eyes widening as they approached. “Villareal, you pulled it off,” he said, a grin breaking through his usual sternness as he clapped Chato’s shoulder.
“Didn’t do it for you,” Chato muttered, tugging his hat lower. He mounted his horse and rode off, a solitary figure dissolving into the desert heat—half Apache, half Mexican, and entirely his own.
“Didn’t do it for you,” Chato muttered, tugging his hat lower. He mounted his horse and rode off, a solitary figure dissolving into the desert heat—half Apache, half Mexican, and entirely his own.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Angel and the Badman, Movie Review by G.C. Stevens
The Capital Theater in Newton Iowa. Photo(s) by the Author.
ANGEL AND THE BAD 2026
This is where I have to put a on date myself, because it's important to how I viewed this movie. I am sixty-eight years old, and trust me, I've viewed a whole bunch of westerns. The very first important western movies that I the pleasure to watch were "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) which I saw on T.V. in 1965, which was a movie that set the tone for westerns that came after it, The Good The Bad and The Ugly" (1966) which I actually saw the theater when it came out. In between all of that, I was raised on a healthy dose of John Wayne movies, T'.V. westerns, "Gun Smoke", "Have Gun, will travel", "Bonanza" and "Davy Crocket" and a whole cavalcade of other westerns and frontier movies that came along. Add to that, the next level dramatic westerns like Sam Peckinpah's , "The Wild Bunch.", "True Grit", and 'The Long Riders." In the author's humble opinion, the last great western made was "Tombstone." But I must point out, that during the last fifty years of film making, a whole lot of things have changed in the way that films were shot and produced. Especially with the introduction of computer technology in film making. The technical aspects and cinemaphotography are considerably different than they were in 1960, but so is the mindset of our culture, this last fact is very important to take note of where Angel and the Badman is concerned.
But with all of that said, if you're looking for the Good The Bad and the Ugly or true Grit, you're not going to find it in Angel and the Bad Man, but if you go back and watch the original version of Angel and the Badman that was made in 1947, you'll find the actual model for the 2026 version, except that the 21st century version moves Angel and The Bad Man into a more mature vision that deals with immorality, violence, family and faith in God, which by the way, isn't any different than the original and just like the days of early film making, there are no emotional or dramatic movie musical scores, you'll only hear the typical music that supports each scene. In fact, the background music isn't very memorable at all. A big take away here is that Angel and the Badman relied on something ancient and obscure to both actors and movies goers, in that the movie relied on two basic things, that being cinemaphotography and real acting and dialog between people, just like the 1947 version employed. I enjoyed the simple rolling scenery of the desert and rolling plains, because I understand that most of the American west is rolling plains and scrub brush desert and it's not all monument Valley Utah. A warning to historians and thread counters, the wardrobe in Angel and the Badman is not exactly historically correct attire, and it seems that the wardrobe is used as a way to highlight the characters and scenes. I won't go into too many details of the movie, and you'll get no spoilers from me, because I think you should see the movie. If you do decide to see this movie for any reason, my advice is to see it as a witness to the shift in culture and to watch the western genre trying repeat its formula for success from the very beginning. On October 4th, 2026, I wrote a review of the original 1947 version of Angel and the Badman, you can read that here. The Angels Studios version used a lot of the original plot, but it made some significant artistic changes. The biggest part of the plot leaves western fans with one mystery and question, where did the Confederate gold come from? My mind went to Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle. But you'll have to figure it out on your own.
G.C. Stevens, See you on the dusty trail!
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Sunday, October 4, 2026
The Adair Iowa Autumn Market by G.C. Stevens
It was a perfect day in the country in Adair Iowa
at the Autumn Market. I had a great time talking to
people about local history.
Bison Bold Coffee
Angel & The Badman, & It's Remake By G.C. Stevens Updated 10/10/2026
John Wayne (as Quirt Evans) and Gail Russell (as Penelope Worth)
Photo Public Domain
Angel and the Badman. a love story about God, family values, commitment,
the law and the useless pursuit of violence.
"Each human being has an integrity that can be hurt only by the act of that same human being and not by the act of another human being."
-Quirt Evans
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On October 09th, Angel Studios will be releasing a remake of the John Wayne's Classic Western "Angel and the Bad Man." It has been quite a few years since I first saw the original version on T.V. but the 1947 version was one of the westerns that created the pattern for many westerns that followed. The original version was filmed in noir, but I chose to watch a colorized version, which turned out to be a great choice because Angel and the Badman was filmed on location in Sedona Arizona, Flagstaff Arizona and Monument Valley Utah. The colorized version really brought out the grandeur of the deserts and rock outcroppings of the region. I look forward to reviewing Angels Studios Version of "Angel and the Badman." when it's released.
Quirt Evans with the Quaker, Mr. Worth Photo public domain
Quirt Evans exhausted, falls into the arms of Penelope (Penny) Worth
The Plot
The story centers around a former Lawman turned outlaw, Quirt Evens, who according to the story, was a deputy with Wyatt Earp in Tombstone Arizona, until he handed his badge in, tried to build a cattle ranch, and then turned to a life of mayhem. The movie opens with Quirt Evans, mounted on a fast horse with a bullet in his back. How the bullet got there is left to the imagination of the movie goer. His horse gallops up to a farm on the edge of a desert road and he falls out of his saddle in-site of the farm's residents. The occupants of the farm are a family of Quakers who migrated into the west with a Quaker sect called "the friends." These adherents were stanch pacificists and humanitarians. The Worth family, Mr. and Mrs. Worth, their son, and most importantly, their young and faithful daughter, Penelope (Penny) Worth, took mercy on the injured cowboy and immediately began to care for him. Quirt is young man in deep trouble in outlaw country, in the wild west, where cattle rustling and gun play was an all-too-common occurrence. After he demands to be taken to the telegraph office, Quirt collapses into the arms of Penny Worth and taken into the Quaker home and placed in bed, Quirt becomes delirious and restless, Mr. Worth realizes what's wrong with him and retrieves Quirts six gun, unloads it, and places it in his hand and Quirt immediately settles down and goes to sleep, the scene emphasizes Quirts addiction and need for the six gun for his personal safety. The family summons a local doctor to help Quirt, Dr. Mangram, the good doctor is a rather wise man, and he immediately sees the problematic situation for what's it worth, and he tells Penny:
"But of course if you're determined to watch over him, Penny, perhaps you'd better take a pencil and paper with you. His first conscious words should be recorded. They may be of great interest to history... or more possibly to the United States Marshal! Who knows what violence is involved with his battered frame and his bullet holes."
Dr. Mangram, tries to warn the whole family that they are courting trouble by looking out for Quirt, and in many ways, the good doctor is right, but Quirt is direct and almost predictable and he has his own ideas about freedom and justice, that only a one time frontier Lawman could understand and Quirt had an ace in his pocket, because he was a well-known and feared former Lawman with a reputation of the six gun. Quirt eventually heals up and as he gets to know the family, he can see their kindness and their struggles and Penny can see that Quirt has led a violent life that centers on his gun and overrides his faith in God, and Penny isn't shy about pointing this out, and Quirt is smart enough to hear her. Quirt also learns that the Worth family has another problem, as their water supply has been cut off by an old and cantankerous rancher and neighbor who has dammed up the nearest stream that supplied water to the Worth farm. Quirt then visits the old man and uses his well-known reputation to convince the rancher to allow the water to flow. When the water spills onto the Worth farm, Penny asks Quirt if he used his gun to convince the rancher, he reassures her that he did not. Like so many westerns, Quirt's problems come home to roost because of an ongoing range war between cattlemen. The trouble between he and another outlaw by the name of Laredo Stevens becomes the center of the story and it the reasons for Quirts most recent bullet wound come into focus. This is the west, where at this time, cattle and bad men roamed free.
Guardian Angel
Another character in the story enters into the picture, he is a soft-spoken Lawman, Marshal Wistful McClintock, (Played by Harry Carey) who seems to have a special interest in Quirt. Their first encounter in the movie shows that they have mutual respect, but McClintock has a fatherly view of Quirt and he knows about what happened in Tombstone. He tells Penny some things about Quirt, but though his demeanor is quiet, concerned and knowledgeable, he reminds Quirt of his authority as a Lawman and warns him that hangman's noose could be in his future. McClintock, then clearly states that he is a patient man. He would be keeping a close eye on Quirt. McClintock is true to that word, and he is always in the background like a guardian angel.
The movie progresses through many cliche aspects of westerns. Shootouts and barroom brawls. The story culminates with an ambush on both Quirt and Penny who are on the trail together in a wagon. They are ambushed by Laredo Stevens and his fellow outlaws. A chase ensues, and the wagon carrying Quirt and Penny is driven off of a cliff into a river below. Penny is seriously injured. Quirt recues her and takes her to the Worth farm where Dr. Mangram is called in to assist her. The doctor explains to Quirt that her condition is serious, and it seems she might not survive her injuries. Quirt, then heads to town to find and kill Laredo Stevens and his outlaw gang in revenge for Penny. When he arrives in town, ready to challenge their hand, the outlaw gang is in a local saloon, and the Laredo gang is given bad information telling them the Marshal had left town. They see this as an opportunity to finish Quirt off. It's at this time that the Mr. & Mrs. Worth arrive with Penny in a wagon and she is alive and well. Quirt has a change of heart, and hands her his six gun, signaling that he is ready to change his life. Quirt hears Laredo Stevens taunting him, he quickly turns around and Laredo and one of his men pull their guns to shoot, but another shot rings out from the distance as Quirts guardian angel, Marshal McClintock is seen holding his Winchester rifle to his shoulder. He had not left town after all. The story has a happy ending.
A lobby card showing Marshal McClintock in the background, Quirts guardian angel.
ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (In theaters October 2026)
Thank you to Angel Studios!
The reimagining of the John Wayne classic western is directed by Julio Quintana and stars Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones, Zachary Levi, and Neal McDonough.
Synopsis: When feared outlaw Quirt Evans staggers onto a rancher's land with a bullet in his back, he expects a quick death, not mercy. But Penny, the rancher's daughter, offers him a chance at something he’s never had: a life beyond violence. However, the past doesn’t forgive. With the marshal closing in and an outlaw gang ready to burn the ranch to the ground, Quirt must decide what kind of man he’ll be when the world demands blood.
Quotes: “I’ve always wanted to produce a Western, and I’m grateful to have assembled such an incredible cast and crew to reimagine this classic,” said Producer Jaime Hernandez. “With themes of redemption and personal growth, combined with action, humor, and a touch of romance, we believe this film has all the elements to connect with a broad audience.”
“One of the most enjoyable experiences my wife and partner Ruvé and I have ever had is helping create Angel and the Badman. To work with Zachary Levi and the legendary Tommy Lee Jones was such a highlight in my career,” said Neal McDonough. “But it was truly the direction of Julio Quintana and the production that was put together by Jaime Hernandez and his team alongside the incredible Angel Studios that makes this film unique. It is a beautiful film that the whole family can see in the amazing world of westerns.”
Angel and The Badman Press Release
The 1947 Version of Angel and the Badman IMDB Page
Friday, October 2, 2026
Bison Bold Coffee!
My first pound of Bison bold coffee
I want to thank our sponsor Bison Bold Coffee for sending a sample of their coffee to me. I just had my first cup of Bison Bold this morning. "The Sacred Blend" Is a smooth and tasty dark roast!
-G.C Stevens
On my second cup of Bison bold Coffee!
Thursday, September 24, 2026
The Great American Western & The Central States Lawman and Outlaws Historic Association Team Up!
WE SUPPORT HISTORIC PRESERVATION!
THE GREAT AMERICAN WESTERN YOUTUBE CHANNEL TEAMS UP WITH THE CENTRAL STATES LAWMAN AND OUTLAWS HISTORIC ASSOCIATION!
The Central States Lawman and Outlaws H.A. Youtube Channels are now linked together!
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Frontier Photo, US Cavalry Indian Wars (?) Taken by Palmquist and Jergens: By G.C. Stevens
An unknown US Army Officer
A "Mint Condition" Cabinet Cardjust added to the authors collection.
1880's "suspected Indian Wars"
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Www.bisonboldcoffee.com
- Sitting Bull / Photographed and published by Palmquist & Jurgens, Cor. Seventh and Robert Str., St. Paul Minn. Summary: Photograph shows Sitting Bull, three-quarter-length portrait, seated, facing front, holding a calumet. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
The Palmquist & Jurgens Studio today is mostly known for its series of iconic photographs taken of Sitting Bull in 1884. Sitting Bull had first visited Saint Paul in March 1884, being accompanied by one of his wives, his nephew One Bull, Indian agent James McLaughlin and an interpreter. He returned again the same year on September 4th, this time accompanied by Colonel Alvaren Allen, the owner of the Merchant Hotel in Saint Paul where Sitting Bull had stayed during his first visit. During the earlier visit in March he sat for a photography session with the Palmquist & Jurgens studio, then located at 225 East Seventh Street. It has been reported that a dozen glass plate negatives were taken of Sitting Bull and an additional one of him together with his nephew One Bull. It clearly was not a chance undertaking, in fact Sitting Bull was actually permitted to enter into a contract with the photographers reportedly giving them the exclusive right to sell and market these twelve photographs, finished in the form of albumen print cabinet cards, for a one-year period. It is also certain that Sitting Bull was given supply of prints of the photographs, for him to either give away or to sell.
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Photographer C.H. Hall, Witness to History, Springfield Illinois: By G.C. Stevens
A very common carte de visite,
in good condition
purchased on ebay, subject unknown
Sometimes a rather inexpensive purchase of a photo can yield a special find. When searching for antique photos, I find that it's very important for dealers (some advice here) of carte de visite's to display both the front and back of each photo. Seeing the antique portrait, carte or cabinet card form both sides tells much about the story of the photo. On most carte de visites, the photographer, used their photo as a business card (so to speak) and usually stamped his or her name and studio on the back (back mark) of the card, and in other cases, we sometimes find personal information written on these photos. Clues to the identity of the person in the photos are frequently found because of these notes. The identity of the photo here, a young man holding a book, remains a mystery, however the back mark on this photo indicated that the picture was from a city in Illinois that played a significant role in the American civil war, and that place was Springfield Illinois, Abraham Lincoln's home state.
Photo from the authors collection
I have a habit of looking at the back mark before I even view the photo
Photo taken by C.H. Hall courtesy of the library of congress
The above photo shows a group of armed union soldiers that were guarding the entrance of the original tomb. Its worth noting that Abraham Lincolns body was stolen in 1876 and held for ransom
Photo courtesy of the library of congress
Read more here
https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites/central/lincoln-tomb.html
https://www.schrc.org/abraham-lincolns-first-gravesite-springfield-2018-lincoln-tour-3/
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