Wild West Photos That Reveal a Dark Reality

While the Wild West is best noted for Cowboys and Indian standoffs, railroad wars, battles of lands and lawmen who frequently took things into their own hands, not much is known about the average citizen’s life during this time.

Considered one of the most realistic photographs depicting a real cowboy, this image taken by miner John C.H. Grabill is iconic for the cooling cloth neck wrap and leather chaps he wears.

Most people take what they see in western films as truth. When it came to saloon card games, cowboys didn’t actually play poker but rather a game called Faro, a which was created outside the US.

This iconic photograph depicts the legendary Wyatt Earp with his friend Bat Masterson. He’s best known for his participation in the O.K. Corral gun fight along with his brothers Virgil and Morgan and friend Doc Holiday boldly took on four outlaws.

General George Crook is considered to be one of the greatest Indian fighters in the midst of the Indian Wars. In this 1886 photograph, he appears with his mule Apache and two of scouts Alchesay and Dutchy.

One of America’s best known frontiersmen, Kit Christopher Carson played a leading role in the development of California. Kit was illiterate, and it’s likely his embarrassment about that led him to spend more time with Natives.

Outlaw Jesse James transitioned from a Confederate Bushwhacker into one of the most recognized outlaws to this day. He was taken out when a bounty was put on his head resulting in his murder by another member of his own gang.

This striking image depicts the majestic Canyon de Chelly Nation Monument. Currently, it sits amid the Navajo Nation and is one of the United States most visited national treasure.

This image features of group of Buffalo Bill’s cowboy performers for his gun re-enactments. These gentlemen were likely to be the best sharpshooters in the nation at the time, as getting hired wasn’t easy. 

This image is of Kraemer’s Saloon in Michigan. What makes this photo so relevant even today is the fact that it shows that bars today are still relatively the same as the saloons 150 years ago.

This fascinating photo was captured by Timothy O’Sullivan and portrays Lt. George Wheeler along with his crew as they surveyed the lands around the Black Canyon and Colorado River.

Prior to being defeated during the Battle of Little Big Horn, Lt. Colonel George Custer searched the Black Hills of South Dakota with his crew to search for an ideal fort location.

The Navajo Nation may be the largest reservation in the US, but times weren’t easy for them getting there. This pic shows a Navajo family taking a ride across the Canyon de Chelly in the late 1800’s.

Apache Geronimo is largely considered a hero for leading numerous combined tribes into battle with their Mexican and American foes.

Not only did Charlie Siringo work as a detective at the Pinkerton Detective Agency, he became a whistleblower sharing the agencies darkest secrets. 

The colonists were drawn to the lovely weaving of the Native Americans, so they started making rugs and blankets to exchange for goods. Previously, only the tribe had access to such quality weaving.

This photograph of peoples of the Paiute tribe best depicts the noticeable results of American colonization had on their lives. Here they are seen wearing a combination of Native clothing and western garb.

Cameras were not commonplace in the Old West, and Timothy H. O’Sullivan ultimately became the most famous photographer of the era. Here, we see his mobile darkroom wagon in the Carson Sink led by mules. 

Even though the temperatures often exceeded 130 degrees in Death Valley, California, businessmen would willingly travel there. Why? Because there were large amounts of borax there that they could mine and sell for big profits.

Situated in Dakota Territory, Deadwood hosted a huge celebration as captured in this photo by John Grabill after the completion of the city’s streetcar project and the Deadwood Central Railroad.

If you’ve ever wondered what a true Wild West cowboy looked like, this depiction of Charlie Nebo is extremely accurate. He was known as a true frontiersman amid his peers.

There was gang involvement during the Civil War, and Bloody Bill was known as the savage leader of Quantrill’s Raiders. As a Confederate, he and his gang would take out as many Union soldiers as possible when given an opportunity.

A decade before tintype photography people used ambrotype, which is done on glass. This image is a pristine example of early ambrotype photography.

In this tintype photograph from 1870, we see an unidentified member of the Cherokee tribe who are one of the Five Civilized Tribes that were relocated onto Indian Territory. 

Born William Cody, Buffalo Bill created a highly popular entertainment program known as the “Wild West Show.” It began in 1883 and went on successfully for many decades as the show toured the states and wowing them with gun fight reenactments and other acts. 

As seen in the photo of a group traversing the steep and dangerous Sierra Nevada Mountain Trail, travel wasn’t easy for all early settlers. In fact, the wealthy would hire an armed group to protect themselves and their valuables on risky routes such as this one.

Tibercio Vasquez was a hispanic outlaw that went on a 20 year crime spree without getting caught. His luck ran out in 1875 when authorities caught him and had him hung.

Chasing money was vital in the wild west, and gold was the most prized metal that people would chase and mine. This Timothy O’Sullivan photo shows an Illinois railway track that transported their finds out of the mines, saving the men a lot of time and hard work.

Taking six years to create during the Civil War, The Pacific Railroad connecting San Francisco to Iowa laid the foundations for a transcontinental railroad to foster transportation.

Pearl Hart wasn’t a woman to be messed with in the wild west, and she gain notoriety due to her proclivities as a female stagecoach robber.

It’s unknown who the men are in this photo, as there were numerous gangs amid the wild west. What is known is that they are one of those gangs, so experts suggest that the man in the center is John Kinney. 

Another popular attraction at Buffalo Bill’s show were watching the grass dancers. These two Oglala Lakota Natives traveled the world wearing their native bells and shells to entertain show-goers. This photo is of dancers know as Elk and Black Elk.

The Texas Rangers were founded in 1836, and even though they were protectors of the people they had to purchase their own weapons and ammunition to get the job done. Rather than receiving money as payment, they were granted property.

Known for being an excellent shot with the fastest holster to hand speed, Wild Bill Hickock is rumored to have taken the lives of more than 100 individuals. 

Here, we see a group of men in front of a cave-like entrance in the late 1800s. Their goal was to mine for gold, copper or silver in hopes of reaping big payouts in addition to the mine owners when they found the goods.

Many people don’t know that the early Texas Rangers were not Texans nor were they outlaws—they were Comanches. In this image from 1868 we see John J. Haynes on the right and James Thomas Bird on the left.

Known for his stunning photography of Wyoming, Colorado and South Dakota during their development, here we see wild west photographer John Grabill. 

Once white settlers came in and European colonization took hold, Native life as they knew it ended. Native’s were forced off their lands so settlers could have it, sending the earliest peoples away to the west to live in paltry conditions on makeshift reservations.

Black American’s who opted to serve in the US Army were dubbed Buffalo Soldiers by Native Americans. The term was popularized by reggae legend Bob Marley. In 2005, the last living Buffalo Soldier passed away at the incredible age of 111.

Chinese immigrants were often put into concentration camps and later forced into cheap free labor to build railroads. Not only did they make less than half the wages of white workers, they were forced to buy their own food and transport their camps when non-Chinese workers had these necessities supplied for them. 

This is a panoramic image by Timothy O’Sullivan showing the growth of the community of Little Cottonwood, Utah. In the wild west, these settlements made life much easier and safer than being on the frontier.

This cowboy seems eager to pose for this solo picture, and it is rumored that most cowboys were eager to have their image captured on film. Likely, this is why the cowboy here is in full regalia replete with his chaps, hat, and gun.

Quanah Parker was a highly respected warrior and chief of the Comanche tribe. Best noted for his high level of aggressiveness and bravery, he became a leader at a young age. Here, he proudly wears a full headdress and holds a bottom-up lance.

While General Custer is best known for his defeat in the Battle of Little Big Horn, he was notably a great soldier who served in many wars. The image here was taken just prior to his passing.

Cherokee statesman Ned Christie had a reputation for taking on the lawmen in the Americas. So much so that these engagements were dubbed as ‘Ned Christie’s War.’ He was accused of many crimes wrongfully and put on trial. 

Formed in 1861, Terry’s Texas Rangers were a highly respected and successful calvary regiment fighting for the Confederates during the Civil War. At least 275 engagements called them to battle, and the group was dissolved in 1865.

It simply wasn’t feasible to bathe daily in this era, and there were actually wives tales that claimed sickness was due to taking a bath! 

Another female who gained fame for being a female outlaw was Belle Star. Born Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Star, she could often be seen riding sidesaddle and toting two pistols. She was murdered in 1889 by an unknown party.