Interesting Facts About the Wild West 

The Wild West era spanned from the 1860s to the early 1900s. This was a time of mass migration into the Western United States as families staked their claims on land and cowboys and outlaws roamed the countryside. 

Life on the American frontier was difficult and dangerous. Families traveling the Oregon Trail and other routes West faced many dangers. Bandits and outlaws caused mayhem stealing horses and robbing trains. Women were greatly outnumbered by men and took on work that reflected this fact. 

Our fascination with the Wild West is thus understandable. There are so many interesting aspects of life on the frontier. The following are 22 interesting facts about the Wild West and the people who lived in this unique era. 

Facts About Society in the Wild West Era 

1) The Wild West was a time of great innovation. 

For those living on the frontier, innovations must have seemed scarce. Settlers lived in small cabins or frontier towns that lacked the conveniences of established places in the East. 

However, innovations were occurring on a larger scale. Railroads extended further and further West while telegraphs and telephones made it easier than ever to communicate across long distances. 

2) Women in the Wild West formed clubs promoting the arts and culture. 

Married women who traveled to the Wild West with their husbands worked hard to make the untamed land their new home. Wives banded together to organize clubs and events that promoted arts, culture, and shared interests. 

While women living back East scoffed at the idea of living in West, women who organized clubs insisted that their towns and cities were just as “civilized” as their Eastern counterparts. 

3) Although prostitution is a well-known Wild West occupation, women worked other jobs, too.  

Prostitution was a common occupation for women living in the Wild West. Because women were outnumbered by men, their services were well-received. Prostitutes outnumbered other women 25 t0 1.  

This was not the only job option available for single women, however. Saloon girls, dance hall girls, and hostesses were entertainers who sang, danced, and chatted with patrons. 

Female entertainers earned $10 per week plus commissions on drinks sold. They would often chat or dance with a patron and then direct him to the bar to earn money on his drink purchases. 

Some of these women chose to offer up services as prostitutes, while others strictly worked as entertainers. 

4) The Pony Express only lost one mail sack during its operation. 

The Pony Express was a short-lived but highly efficient mail service that ran from Missouri to California. Riders traveled 650,000 miles and delivered 35,000 pieces of mail during the Pony Express’s 18 months of operation. 

The average rider was 19 years old and earned $100-$150 per month. 

5) Price gouging was a major problem during the California Gold Rush.

People flocked to California when news of gold spread across the country. The Gold Rush that ensued drove prices up to sky-high numbers. 

Eggs sold for $3 each, which is the equivalent of a whopping $105 today. Butter sold for $20, or $70o today. Shovels (necessary items if you wanted to find some gold) cost an average of $36, or $1,259 in today’s money. 

6) It was pretty easy to become a sheriff in the Wild West. 

Sheriffs were the classic “good guys” for townspeople and the bane of an outlaw’s existence. This important occupation was actually quite easy to pursue in the Wild West. 

Few states or towns had specific requirements sheriffs had to meet for employment. A few basic requirements in Texas, for example, were that a man be 21 years old and an American citizen. 

7) Gun control laws were strict in some towns. 

Towns like Deadwood and Dodge City are remembered for their debauchery, but gun control laws in these towns were actually quite strict. 

Visitors had to check their guns with the sheriff and received a token exchange. This kept newcomers from causing problems during their visits. 

Residents were allowed to keep firearms in their homes for self defense. 

8) Lead-footed had the opposite meaning in the Wild West era. 

Today, someone is called “lead-footed” if they drive too fast. In the Wild West, being lead-footed meant you were too slow. While everyday life did move more slowly in the Wild West era than it does today, many activities required speed. 

Being a slow-poke would have been detrimental for cowboys or farmers. 

9) The US Army waged war on the buffalo.  

After recognizing importance of American buffalo as a food source for Native peoples, the US Army ordered the mass killing of these animals to starve out Natives. 

Between 10 and 30 million bison roamed the American West before the hunting started. Afterwards, less than 1,000 remained. Buffalo Bill Cody earned his name by killing 4,000 bison himself in a two-year period. 

10) Railroad Police kept cargo and passengers safe from bandits. 

The Railroad Police still exist today, but they were formed in the 1860s as train security. The Railroad Police kept cargo and passengers safe from the ever-present threat of train robberies. 

Gangs of bandits would target trains, and Railroad Police were often the sole protection available on the frontier. 

Facts About Cowboys & Outlaws

11) Not all cowboys fit the modern stereotype. 

Spaghetti westerns of the 1950s have cemented a certain cowboy look in our minds. In reality, about one quarter of cowboys were African American. 

Many slaves worked as cowboys and continued the occupation as free men after the Civil War. Others were always free and chose the cowboy lifestyle. 

12) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid didn’t kill for fun. 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are two of the most well-known figures of the Wild West. While they committed crimes as part of the Wild Bunch gang, the pair were not cold blooded killers. 

Neither ever killed just because he could. The only killing done by either man was during their final shootout. 

13) Kid Curry may have had 85 children. 

While not all of Butch Cassidy’s gang members loved to kill, Kid Curry certainly did. He hated law enforcement and took pride in killing sheriffs. 

Kid Curry also had a propensity for visiting many brothels during his time as an outlaw. He is thought to have fathered as many as 85 “Curry Kids” by prostitutes.  

14) Cowboy food was simple and dry. 

Cowboys traveling through the untamed West relied on foods with long shelf lives. These foods were naturally boring and mostly dry. 

Hard biscuits, dried meat, and dried fruit as well as canned beans and coffee made up the typical cowboy diet. 

15) Texas had the most gunfighting out of any Western state. 

Texas has always been equated to the Wild West, and it, in fact, had the highest number of gunfights compared to other western states. 

160 shootouts occurred in Texas between 1850 and 1900. 

16) Not all gunfighters died in conflicts. 

While gunfighting was a dangerous occupation with a seemingly high rate of early death, about one third of all gunfighters died of natural causes. 

Those who made it to old age often lived into their 70s. 

17) The cowboy hat was invented in the 1860s. 

Most cowboys did not wear the hat we all recognize today as the cowboy hat. This style of headwear was first developed in the 1860s by John Batterson Stetson. 

The style gained popularity and by 1906 Stetson’s company had sold 2 million cowboy hats per year. 

18) Cowboys moved cattle over several months. 

Cattle drives were some of the major events in a cowboy’s life. Cattle left to graze had to be rounded up and driven across a certain amount of land where they could be sold. 

Large cattle drives extending from Texas to Montana could take up to five months to complete. Cowboys and cattle moved about 10 to 12 miles per day. 

The process took so long because cattle needed to graze along the way. 

Facts About the Oregon Trail

19) Pioneers were instructed to pack 110 days worth of food. 

Some trail guides recommended families pack 110 days worth of food. The most well-prepared travelers would bring along a milk cow for fresh dairy products. 

Other families had to get by on hunted game and even roadkill. 

20) Wagons traveled up to 20 miles per day. 

Traveling the Oregon Trail was a slow and likely frustrating endeavor. The daily schedule of meals, resting, and driving accommodated for an average of 18 to 20 miles per day. 

Not every day would yield the same amount of miles covered. The trails west were poorly marked and directions were rudimentary at best. Some days could be wasted traveling in circles. 

21) 1 in 10 emigrants died on the trail.  

It’s a sad reality that 1 in every 10 Oregon Trail emigrants would die. The unforgiving landscape made mistakes lethal. Mistakes like a lack of food or neglecting to rest animals could lead to starvation and getting stranded. 

Most emigrants died from disease, accidents, and wounds. Gravesites for people and animals dotted the sides of the trails in sobering numbers. 

22) Travelers relied on buffalo poop for cooking. 

What may sound gross to us was a vital practice for travelers on the Oregon Trail. Since trees were sparse along the Trail, pioneers collected dried bison excrement to use for campfires. 

Surprisingly, the “prairie chips” or “meadow pies” made hot and odorless fires that were necessary for making meals.