The American frontier was a land of opportunity. It called to the hearts of men and women who longed for freedom, for new beginnings, and for adventure. But for many, this untamed territory turned out to be a proving ground, where a person's strength was tested beyond civilized limits. Some gave up the fight and traveled back to the East. Others didn't survive the challenges that faced them. But for those with the strongest of character, the West became home. In a country where a man could die a hundred different ways, those who chose to stay faced daily trials: Indian raids, grizzly bear attacks, fires, smallpox outbreaks, rabid coyotes, cattle stampedes, and of course outlaws, to name just a few. Sometimes loved ones were lost, leaving those who remained haunted by the memories of those deaths.
But the West offered more than hardship. The indomitable spirit of the land became a part of the people who lived there, and legends were born-some widely talked about, others known only to a small town in the middle of nowhere. Whether small or great, it was these legends that gave purpose and hope.