Charles Alexander Eastman, aka Ohiyesa, a Santee Sioux Indian, was the first Native American to be certified in Western medicine, a writer, national lecturer, and reformer. Pretty impressive for a man who, at birth, was named Hakadah (Pitful Last). More: www.legendsofamerica.com/na-charlesea...

By definition, Virginia City, Montana, is a ghost town, yet it is very much alive. Frozen in time, this historic city provides one of the best-preserved examples of the many mining camps of the American West. Explore Virginia City, MT – A Lively Ghost Town www.legendsofamerica.com/mt-virginiac...

John Behan was a lawman and politician who served as Sheriff of Cochise County, AZ, during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and was known for his opposition to the Earps. He died on June 7, 1912. John Harris Behan – 1st Sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona: legendsofamerica.com/law-johnbehan/

McDonald, KS, was platted June 7, 1888. The post office relocated from Celia to McDonald on July 21, and most of the buildings from Celia followed. McDonald is the snowiest place in Kansas, with an average of 37.6 inches of snow per year. More on McDonald legendsofkansas.com/mcdonald-kan...

Born on June 6, 1844, Lafayette “Lafe” Augustus Shadley was the Sheriff of Montgomery County, Kansas, and was later appointed as a U.S. Deputy Marshal in Oklahoma Territory, where he died fighting the Doolin-Dalton Gang at Ingalls. More about Lafe: www.legendsofamerica.com/lafayette-sh...

The first detachments, totaling about 2,800 people, left by steamboats and barges on the Tennessee River on June 6, 1838. The rest of the Cherokee were not so fortunate, forced to travel overland to Indian Territory. Read about The Cherokee Trail of Tears www.legendsofamerica.com/na-trailtears/

Born on June 6, 1755, Nathan Hale, on the day of his execution by the British in September of 1776, said: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Read about Nathan Hale – The Patriot Spy, by Inez Nellie Canfield McFee, in 1913. www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-nathanhale/

Born June 5, 1850, Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett was a cowboy, rancher, and lawman best known for killing Billy the Kid. His resulting fame was controversial until he, too, met a violent end. Learn more about the life of Pat Garrett – An Unlucky Lawman www.legendsofamerica.com/we-patgarrett/

On June 5, 1920, Roy Gardner would make his first escape from the law while being transported to prison. He would escape several more times before finally being housed in Alcatraz. As far as the loot he stole? Legend says it's still out there. The story: www.legendsofamerica.com/roy-gardner-...

On June 3, 1942, the Japanese Navy attacked Dutch Harbor in the first aerial attack on the continental United States. The Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears were built next to each other in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. More about the base and attack: www.legendsofamerica.com/dutch-harbor...

Gaining a post office on June 3, 1889, David C. Barrows founded the community and laid out the townsite in 1885. Originally named Four Corners, settler Henry G. Weber renamed it Galatia after his hometown of Galatia, Illinois. More on Galatia, Kansas: legendsofkansas.com/galatia-kans...

The Kiowa lived a typical Plains Indian lifestyle. Primarily nomadic, they survived on buffalo meat and gathered vegetables, lived in teepees, and depended on their horses for hunting and military uses. The Kiowa – Nomadic Warriors of the Plains: www.legendsofamerica.com/na-kiowa/

Hackberry. Arizona, on Route 66, started as a silver mining town in 1874. Today, it is a virtual ghost town. However, thanks to the Hackberry General Store, filled with relics of a simpler time, it remains a popular destination for Mother Road travelers: www.legendsofamerica.com/hackberry-ar...

The town had barely been settled before it found itself amid the Kansas-Missouri Border War with the Battle of Black Jack on June 2, 1856. The post office closed on October 20, 1894, and the town soon followed suit. More about Black Jack, Kansas 👇 legendsofkansas.com/black-jack-k...

Named a National Monument on May 31, 1923, Pipe Spring in Northern Arizona preserves Winsor Castle, a sandstone fort-ranch built in the early 1870s. The fort served as a ranch headquarters, a Mormon tithing office, and a telegraph station: More: www.legendsofamerica.com/pipe-spring-...

On May 31, 1889, residents of Johnstown, PA, heard a thunderous roar as a man-made disaster swept through town. It would be the most devastating flood in the United States of the 19th century. Learn more about The Johnstown, Pennsylvania Flood of 1889: www.legendsofamerica.com/johnstown-pe...

Also called katchina, katcina, or Katsina, these spirits, or personifications of things in the natural world, may represent anything from rain to crops, various animals, stars, ancestors, and even other Indian tribes. More about Kachinas of the Puebloans: www.legendsofamerica.com/na-kachina/

How many times can a town move before it finally stays put? The answer for Clifton, Kansas: more than once. Laid out in 1859, the town shifted locations between Clay and Washington Counties before settling in both. More history of Clifton, KS: legendsofkansas.com/clifton-kans...

The Little Juarez Cafe in Glenrio, TX, on the New Mexico Border has seemingly stood against time, for now. Here are some shots from 2006 and in 2022. See more Texas Route 66 in our photo print gallery: photos.legendsofamerica.com/texasroute66 More on Glenrio: www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-glenrio/

“The next best thing to being clever is being able to quote someone who is.” – Mary Pettibone Poole. Quotes and Words of the Old West 👇 www.legendsofamerica.com/we-words/

Before the Civil War, Lawrence, KS, lay amid the Missouri/Kansas Border War. The Eldridge Hotel, built in 1855, was burned down twice. First called the Free State Hotel, it's no surprise that it is home to some spirits, given its rich history. More: www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-eldridgeh...

Started in 1893, St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of the oldest continuously operated attractions in Florida. Today, the facility is the only one in the world with live specimens of all 24 currently recognized crocodilian species. Check it out: www.legendsofamerica.com/fl-alligator...

Making her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936, for three years, the RMS Queen Mary hosted the world’s rich and famous across the Atlantic. She was sold to the city of Long Beach, California, in 1967 for $3.45 million to serve as a maritime museum and hotel. More: www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-queenmary/

About ten miles north of the Oregon Trail, South Pass City, once a bustling gold mining camp, is one of the best-known ghost towns in Wyoming and one of the most authentic in the West. The site is open from May 15th through September 30th each year. More: www.legendsofamerica.com/wy-southpass...

On May 27, 1872, despite strong protests from Chief Allegawaho and his people, the Kanza were relocated to a 100,137-acre site in northern Oklahoma. That was down from 2 million acres ceded to the U.S. in 1846. More on the Kanza: www.legendsofamerica.com/kanza-indians/

Known for its Lead Mining history, and one of the few Kansas Rt. 66 towns, Galena began in 1877 and grew to 10,000 residents in just a few months. Only about a third remain; however, it's a popular stop on the Mother Road. Galena, KS – A Lead Mining Maven www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-galena/

Initially created to honor Union soldiers killed during the Civil War, national cemeteries have become memorials to all United States veterans. More about the Evolution of National Cemeteries and Memorial Day: www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-nationalc...

Herington, KS, was founded in 1884, named after its founder, Monroe Davis Herington. The National Old Trails Road, established in 1912, was routed through Herington. The American Discovery Trail also passes through. Explore more about Herington, Kansas: legendsofkansas.com/herington-ka...

Some records indicate that the Tuscarora originally lived in the Great Lakes region. They resembled the Algonquian tribe, but the Tuscarora spoke a different version of the Iroquoian language called Skarure, which translates to "hemp gatherers." More: www.legendsofamerica.com/tuscarora-tr...

Established in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg, Vulture City, Arizona, once a popular gold mining camp, is a ghost town located at the site of the defunct Vulture Mine in Maricopa County. Visitors can explore remains of the town seasonally from October to May: www.legendsofamerica.com/vulture-city...

Born May 24, 1810, John David Albert was a mountain man who made his way west from Pennsylvania and was friends with other important frontiersmen of the time, including Jim Baker and Charles Autobees. Read about Frontiersman John David Albert: www.legendsofamerica.com/john-david-a...

The initial 13-mile stretch of track opened May 24, 1830. A horse pulled the first car 26 miles and back. On May 24, 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse used the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad right of way to send the first telegraph. More about Baltimore & Ohio Railroad: www.legendsofamerica.com/baltimore-oh...

As the Kansas/Missouri border war heated up, on May 22, 1856, it spilled into Congress, as Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner was beaten unconscious by South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks, over Sumner's fiery speech "The Crime Against Kansas". 👉 www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-bleedingk...

Death Valley has experienced over 140 years of boom and bust mining. In its wake, it created more than 100 ghost towns and camps, some still hanging on with ruins of yesteryear. Adventure into Death Valley Ghost Towns and Mines in California and Nevada: www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-deathvall...

Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers at the southernmost tip of Illinois is the town of Cairo. The city once supported over 15,000 residents, but today, fewer than 2,000 remain, as it is on its way to becoming a ghost town. More: www.legendsofamerica.com/il-cairo/

The Cherokee War of 1776, also known as Dragging Canoe’s War, was a series of conflicts between Americans and the British loyal Cherokee that ultimately led to a split in the tribe and the creation of the Chickamauga. More on the Cherokee War of 1776 👉 www.legendsofamerica.com/cherokee-war...

The town was first settled in 1868 as Chapman's Creek, but was shortened to Chapman in May of 1872. This small town, on the north bank of the Smoky Hill River in the eastern part of Dickinson County, has survived the Kansas winds over and over again: More: legendsofkansas.com/chapman-kans...

A post office opened in Depew, Oklahoma, on May 17, 1901. After the oil boom began, its population exceeded 1,100 by 1930. The Great Depression, then later the Interstate, contributed to the town's decline. Today, only about 400 residents remain. Depew, OK #route66 www.legendsofamerica.com/ok-depew/

Las Vegas was founded on May 15, 1905, when 100 acres in what would later become downtown were auctioned off. In 1931, Las Vegas legalized gambling, a decision that would forever change the face of Nevada and the city. More on Las Vegas, NV: www.legendsofamerica.com/nv-lasvegas/

Quindaro, Kansas, an old historic black town of Wyandotte County, was situated on the south bank of the Missouri River. Gaining a post office May 14, 1857, the town is extinct, but has a rich history on the Underground Railroad. More on Quindaro, Kansas: legendsofkansas.com/quindaro-kan...

As we celebrate 100 years of Route 66, let's not forget its predecessor, the Ozark Trail Highway. A short-lived yet significant highway, entirely built locally and promoted by an association. In 1926, most of the highway became U.S. Highway 66. More: www.legendsofamerica.com/ozark-trail-...

San Diego Presidio, founded on May 14, 1769, became the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast and the launch point for Spain’s colonization. Now part of Presidio Park, the site has been a National Historic Landmark since 1960. www.legendsofamerica.com/san-diego-pr...

Lozen, the younger sister of Apache Chief Victorio, studied medicine and became a renowned medicine woman. Victorio said of her, "Lozen is my right hand… strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy. Lozen is a shield to her people.” More: www.legendsofamerica.com/lozen-apache...

In 1607, 104 Englishmen and boys arrived in North America and began searching for a settlement. On May 13, 1607, they chose Jamestown, Virginia, named after their King, James I. The settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America. www.legendsofamerica.com/va-jamestown/

In 1886, the coal camp of Rust was founded. The camp was three blocks wide and four blocks long, bound on the east by the railroad. On May 13, 1891, a post office was established, and the name was changed to Arma. More on Arma, Kansas in Crawford County: legendsofkansas.com/arma-kansas/

Born on May 12, 1878, Ann Bassett was a prominent rancher in Brown's Hole, Colorado. Along with her sister, Josie, she was an alleged associate of outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. More on Ann Bassett: legendsofamerica.com/anne-bassett/

First called Florence, the town was renamed Kenton on May 12, 1891. History here includes nomadic tribes and outlaws. For a time, it was in a lawless area known as No Man's Land. Kenton, OK, grew to 350 residents. Today, only about 31 remain. More: www.legendsofamerica.com/ok-kenton/

After gaining a post office in late 1885, Gem’s population was 200 by 1930, but by 1940 it had dropped to 125. At some point, the bank burned down; afterward, businesses closed, and the population declined. A handful of residents remain: More on Gem, KS: legendsofkansas.com/gem-kansas/

Settled in 1877, with the coming of the railroad, Havensville, Kansas, became one of the area's prominent shipping points. After peaking in 1910 with 439 residents, the town, like many others, has since dwindled. More on Havensville, Kansas: legendsofkansas.com/havensville-...

May 11, 1889, the Wham Paymaster Robbery near Pima, AZ, resulted in two Buffalo Soldiers receiving the Medal of Honor. However, the money they guarded, some $28,000.00 in gold and silver coins, has been missing for more than a century. More on the robbery: www.legendsofamerica.com/az-whamrobbe...