The Legacy of the Great American West

The Western frontier of the United States was once a complete mystery and a myth whose story was told in dime novels and whose history was filled with truths that were either partial
or not at all.  The real stories
of those days are still being told
with different versions and
the heroes and villains
often switch sides,
depending on those
telling the tale.

There are, however, some real truths that come from the heritage of
our American West.

In the first half of the 19th century the area west of the Mississippi was called The Great American Desert.

This was the area inhabited by tribes of
Native Americans, and their culture was poised
to suffer and decline significantly from
the expansion into the west. 
Many white Americans considered the area
to be unfit for settlement while others selfishly saw it
as an opportunity for free land.

The ‘Great American Desert’ began to shrink rapidly
as expansion grew into the Great Plains and beyond
until now only the Great Basin and parts of
Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California
bear the name.

The real heroes of our American West embodied the spirit of exploration, preservation of our natural resources, and respect for the diversity of people who struggled to live here.
It wasn't always easy to tell the good guys from the bad and it had nothing to do with the color of their hats.

Buffalo Soldiers
& the Black Cowboys

Chief Ouray and the
Southern Ute Tribe

John Wesley Powell

Theodore Roosevelt

Chief Joseph
and the Nez Percé

Lewis and Clark