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Marshall, James Wilson (1810-1885), discovered gold in California on Jan. 24, 1848. He found pieces of gold while building a sawmill for John Sutter 48 miles (77 kilometers) north of Sutter's Fort. News of the discovery started the gold rush of 1849. In spite of his discovery, Marshall died a poor and bitter man. The first people who came to the gold site paid a small fee, but later arrivals refused to pay. The claims of Marshall and Sutter were swept aside. Marshall was born on Oct. 8, 1810,… More »
Anza, Juan Bautista de, AHN sah, hwahn bow TEES tah day (1735-1788?), a Spanish frontiersman from... More >>
Baca, Elfego, BAH kah, ehl FEH goh (1865-1945), was a Mexican American folk hero. He became known... More >>
Billy the Kid (1859-1881) was a cattle thief and killer in New Mexico. He killed at least 5 men,... More >>
Bowie, BOH ee or BOO ee, James (1796?-1836), became known for his role in the Texas Revolution.... More >>
Cartwright, Peter (1785-1872), was a circuit rider (traveling preacher) on the American frontier... More >>
Cortina, Juan Nepomuceno, kawr TEE nah, hwahn nay poh moo SAY noh (1824-1894), was an early... More >>
Custer, George Armstrong (1839-1876), was a United States Army officer who won fame as a Civil... More >>
De Smet, duh SMEHT, Pierre Jean (1801-1873), was a Roman Catholic missionary who worked in the... More >>
Earp, Wyatt (1848-1929), was a peace officer in the American West. He was best known for his role... More >>
Garrett, Pat (1850-1908), an American frontier rancher and sheriff in the West, is best known for... More >>
Glass, Hugh (1780?-1833), was an American hunter and trapper. He is best known for a heroic... More >>
Hickok, Wild Bill (1837-1876), was an American frontier army scout, peace officer, stagecoach... More >>
James, Jesse (1847-1882), became one of the most famous bank and train robbers in the history of... More >>
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