The West was still wild in South Texas in the 1880s and 1890s for a rich Anglo landowner and a Mexican hired gun-outlaw-lawman. The authors explore a shoot-out that was more explosive than the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in a town that no longer exists. The Coy family was involved with the law, and especially Juan Coy, by his own accounts gunned down at least thirty-three opponents. Coy earned his hard reputation after the Civil War during the turbulent Reconstruction period. It followed him through brushes with the law and his lifelong friendship with the Butler family in Karnes County.

Death of a Texas Ranger is the thrilling, action-packed story of the murder of Texas Ranger John Green by Cesario Menchaca, one of three Rangers of Mexican descent under Green’s command. Immediately word spread that the killing may have been the botched outcome of a contract taken out on Menchaca’s life by the notorious Gabriel Marnoch, a local naturalist who had run up against the law himself. But was it? Much more than just a story about a tragic frontier killing, it is the story of an era. The events leading up to the murder and Green’s son’s decades’ long quest for justice for his father’s killer exemplify the chaotic frontier society in Texas after the Civil War, a time fraught with political turmoil and cultural clashes. Amidst that chaos, the virgin landscape of Texas was a magnet to those interested in the natural sciences in the nineteenth century, an era often referred to as the Age of Darwin. The clash between the seemingly pastoral landscape with its offerings for science and the brutal history of the region ties this very readable regional history into the larger American story.

Despite his challenges as a deaf-mute, Burnell Butler was one of those who dreamed of a better life in Texas. Lured by all the twenty-eighth state offered, Butler, his wife, twelve children, and seven slaves gambled big in 1852, migrating from Mississippi in covered wagons to the unknown prairies of Texas. It was there that the Butlers would begin a new chapter, fueled by their rugged, hard-working spirit. Charles Olmsted, a former award-winning sports writer, relies on extensive research and anecdotes to chronologically capture the fascinating history of the Butler family. Beginning with a cattle drive during the Civil War, Olmsted details how Burnells son, William G. Butler joined in helping build the foundation for the multi-billion dollar beef industry, rode the Chisholm Trail with his family from the 1860s to the 1880s as part of the transformation to cattle cars on railroads, and often settled disputes with gunfights. Included are excerpts from letters, newspapers, and books as well as details from land purchases, proclamations, and real-life accounts. The Good, the Bad, the Butlers shares the true story of a pioneer family as they built a new life in Karnes County, Texas, and attempted to survive all the challenges of living in a dangerous and dusty land.

The tally of Texas lawmen killed during the states first sixty-five years of organized law enforcement is truly staggering. From Texas Rangers the likes of Silas Mercer Parker Jr., gunned down at Parkers Fort in 1836, to Denton County sheriff s deputy Floyd Coberly, murdered by an inmate in 1897 after ten days on the job, this collection accounts for all of those unsung heroes. Not merely an attempt to retell a dozen popular peace officer legends, Texas Lawmen, 18351899 represents thousands of hours of research conducted over more than a decade. Ron DeLord and Cliff Caldwell have carefully assembled a unique and engaging chronicle of Texas history.

Ten-year-old James tries to hold his own and prove himself on the basketball court when the older boys finally ask him to join them in a game. Full color. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

The most comprehensive work ever done on legal executions by hanging in Texas. Arranged by counties, this book documents 467 executions in Texas, many that have been forgotten through the years. Thoroughly researched by West Gilbreath, a career law enforcement officer, this book is a must for any Texas history buff.