Westerns

There was a time when westerns outnumbered cop shows or sitcoms on television.  In fact, in 1959, there were 26 westerns on prime time TV.  The genre continued to be a staple of TV programming until the 70s, when the popularity began to wane.  Still, those of us born and raised in the 50s and 60s have fond memories of the series we grew up with.  My personal favorites were – and still are -- Here Come the Brides, The Big Valley, and The High Chaparral.

 
It may not be a date that you had to memorize for your American History class in school, but what happened that day in small mining town of Tombstone in the Arizona Territory has had a very large impact on the national imagination. Almost one-hundred-thirty years later, what is now known as the gunfight at the O. K. Corral is still making news.

The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is an event every Texan or “wanna be” Texan should attend at least once. It’s been an annual fixture on the Houston calendar since 1932. People come from all over to participate or partake of all the good things that happen at this event, from the rodeo itself to craft fairs, carnival rides, celebrity entertainers, and of course, good food.  But if you can’t get to the Rodeo, you can at least read some of the great books about rodeo life from our collection. Here are some adult-level, non-fiction titles where you can learn more about the cowboys and cowgirls, rodeo clowns and others we look forward to seeing every year.

Have you ever wondered where the term “private eye” came from?  Well, you can thank Mr. Pinkerton for that. Allan Pinkerton that is, of Pinkerton National Detective Agency fame. Mr. Pinkerton, along with his brother, started the first private detective agency in the United States way back in 1850. Pinkerton was a barrel maker by trade and a very successful one at that. Just how he got into the detective business is a story worth knowing. Furthermore, his Agency is still in operation today and many of his methods of detection and crime solving are still being used. The Pinkerton Detective Agency played a role in capturing or eliminating many of the criminals of the 19^th century, among them, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, the Wild Bunch, and others. He was a friend to President Lincoln and foiled an early assignation attempt. He organized a spy ring to infiltrate the Confederate Army and obtain vital wartime information.