Living History West

Giving back through life-changing experiences.

men (cowboys) ride on horseback as the sun is setting. the ground is dusty

Giving back through life-changing experiences.

About

Footprints in the sands of time

MEET the OLD WEST. . . Where History unfolds around every corner ... Explore our enchanting lands . . . And Share a Heritage loved throughout

the world. Perhaps, You’ll even catch a real look at the true Spirit of the West, one of the greatest times in History. No matter where You live in America,

or somewhere else in the World, chances are the OLD WEST means something special to You . . .

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FOR the OLD WEST is above all, a friendly land – a place with a Heritage shared by many. And, whether you have family ties with the WEST and our culture, or a passion for our Vibrant Western History; vivid tales of hearty Pioneers in Covered Wagons, Gold Seekers, or Gunfighters; The foot-tapping pleasures of Western Music and Dance, or the joys and wonders of the most spectacular natural scenery in the world; a yearning for (or a beautiful memory of) an unforgettable land of open skies and inspiring mountains, and Western Hospitality at its best; we would like to share the beauty of the Heritage of the real OLD WEST with You through LIVING HISTORY WEST.

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LIVING HISTORY WEST is a Unique Experience never before seen – a place where You can cover the whole Spectrum of People, Things and Events of the 1800’s that have made the WEST a Powerful Magnet, driving People across the continent for over one hundred years.

No matter where You make your home, the WEST is an Exciting Place to Read about, Dream of, Live in, or Visit. So, ISN’T IT HIGH TIME THIS PLACE WE LOVE … this land which gives our country the character the whole world knows us by – HAD A PLACE OF ITS OWN? A PLACE TO TELL IT ALL … WE THINK SO!

WE WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THE OLD WEST . . .

WE WANT EVERYONE TO EXPERIENCE THE REAL WEST . . .

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FIRST let us tell You about our place that’s aimed squarely at an Unabashed Celebration of Sun, Back Trails, Mountain Streams, A Fort, Indians and Village, Hide-a-Ways, Mountain Men, Cattle Towns, Ranchers, Wagon Trains, Pioneers, Quiet Places, Longhorn Cattle, Trains, Stagecoaches, Cowboys, Miners, and Pony Express; all the things of the OLD WEST that make the WEST what it is . . . Plumb full of a special Knowledge of the WEST, with all its Excitement and Mystery, with all its Sounds and Smells and Bright Visions.

IN other words, if it happened in the WEST it’s something Fascinating, it’s going to be here and You’re going to be part of it, if You choose.

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IF the OLD WEST’S HISTORY runs deep in your blood – or soul . . . If tales of courage and vision Thrill You, Inspire You, Give You Hope. And this is Your kind of Country, Your kind of Dream – a Dream of a New Place to start; or a Dream of Yesterday . . . Then LIVING HISTORY WEST is your kind of place.

WE’LL share with You a practical knowledge of the WEST, through lively spirited happenings. Where the OLD WEST still abides, Where Bold and Colorful Men and Women tackled the Wild WEST and Where the Ghosts of the Pioneers live on forever.

WE’LL let You relive the extraordinary events of our past through a sweeping panorama of the OLD WEST as it really was … A kind of place that doesn’t just offer you a calendar of events, but LETS YOU LIVE IT … Enter another exciting time and place … Meet memorable Characters, who make History come alive …Discover the most fascinating aspects of Western Civilization …

WE OFFER EVERYONE HIS OR HER OWN PLACE IN THE SUN . . .

AND UNDER RAINBOWS OF THE OLD WEST . . .

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THROUGH LIVING HISTORY WEST, You’ll meet fancy poker – faced Gents in the Gambling Hall … Dance Hall Girls, Bandits, Cowgirls … Hard-riding Hombres, Indians …an entire array of Heroes and Con Men, Soldiers and Owlhoots … who gave the WEST its Proud and Colorful name.

WE’LL bring You the High Whinny of Fresh Horses, the Scent of a thirsty Dry Gulch after a Thunder Storm, the Glint of a path beyond your Keen Eyesight that shines deep in the eyes of a Indian Medicine Man.

WE won’t just tell You about the times, and let it go at that, We’ll bring You the Hushed Footfall of a Fur Trapper … The echoing Whistle of the Train … And the thunder of a Gold-Laden Stagecoach headed for town … Hear the shout of a Bullwhacker driving a Wagon Train over the trails … Cheer the Jump-up-down action of a Horse Race.

WE’RE going to take You to a working Cattle Ranch where the traditions of working Cowboys go back to the thundering days of the Cattle Drives . . .

AND if You’ve had a long – suppressed yen to try your hand with a Gold Pan; we’ll tell You how and where to look for the Glint in the Lode. Then we’ll warn You about how it feels to spy that first flash – the feeling that jumps up from wet feet and slides through Your bones just as it did when the prospectors tramped these hills.

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ONCE You pass through our gates, You know you’re among friends. Friendships seem to grow at the drop of a Ten Gallon Hat . . . And You will enjoy the warmth and grace of a bygone era surrounding you.

HISTORY has never recorded a social phenomenon quite like the mass that filled the OLD WEST with towns and sparked countless businesses. Our Western Town is truly indescribable in Language. It can only be compared to itself.

WE’RE going to invite You to peer over the shoulder of the wagon builder we know, right at LIVING HISTORY WEST, as the sparks shower from his hand-pumped forge, and the heavy hammer sings off the red metal as he shapes another steel hoop for the wheel of a buckboard --- a buckboard, by the way, that may soon take You to the LIVING HISTORY RANCH.

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OUR LIVING HISTORY RANCH are a great place for city-weary folks to renew sagging spirits. The pace is a little slower, the friendlier, and the time is Yours.

THE RANCH BARON is a Breed of Business Man on Horseback. He raises the Beef You Eat, the Leather You Wear, the Horses You Ride. He Loves his Work, and Respects the Land … He is your Host … You will experience a Casual Elegance, which gives a view of the Western Heritage and Character of the Hospitality You are receiving.

COWBOYS? No folk Hero real or fanciful ever acted out his role on a more spectacular stage than the OLD WEST provided …Participate in Cattle Drives, Branding Time, Bronc Busting, and Rodeos … Savor the Pleasures of Life on the Range, and Tales around the Campfire.

WHO were the INDIANS of the OLD WEST? Everyone knows them – the hawk-faced men with braided hair and war feathers, trained from birth to hunt and fight, measuring manhood by their boldness in battle; the women raised to sustain the warrior, sharing in celebrations of victory, or weeping in moments of grief.

COME see for Yourself, LIVE their life, and LEARN that as a whole they were the most Visible and Spectacular Manifestations of a broader, more complex life.

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IMAGINE that You’re surrounded by the Immense Stillness of a Mountain Night. Millions of Stars are strewn across the Sky. A Crackling Campfire pushes back the blackness, You sit just beyond the orange Glow of the Flames, Listening Intently to the powerful yet soft-spoken Wagon Master as he tells of times long ago; as if they were here and now … YOU are suddenly aware that the only thing separating YOU and YOUR pioneer ancestors is TIME.

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LIVING HISTORY WEST is Life. A different fascinating Life, that takes YOU outside of your own everyday world for a few days … or even just a few hours. To different Worlds . . . Bustling with Romance, Excitement, Adventure . . . full of Dazzling Beauty, High Drama and Suspense.

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IT’S a crisp summer morning when YOU, the fur traders of the OLD WEST approach the designated place for the Rendezvous. There is a sight which is an Incredible Panorama of Magnificent Countryside, Aglow with a Dazzling Sunrise set amidst Massive Mountain Peaks, forming a stately master-piece of Men and Nature. Echoing about are handsomely decorated Indians with their daring War Ponies, Wives, with Children clad in Buckskin Garb bustling among the pleasures of Smoking Tepees, and the Smell of Food Cooking over Crackling Fires.

AMONG them are the Mountain Men, some famous and some infamous, some curious and solitary, others flamboyant and boisterous. But all engaging in the serious business of Fur Trade.

IT’S unquestionably one of the Greatest Events of the Year, which YOU Will Not Forget.

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EACH Tail has its own History and each Tale has its own Story … A lot of people spend a Life time looking for that Special Place. A place where, once experienced, a renewed sense of spirit will prevail, leaving You with an inner desire to Return.

YOU’LL come away with a new view of Yourself. You have learned something of the Spirit of the OLD WEST. You’ve grown and You had one heck of a good time doing it.

LIVING HISTORY WEST is a Family. We believe in the worth and power of the Family, God, and Country -- We offer things that bind it altogether everyday as well as on Holidays, Birthdays, and other special occasions. And Your children will live and learn more about the WEST than just Geography – Like Values, Traditions and History … Quality Time; Time to Grow, Time to Appreciate the Curiosities of Life. Time to relearn the rewarding skills of our Forefathers. Time for more of the things that Nourish, Please and Satisfy most.

FOR We believe – as we are sure you do – that the WEST is a symbol whose story Must be told to every generation.

WE invite YOU to Join with Us. To Explore, to Enjoy, to Protect this world of the WEST. For all of US … Forever.

WE are sure YOU will find LIVING HISTORY WEST …

A delight for the eyes, and an Inspiration for the SPIRIT . . .

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YOU’LL get more than Action – Filled Entertainment ...YOU’LL get an Education … because of the masterful blend of Thrill – Packed Adventure and Meticulous History, combined with the best WESTERN HOSPITALITY.

WHEREVER YOU may live, YOU’LL find LIVING HISTORY WEST a refreshingly timely – yet timeless – view of the WEST. It allows YOU to enjoy the WEST, while enabling YOU to Re-live the WEST of Old.

THE minute YOU pull on a pair of Cowboy Boots and don Your Hat, Your entire personality changes. YOUR speech begins to Drawl a Little, and Your body just naturally takes on a slow easy Gait. You may like to carry something on your hip, to approximate the weight of a Six-Gun; and, when You climb on a Horse, You shift your position to hear the squeak of Saddle Leather. Even names used to describe the terrain – Mesa, Canyon, Butte, Draw – tend to lower your voice and make You Stand a little Taller.

IT can create an Atmosphere, free the Imagination, and Transport You to a new and Vivid Reality. It can give You a moment to Return to when You’re in need of Escape … And Dusty Boots to remind You.

YOU can remember those Canyons, the Draws, the Buttes, the Mesas … And Your mind starts filling in, like the spot You found that You never knew could exist, where you could almost Reach Up and Touch the New Day Breaking, All Golden Yellow. This place touched You as You never thought it could have.

AND with some Wagon Trains, Stagecoaches, and maybe a few Rustlers, Your mind Sees IT ALL Again. And wishes you could LIVE IT Again. AND start every morning that way, the way You did at LIVING HISTORY WEST.

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WE could Go On and On about LIVING HISTORY WEST, but we think You’d have a lot more Fun being a PART OF IT.

YOU can probably tell we’re Excited about it, and what it has in store for YOU, Your Family, and Your Friends.

Our GOALS are High, Our America the Great Aims are Big, but that is the Spirit of the WEST that has made Country she is today.

NOW, we wouldn’t try to sell YOU a horse without offering YOU a turn on him first. And we wouldn’t tender YOU a poke of Gold Dust without putting it on the Scale. That’s just the way folks in the WEST do Business.

UNLIKE the Scal-a-wag Horse Traders of the OLD WEST or the Thumbs-down Gold Con Artists, we want YOU to have our offer right out front. Straight and Simple … Traditional Western, You might Say.

WE want to share the OLD WEST and Its Heritage with YOU through LIVING HISTORY WEST.

JOIN IT! SEE IT! LIVE IT! THERE’LL NEVER BE IT’S LIKE AGAIN, NOT IN YOUR TIME, NOR ANY OTHER.

THANK YOU . . . AND WELCOME to LIVING HISTORY WEST.

Cordially,

Ross & Candace Huston - THE HUSTONS

Re-Living Yesterday’s . . .

. . . And Making Tomorrow’s