By Centennial Spotlight.
SUMMARY:
Released by Centennial Media in 2021, this 98-page collectible magazine provides an Old American West history lesson and teases reputed instances of its supernatural legacy. Though the articles don’t identify their specific authors, the contents consist of the following:
- Introduction: “Welcome to the Haunted Wild West.”
- “Going West” sets up a general historical timeline dating back to Lewis & Clark’s 1804 cross-country expedition.
- Chapter 1: The Good, Bad, & Iconic – profiles on Billy the Kid; Jesse James; Wyatt Earp & “Doc” Holliday; “Wild” Bill Hickok; Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (including a sidebar on Etta Place); “Buffalo” Bill Cody; Annie Oakley; and the Old West’s answer to “America’s Most Wanted.”
- Chapter 2: Power Struggle – profiles on Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse; General George Armstrong Custer; Kit Carson; Geronimo; Chief Joseph; Nat Love; Sam Houston; and a summary of the era’s grisliest battlefields.
- Chapter 3: Good Girls Gone Bad – profiles on Belle Starr; Lottie Deno; Cattle Annie & Little Britches; Charley Parkhurst; Pearl Hart & “Baby Doe” Tabor; Laura Bullion & “Stagecoach Mary;” Guilty by Association profiles: Etta Place; Ann Bassett; & Rose Dunn; and then Madams & Prostitutes: Fannie Porter; Dora DuFran; Madame Moustache; & Mollie Johnson.
- Chapter 4: Frontier Folklore – supernatural tales re: The Oregon Trail; “Big Nose” Kate; Bat Masterson; Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum; The Colt Curse; La Llorona; Yellow Jacket Mine; Joaquin Murrieta; Silverheels; Sarah Winchester; The Pony Express; The Headless Horseman (Texas); Hotel Congress’ The Lady in Room 242; Restless Burial Grounds; and Servin’ Up Spirits (haunted saloons).
- Chapter 5: Rough & Tumble Towns – a supernatural overview of haunted Old West towns includes Lay of the Land; Tombstone, Arizona; Deadwood, South Dakota; Dodge City, Kansas; Virginia City, Nevada; Bodie, California; Big Small Towns; and Spookiest Ghost Towns.
- Chapter 6: How The West Was Fun – this Old West pop culture-fest has Wild West A-Z; Best Westerns (movies); Which Legend Are You? multiple-choice personality quiz; Blasts from the Past (a quick look at Old West theme parks); and Dead Man Talking (famous last words).
Note: One rare image is of Jesse E. James (the outlaw’s son) as a Hollywood actor. Among his credits are two silent film performances portraying his father.
REVIEW:
Though this collectible is obviously meant for True West magazine buffs, casual readers may at least enjoy perusing it. A caveat is that pre-teens should be precluded due to the recurring inferences of nasty frontier violence. The writing itself is predictably superficial – including occasionally incorrect historical details (i.e. as far as it’s known, Billy the Kid wasn’t shot by Pat Garrett in the back). More so, the narrative sporadically implies some unsubstantiated legends or rumors as either facts or simply distinct possibilities.
Case in point: in part due to geographical reality, Wyatt Earp and “Doc” Holliday are not credible suspects in Johnny Ringo’s odd mid-1882 death in the Arizona desert. Like writers from past generations, “Haunted West” considers it a more entertaining Old West yarn of old school justice speculating that either Earp or Holliday might well have faced Ringo in a dramatic last showdown. Providing any actual proof of such an occurrence is deemed otherwise irrelevant.
The same inevitably applies to claims of purported supernatural hauntings and various claims of ghostly encounters. The reporting is all deliberately kept vague without citing actual corroboration or specific eyewitness accounts. Still, for entertainment’s sake, this magazine’s overall vibe is easily readable. Even better is its enhancement via a wide assortment of historical photos and illustrations – mostly in black-and-white and others in vivid color.
Ultimately, for adult Old West buffs, 2021’s “Haunted West” is worth exploring. As to its journalistic credibility, that’s solely up to the judgment of individual readers.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
There is a helpful table-of-contents. The last page provides the photo credits and identifies the magazine’s editorial staff.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
