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Back in the year of 1876, a lot of historical events took place but to me, the 4 most important are America’s Centennial Celebration and World’s Fair in Philadelphia, Custer’s Last Stand, the murder of Wild Bill Hickok, and the James Gang’s botched raid on the First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota. These 4 historical events all happened in 1876!
Here is a list of the ages of some of my favorite Old West characters in the year 1876 and what they were up to. This is their age at the time, not their age when they died, except for Wild Bill, Mr. Custer, and Clell Miller -- they died in 1876.
There is no town of Tombstone yet. The Winchester ’73 and Colt’s Single Action Army revolver handgun have been available for just 3 years. Smokeless gun powder is not yet available; it’s still in the early stages of development.
George A. Custer, 37 years old, died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
Sitting Bull, 45, didn’t die at the Little Big Horn.
Crazy Horse was 31 and also survived the Little Big Horn Battle.
Wild Bill Hickok was 39 years old and most of his Old West adventures happened before the Colt SAA was invented!
Calamity Jane, aged 24, was a teamster in the town of Deadwood, South Dakota.
Buffalo Bill Cody was 30 years old and successfully running his Wild West Stage Show.
Jesse James, at 29 years, was robbing a Minnesota bank! The First National Bank in Northfield!
Frank James was 33 and hanging out with brother Jesse in Northfield!
Clell Miller was 26 and was mortally shot up in Northfield, Minnesota with Jesse and Frank.
Cole Younger was 32 and was also shot up in the town of Northfield with Jesse, Frank, and Clell but didn’t die.
Billy the Kid was 17 and was on his way to Lincoln County, New Mexico.
Wyatt Earp was 28 years old leaving Wichita fast and
heading for Dodge to be a lawman.
Professional gambler and dentist, Doc Holliday, was 25.
Little Butch Cassidy was 9 years old. Probably out skipping school.
The Sundance Kid at 13 years, was probably hanging around with a “bad crowd!”
Bat Masterson was shot in the abdomen in Sweetwater, Texas in 1876. The bullet also shattered his hip. He was 22 years old. Two years later he was chasing Dutch Henry across the Texas Panhandle!
Pat Garrett was 26 years of age.
Sharp-shooter Billy Dixon was 26.
Comanche Quanna Parker was already 31 years old.
That was the year of 1876! A lot of Old West adventures were just getting started!
Rutherford B. Hayes had just been elected President
of the United States and this election symbolized the end
of the Reconstruction era after the Civil War.
Stay tuned for a chapter of more exciting historical events that happened in the year of 1876!
See you next time,
Slow Mo Dern
“Cowboy Action Shooting is a wonderful sport and these activities promote honesty, moral correctness, a love of history, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun!”
- David Chicoine
“Think about it, where else could you go and dress up like a cowboy or western movie actor, talk like you were from Wyoming, even though you grew up in Akron, enjoy your favorite sport (shooting!) and play the ham all at the same time without the slightest chance of being ridiculed?”
Go out there and try it, you’ll be glad you did!