Wyoming’s Most Famous Gunfighters

Some of Wyoming's most famous gunfighters were the bad guys.

Some were the good guys.

Either way, most of them did not live long.

But their names live on and stories are still told of them.

Most of those stories are not true.

Actually, the Old West was a rather quiet place to live. Today's inner cities are far more violent.

Let's take a look at some of those old-time famous (or infamous) names we've heard whispers about.

Wild Bill Hickok

James Butler Hickok, better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, cattle rustler, gunslinger, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement in many famous gunfights. Wikipedia

Butch Cassidy

Robert LeRoy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West. Wikipedia

John Wesley Hardin

John Wesley Hardin was an American Old West outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk icon. Hardin often got into trouble with the law from an early age. He killed his first man at the age of 15, claiming he did so in self-defense. Wikipedia

Bat Masterson

Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. Wikipedia

Jim Miller

James Brown Miller, also known as "Killin' Jim", "Killer Miller" and "Deacon Jim", was an American outlaw and title-holder gunfighter of the American Old West, said to have killed 12 people during gunfights. Wikipedia

Dan Bogan

Dan Bogan was an American gunfighter and outlaw of the American Old West, who today is considered to have been one of the most underrated gunmen of the 19th century west. He is included as one of twelve described in such a way, in the book "Deadly Dozen", by author Robert K. DeArment. Wikipedia

Clay Allison

Robert A. Clay Allison also known as Clay Allison was a cattle rancher, cattle broker, and sometimes gunfighter of the American Old West. He fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Wikipedia

Harry Alonzo Longabaugh

Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch in the American Old West. He likely met Butch Cassidy during a hunting trip in 1883 or earlier. Wikipedia

Harvey Logan

Harvey Alexander Logan, also known as Kid Curry, was an American outlaw and gunman who rode with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wikipedia

Nate Champion

Nathan D. Champion — known as Nate Champion — was a key figure in the Johnson County War of April 1892. Falsely accused by a wealthy Wyoming cattlemen's association of being a rustler, Champion was the first person targeted by a band of hitmen hired by the cattlemen. Wikipedia

We can also toss in Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. They did live in Wyoming for a short time.