Wideners Blog Logo

Tag: civil war

smith and wesson history

Smith and Wesson History

Founded in 1852 by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson, Smith & Wesson has become one of history’s most iconic firearms manufacturers. Known for its groundbreaking revolvers and commitment to innovation, Smith and Wesson history has had a significant influence on the design and culture of firearms.  This article explores Smith & Wesson’s rich history, […]

Oliver Winchester

Oliver Winchester: The Rifleman’s Rifle Maker

Oliver Fisher Winchester was an American businessman and politician who founded the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Born November 30, 1810, on a poor Boston farm, Winchester initially worked various jobs, including carpentry, clerking, and farming, before establishing himself as a successful men’s shirt manufacturer. As a teenager, Oliver trained to become a church builder, but […]

Wild Bill Hickok

Wild Bill Hickok: A Wild West Original

Born James Butler Hickok, everyone remembers him as “Wild Bill.” Many consider him the first famous gunfighter of the American West. During his relatively short life, he worked as a gold prospector, bodyguard, killer, lawman, army scout, gambler, and showman. He also met or worked with some of the Old West’s most famous (and infamous) […]

Jesse James

Jesse James: American Outlaw

Jesse James did not want to be called a thief. After all, General Ulysses Grant and his Union troops were the real thieves, having stolen everything from James’s beloved South, and Jesse did not want to be associated with the Union Army’s kind of thievery. After the Civil War ended in defeat for the South, […]

photo of texas rangers history

A History of the Texas Rangers

There are few Americans who have not heard of the Texas Rangers. Since the dawn of television (and before that, on the radio) the media chronicled their exploits in a variety of shows. Here are some you might remember: The Lone Ranger: The only survivor of a massacred Ranger patrol, he and his Indian companion […]