Running Buck was born to a Kiowa mother who was raped by a white man.  Though loved by his half-brother Red Bear, the young Running Buck faced endless ridicule and scorn from his tribe, which Red Bear refused to acknowledge. Continue...

Jimmy Hickok

Jimmy Hickok was the only son (he has two sisters) of an abolitionist father.  Though his father was apparently well-respected amongst his colleagues, he was less than an ideal parent: young...  Continue...

The Kid

Kid (real name unknown) was the youngest son of Virginia dirt farmers.  His father was abusive to both Kid's mother and to the children; after a time he abandoned his wife and two sons.  With the family deeply in debt, Kid... Continue...

William F. Cody

Very little of Cody's childhood and family experiences are known.  When he joined the Express he had already perfected his shooting ability; even Jimmy had to admit that Cody was a better distance-shot than he was.  Gifted with a winning smile and a healthy appetite, Cody made friends... Continue...

Ike McSwain

Ike McSwain was afflicted with scarlet fever as a child; as a result, he was left completely bald.  Ike and his sister were raised by a pair of loving parents, and the young Ike certainly had a mischievous side. Fearing a scolding... Continue...

Lou McCloud

After being abandoned by her father and the death of her mother, Louise and her two siblings, Teresa and Jeremiah, were taken in at a local Catholic orphanage.  Promising to give her siblings a better life, Louise... Continue...

Noah Dixon

Noah is the only son of a freeborn black man and his wife, who died in childbirth.  Noah was raised by his father's housekeeper, Sally, whom the elder Dixon had bought as a slave and immediately given her freedom.  Continue...

Emma Shannon

Prior to her marriage, Emma appears to have led a somewhat checkered life.  Both she and others have made vague references to her past; she certainly was well-acquainted with famed gunfighter John Longley, and...  Continue...

Rachel Dunne

Born Rachel Flynn, Rachel is originally from the South (possibly Virginia?) but appears to have spent her later years in Blue Creek.  Her father was absent for much of her childhood and youth; Rachel's mother turned to both a...  Continue...

Sam Cain

References have been made to Sam's wild past -- he is even referred to as a gunslinger, and many of the town's visiting "undesirables" know of his reputation.  In 1856, he was married to Jenny and...  Continue...

Teaspoon Hunter

The origins of Aloysius Hunter's unique and unusual nickname is not known.  As a young man, Teaspoon joined with his friend Cyrus Kelly to work a silver claim.  It was at this time that he fell in love... Continue...