Caldwell Historical Society

04/23/2026

In the dusty backdrop of Winfield, Kansas, during the twilight years of the American Old West, a striking young woman named Rose Elizabeth Dunn emerged as both legend and enigma. Known to history as the "Rose of Cimarron," she captivated many with her grace and grit. Though raised in a respectable family and educated in a convent school, Rose’s life took a dramatic turn when she became romantically entangled with George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb, a notorious outlaw associated with the Wild Bunch gang.

Their romance was steeped in danger, with Newcomb often on the run from lawmen. Despite her polished upbringing, Rose became a devoted companion, famously helping Bitter Creek evade capture after a shootout with U.S. marshals—earning her the undying loyalty of some and the suspicion of others. With a pistol in her hands and courage in her heart, she bridged the worlds of gentility and lawlessness in a way few women dared to attempt.

But like so many Old West stories, hers ends in betrayal and bloodshed. In 1895, two of her brothers—bounty hunters who had once known Newcomb—shot and killed him as he came to visit Rose, likely unaware he was walking into a deadly trap. Rose eventually left her outlaw past behind, marrying a politician and fading into quiet obscurity. Still, the legend of the Rose of Cimarron lingers, her story woven into the mythic tapestry of frontier America—a symbol of beauty, rebellion, and the blurred lines between love and law.

04/14/2026

02/25/2026

Medicine Lodge, Kansas, late 19th century—the dust of the prairie still hung in the air when the smoke cleared. A band of local men, farmers and merchants by trade, had taken up their rifles in response to an attempted bank robbery carried out by lawmen from a neighboring town gone rogue. The quiet rhythm of frontier life shattered in an instant as word spread through the streets—four men had tried to rob the town’s bank, and the citizens would not stand for it.

The posse, made up of neighbors and shopkeepers, tracked the fleeing robbers across the rolling Kansas plains. When they caught up with them, the confrontation was swift and unrelenting. By dusk, the captured men were brought back to Medicine Lodge under the unyielding gaze of the townspeople. Tension simmered in the air; justice here was not written in law books but carried out in dust and fear. When one of the captured men made a desperate bid for freedom, he was shot where he stood. The remaining three never saw the dawn—they were lynched by the very community they had sought to rob.

The photograph of that grim day endures as a haunting reminder of frontier justice—a world where the line between law and vengeance blurred beneath the hard Kansas sun. Courtesy of Len L. Gratteri, Jr., this image tells not only of crime and punishment but of a time when ordinary citizens took the law into their own calloused hands, bound by anger, pride, and the unspoken rule that in towns like Medicine Lodge, justice would come swiftly, one way or another.

02/15/2026

The photograph, captured in 1877, is only the second confirmed image of the young gunslinger known as William H. Bonney—Billy the Kid. At just 18, he is seated alongside Richard Brewer, Fred Waite, and Henry Brown, his youthful face already hinting at the legend he would become. Dressed in a crisp white shirt, a dark waistcoat, and a top hat that seems almost theatrical for the rough West, Billy’s gaze is fixed on the cards in his hands, a quarter-full bottle of liquor perched casually on the small table before him. The scene is almost serene, a quiet moment frozen in time, yet beneath it simmers a dangerous notoriety.

At the time this image was taken, Billy was far from an innocent youth. According to reports from the Daily Mail, he was wanted for the murder of a blacksmith in Arizona—a stark reminder that even as he sat calmly with his companions, the law was already on his trail. The photograph captures the tension of a life lived on the razor’s edge, where moments of leisure could turn instantly deadly. There is something almost haunting in the contrast between the casualness of the scene and the violent reputation he had already begun to forge.

Looking at the photo, one can’t help but feel the weight of destiny pressing on the young outlaw. His eyes, fixed on the cards, suggest concentration, yet they also hint at a mind that knows how to navigate danger and opportunity alike. The image is a window into a moment that seems ordinary at first glance, yet carries the electric charge of a life defined by crime, skill, and survival—a glimpse of Billy the Kid before the full storm of his legend would sweep the Old West.

12/21/2023

These Old Bones spiral bound paperback books are available at Nostagia Nook! 38.00 (tax included).

09/28/2022

HOMECOMING SPECIAL. "THESE OLD BONES---A HISTORICAL TELLING OF CALDWELL'S MAIN STREET' IS AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK FOR A LIMITED TIME FOR 29.50. BOTH PAPERBACK AND HARDCOVER CAN BE PURCHASED AT NOSTALGIA NOOK.

11/26/2021

Be sure to mark your calendar for the Opera House Theater Group's Christmas program on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 3:00pm. We are returning to Hooterwell for the Greenish Acres Old-Fashioned Country Christmas, with all your favorite characters--and some new ones!! You don't want to miss it!!!!!

11/26/2021

The Holiday Home Tour is back! Saturday, Dec. 4 from 1:00-4:00pm. Tickets are available at Nostalgia Nook and Flowers Plus. 10. There are 4 houses and 2 businesses this year: Kim White, Amy and Rex Futhey, Sam Futhey, Nathan and Jennifer Netahla, and Elevate and Caldwell Messenger Suites!

11/13/2021

There are still some seats left on the bus tour to Ark City today to see the Etnazoa archeological site and museum. Bus loads at Caldwell High School at 12:30. Back to Caldwell at 5:00. 10.00 per person, pay at loading time. Don't miss this great opportunity, to see this amazing site! Many thanks to Caldwell Recreation and Caldwell Historical Society !!