48 Photos From The Real Wild West You Probably Haven’t Seen Before

Posted on 2017/11/8
Tags: opinion

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Ah, the Wild Wild West. In pursuit of opportunity — and, for many, gold — whole families and individuals braved nature, ruffians, bad luck, sickness, and insufficient supplies to trek West. Though the American Frontier has been dramatized by the media, the fact remains that people braved insurmountable odds to found new — and better — lives for themselves.

People began traveling out West in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Families often traveled together in wagons and camped in circles for protection at night. Men, women and children were all victims of sickness, including pneumonia, typhoid, and cholera.

The journey out West took months. And you can bet pioneers faced plenty of challenges. To cross steep mountains, safely cross rivers, and survive the harsh deserts, they had to work together. Losing lovers, family members and friends on the trail was common. When the pioneers did arrive in a location they sought to make their home, they had to fend for themselves.

Explorers built houses with their own two hands, hunted their own food, sourced drinkable water, and helped erect infrastructures in their new towns. As All That Is Interesting points out, many made their way by working on ranches and farms. Some earned a livelihood by trapping and trading fur; others made money boy toiling the mines of the new American frontier.

One of the reasons we romanticize the Wild Wild West is because perils abounded. From sandstorms and tornadoes to hurricanes and disease, life was full of dangers. Fortunately, the humane spirit endured and people labored on.

Fortunately, it hasn’t been that long since our ancestors tamed the American frontier. Photographs were taken of the families that traveled West, and they offer glimpses of what life was like during that time period.

Following are 48 photos from the real Wild West you probably haven’t seen: