Cowboys

Through the mid-20th Century, Westerns were the dominant form of cinema. Audiences loved following morally grey characters try to survive in the harsh landscapes of the American Southwest.

Since America's dependence on cars forced railways out of the modern eye, we don't see train heists like we used to anymore, but one criminal gang is singlehandedly keeping those legends alive.

It wasn't until I moved out west that I learned the real history behind cowboys, and their impact on the American Southwest. That impact is still felt today, and Cochise County's most unique festival brings that to the forefront.

Initially published in 1985, Blood Meridian; or, The Evening Redness in the West quickly became known as, not one of, but the great American novel. The story follows a young man, known solely as "The Kid" who joins the infamous Glanton Gang and follows them into the depths of depravity as they murder, mutilate, and rob anyone in their path.

Here's the truth Hollywood doesn't want you to know about cowboys in the old west!

Here's what outsiders constantly get wrong about the Grand Canyon State: