Outlaw Tales: Legends, Myths, and Folklore from America's Middle Border

American Storytelling

by Richard Alan Young, Judy Dockrey Young

These myths and legends will grip the readers' imagination just as tightly today as they did a century ago. Tales of outlaws and desperadoes are one of the few types of folklore that are peculiarly American. The myths and legends surrounding such people as Belle Starr, Frank and Jesse James, and Wild Bill Hickock grip the national imagination just as tightly today as they did a century ago. In fact, authors Richard and Judy Dockrey Young explain, outlaw tales serve as the "urban legends" of the period from 1850 to 1930. Tales both thrilling and humorous about hangings and burials, shootouts and practical jokes, the Hole in the Wall and the ubiquitous Boothill Cemetery, punctuate profiles of outlaws and the lawmen who had the nerve to challenge them. This treasure hunt adventure will teach readers the importance of courage, resourcefulness and responsibility.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992