The (Wicky Wicky Wild, Wicky Wild, Wicky Wicky Wild) Wild West of the mid-to-late 19th century contributes to much of American folklore. Though heroes get remembered, legends never die—and in a lot of cases, the deaths of the most famous Wild West Outlaws are controversial, only adding to the legend themselves.
While often thought of as enemies of the state, the Outlaws of Old are often remembered fondly as legendary trailblazers. Wherever you stand on them, it's no question that they'll continue to live on.
So, who's your favorite Wild West Outlaw? Let us know!
Doc Holliday (1851-1887)
Cause of Death: Tuberculosis
An American gambler, gunfighter, dentist, and a good friend of gambler and lawman Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday is most well-known for his role as a temporary deputy marshal in the events leading up to and following the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Despite popular myth, Holliday is said to have taken place in only 9 shootouts, killing from 3 to 7 men.
Billy the Kid (1859-1881)
Cause of Death: Shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett
An American Old West gunfighter who participated in New Mexico's Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid is said to have killed 8 men. Wrongfully accused of a murder, Bill the Kid would become an outlaw—being captured and escaping on occasion before being fatally shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett. Controversies abound, some think that it was a cover up and that the Kid did not die that night, only adding to the legend.
Jesse James (1847-1882)
Cause of Death: Murdered by Robert Ford, a man in his own gang seeking the bounty on his head.
An American outlaw, guerrilla, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, murderer from the state of Missouri, and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang, Jesse James and his brother Frank were Confederate guerrillas or bushwhackers during the Civil War. They were accused of participating in atrocities committed against Union soldiers, including the Centralia Massacre. After the war, as members of various gangs of outlaws, they robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains.
Butch Cassidy (1866-1908)
Cause of Death: Shootout
A notorious American train robber, bank robber, Butch Cassidy is best known as the leader of the Wild Bunch gang in the American Old West. After He and his longtime partner, The Sundance Kid, were able to elude authorities for years on the run, making it so far as Argentina and Chile. Records of his death are uncertain, but he is thought to have died in a shootout in Bolivia in 1908.
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John Wesley Harden