This Day…

1881 – Helen Hunt Jackson publishes A Century of Dishonor, an account of the atrocities committed against Indian tribes in the West and indictment of the nation’s reservations policy.  Jackson sends copies of the book to every member of Congress and to most federal officials.

1836 – Sam Huston becomes the first President of Texas.

1836 – Texas is still celebrating Sam Houston.  He became the first President of Texas on October 22, 1836.

1878 – Thomas A. Edison forms the first light company.

1896 – Rural free delivery is established throughout the country by the Federal Post Office; this will be especially appreciated by residents of the West, where distances between settlements are so great.

1890 – Yosemite National Park in California is dedicated.

1879-Frank and Jesse James commit their first robbery three years after the Northfield, Minnesota disaster.

1882 – Frank James surrenders in Missouri.

1879 – Fighting breaks out between the Ute Indians and 250 U. S. Army soldiers led by Major Thomas Thornburgh at Milk Creek, in northwestern Colorado Territory.

1867 – Wild Bill Hickok appears in a dime novel called “Wild Bill the Indian-Slayer.”