The killing of PJ Dore as he stood talking to friends in front of the Westville, Oklahoma Post Office in 1914 was the result of a clash of cultures, a part of the history of the American West. As seen through the on-going debate of the Frontier Thesis, the story, which has taken on the stuff of local legend, illustrates two opposing views of the American West. Listen in!
Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s favorite son, worked his way from failed rancher to Wild West show performer to the highest paid performer in Hollywood. His homespun philosophy won him favor with Presidents and the common man.
But this story centers on a gun, a Colt 32.20, that was shipped to Muskogee, Indian Territory in 1904. Could it be the gun in Will’s holster pictured above? The Humber family story suggests that it could very well be…but it’s also so much more.
Within the Realm 