• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / What did John Wesley Hardin do before he became a outlaw in the American Old West?

What did John Wesley Hardin do before he became a outlaw in the American Old West?

February 21, 2020 by Karen Hill

Before John Wesley Hardin reformed and took up honest work as a gunfighter, he was a lawyer.

Born in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas, Hardin claimed to have killed 42 men when he went to prison in 1878.

James G. Hardin, a Methodist preacher, and Elizabeth Hardin were John’s parents, and was he described as being “blond, highly cultured, and charity predominated in her disposition”

In 1925, Hardin’s autobiography was published posthumously by historian, and journalist J. Marvin Hunter.

John Wesley Hardin has also been portrayed in the 1951 film The Texas Rangers by by John Dehner.

In 2002, the bullet that killed Hardin in the Acme saloon shootout in El Paso sold for $80,000 at Greg Martin’s auction house in San Francisco, California.

Related Facts

  • Did cowboys in the American Old West wear high heels to make them look taller?
  • Where did the American Old West ranchers get their horses and cattle if they didn't transport them from back East?
  • How long did it take to get a letter from coast to coast by Pony Express in the American Old West?
  • Why did Indians scalp their victims in the American Old West?
  • Who was "Bat" Masterson of the American Old West and how did he get his nickname?
  • Who was Doc Holliday and how did he get his nickname in the American Old West?
  • What did Benito Mussolini do for a day job before he became a fascist dictator?
  • Why were cowboys in the American Old West called cowpokes or cowpunchers?
  • How many Pony Express riders were killed by Indians and outlaws in the American Old West?
  • Who was Calamity Jane of the American Old West?
  • How dangerous were the Indians to wagon trains crossing the plains in the American Old West?
  • What was the Trail of Tears of the American Old West in the 1830s?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How did “Billy the Kid” get his nickname and what was his real name?
Next Post: What are Perukes and Periwigs and When were they First Popular with Men in English Courts? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy