Forgotten Ways of the Wild West

 

Forgotten Ways of the Wild West: Things We Don’t Do Anymore

By Janalyn Voigt, author of the Montana Gold series

As a historical fiction author with a deep love for the Old West, I find those intrepid individuals who carved out homes in the wilderness fascinating. While writing the Montana Gold series, I researched everything from nineteenth-century fashion to the mechanics of loading a Henry rifle. But what interested me most were the common practices they engaged in that we rarely think about today or just don’t do anymore.

Read on and appreciate how far we've come since Wild West days—or maybe you’ll wish you could return to a simpler time.

1. Tying Up Horses at Hitching Posts

In modern life, we tap our key fob to lock the car and walk away. In the 1800s, you didn't drive a vehicle—you rode one with a mind of its own. Hitching posts were essential outside churches, general stores, and saloons. These sturdy wooden rails or metal rings placed near buildings allowed riders to secure their horses with a length of rope or reins.

Many towns even had watering troughs nearby so horses could drink while their owners conducted business. Imagine strolling into a dry goods store, the sun blazing overhead, and hearing the gentle stomp and snort of your horse waiting patiently outside. That sound has a place in my heart—and in many scenes of the Montana Gold series.

2. Saturday Night Baths—in a Tin Tub

These days, a warm bath is a simple matter of turning on a faucet. Not so in the Wild West. Back then, cleanliness required water to be hauled from a well, creek, lake, or river—and heated over a fire or on a wood stove. It's easy to see why bathing was a luxury often reserved for Saturday nights. Those fortunate to live in a town that held Sunday services liked to scrub up beforehand. Christian households honored Sunday as a day of rest regardless, with Bible reading and prayer. Visiters might stop by on Sunday, which made personal cleanliness desirable.

Families shared the same bathwater, starting with the eldest and working down in age. The practice gives new meaning to the old phrase, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

In Cheyenne Sunrise, one of the novels in the Montana Gold series, my characters face this very challenge, and it becomes both a humorous and tender moment—one of many that show how hardship could bring people closer.

3. Brushing Teeth with Chalk and Charcoal

Woman brushing in 1899;
Public domain image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Toothpaste in a tube wasn’t available until the late 1800s, but western settlers cleaned their teeth with baking soda, salt, powdered chalk, or even finely ground charcoal. They used homemade or imported toothbrushes—often with hog bristles and wooden handles. 

If you had a toothache, you might take whiskey for the pain and visit the local blacksmith or barber, who often doubled as a dentist. Ouch.

4. Lighting with Oil Lamps and Candles

Electricity hadn’t yet reached most western towns. Even by the late 1800s, light after dark came from kerosene lamps, whale oil lanterns, or candles. These sources required constant attention—trimming wicks, clearing soot from glass chimneys, and refilling oil. They also brought a constant threat of fire, which is why many folks kept buckets of sand or water on hand.

5. Sending Letters... and Waiting Weeks for a Reply

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In the era before email or even reliable phone service, letters brought distant loved ones closer. Sent by stagecoach or train, a letter could take weeks—or months—to arrive. This delay made every word precious. I often think that slowness forced a deeper kind of communication. People wrote their letters with more intention, knowing they might not hear back for some time.

Letters were more than ink on paper; they were vessels of the soul. In Stagecoach to Liberty, another novel in the Montana Gold series, my heroine carries a letter close to her heart—one that holds secrets, hopes, and the power to change everything.

6. Making Do

Folks in the Wild West couldn’t run to Walmart or order from Amazon Prime. If their clothes ripped, they mended them. If their boots wore out, they patched them—or made a trade. Children played with rag dolls, whittled toys, or made do with sticks and a little imagination. And they were the richer for it.

Why These Old Ways Still Matter

In this fast-paced world, we can slow down and savor the quiet pace of yesteryear. Remembering these forgotten practices of the Wild West connects us with the perseverance, simplicity, and faith that still resonates today.

That’s what I aim to capture in my writing—a sense of stepping into the past, not just to learn history, but to rediscover values that never go out of style: love, courage, forgiveness, and the faith to keep going.

So, the next time you flip a light switch, run a hot bath, or brush your teeth with minty freshness, pause a moment to appreciate those who came before us and the lifestyle they led.

Fall in Love with the Wild West

If you're new to the Montana Gold series, it's the perfect time to saddle up and ride into the pages of history. These bestselling Christian historical romance novels offer heartwarming stories of faith, love, and courage.

Learn more about the series here → http://janalynvoigt.com/bookstore

About Janalyn Voigt

Hi, I'm Janalyn, an avid reader and serial daydreamer. I fell in love with literature at an early age when my father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When I grew older, I put herself to sleep with tales "written" in my head. Today I'm a storyteller writing in several genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all my novels. If that sounds good to you, let's keep in touch.

Learn more about me and the books I write at the Janalyn Voigt website.