Having been born in Utah, I have always been fascinated by the Old West. While many of the stories in what were called at the time “dime novels”, were an important century in the development in America. There were colorful events like rodeos and Fourth of July Celebrations, farming and ranching with roundups and gatherings like potlucks and country dances. Churches were built and towns established. There was hardship and violence particularly against Native Americans. Saloons and dance halls, at times, far out weighed churches and courthouses. TV and movies have distorted our vision of what that time was actually like for those who experienced it. Old letters and diaries from the period gave a more realistic picture. My nostalgia for the Old West is a combination of fantasy and experience of the rural west. My uncle was a cowboy in Idaho, bred, raised and raced quarter horses on his Utah farm where I helped during the summer. My brother was a rodeo rider, particularly entering bareback and bull riding events. For both good and ill the rural west in the 1950s still carried the values and mythology of the Old West. At times when the veil of Old West mythology is thin in my mind, I wonder if the violence we see in our present society has in any way been influenced by the violent images of the Old West on TV and movies. Perhaps, we would benefit by a view of the past which idolized the peace makers rather than warriors. Olive branches may be a better symbol for our country than arrows. The back of the one dollar bill shows the eagle with olive branches clutched in each foot as a reminder of the need for peace in our society. Eventually the Old West became more civilized than its early days. We can hope that our current violent time may also move toward peace.