How the west was once

Read through old pages of the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen, and it's all there in the headlines:

• "Henseley and Elmer, the Stage Robbers, Hurried into Eternity. The Tragic Fate of Two Desperate Men. Daring Bravery of Sheriff Paul and Posse."

• "Tucson's Sorest Need - Better Protection From Thieves."

• "Murderous Indians. Further Particulars of Their Doings in the Huachucas."

The Arizona Territory was a dangerous place. Bandits robbed travelers and stole cattle - and crisscrossed the border to escape the law. Frustrated citizens sometimes became vigilantes. Apaches killed prospectors and ranchers, and the government responded by forcing Indians onto land so poor they couldn't feed themselves.

The truth - as seen through the eyes of American newcomers - had all the makings of movies. And sure enough, even before statehood, the movies came to Arizona and began romanticizing good men who suffered to defeat evil.

Americans were drawn to the drama. "Red" Grange, a football star of the 1920s, said he and a buddy almost headed for Arizona when they were 10 to capture it from Indians.

We gained a reputation as a place where men worked hard and lived healthy in wide-open country. Part fact, part fiction, the lore of the Old West continues to lure people to Arizona.

Upcoming centennial coverage

• Tomorrow at noon: Join the Star's M. Scot Skinner and Bobbie Jo Buel for a live online chat about this section at azstarnet.com/centennial

• May 22-Aug. 29: The 100 most important sports people, teams and events in Arizona history.

• Sept. 11: Southern Arizona's oldest businesses and institutions.

• Oct. 30: The Best of Arizona, from books to buildings and from artists to natural wonders.

• Feb. 12, 2012: Arizona turns 100.

Read our first centennial section, from February 2011, celebrating 100 leaders, citizens and rogues who made Arizona what it was by statehood. Find it and other centennial coverage at azstarnet.com/special-section/az-at-100