40 Creepy, Unsettling Photos That Show The Dark Side of the Wild West

When you think of the Wild West, visions of cowboys, Indians, and outlaws most likely come to mind. It was a time of untamed potential in a land that was known for its endless possibilities. However, the truth of the Wild West is less glamorous than the Hollywood depictions on the big screen. During the days of the Gold Rush and wagon trains, poverty ran rampant, crime was on the upswing and you needed real grit to survive. It was a time of great reward but also unbelievable sacrifice. These photos represent a new point of view of the Wild West…a dark and unsettling side that reveals death, hardship and the struggle to survive. Captive and Enslaved Olive Oatman’s life was turned upside down at the age of fourteen. As she was just blossoming into a young woman, a tribe of Native Americans stormed her family’s home and killed her parents. Olive and her sister were taken by the tribe as slaves and lived in constant fear for the next year. The tribe would eventually trade them to another tribe (the Mojave), and Olive’s younger sister would die from starvation. While Olive eventually was freed for from her captors, she was tattooed on her chin which would remain a constant reminder of the horrors she had to endure.