Here Are 4 Of The Deadliest, Rowdiest, Wild West Towns In Texas

Texas and the wild west; you can't separate the two. There are those outside of the Lone Star State that believe you're given a six-shooter, cowboy hat, and horse as soon as you move to town. While that couldn't be any further from the truth, the history of the state is what makes that silly stereotype so prevalent.

Here are four of the deadliest, and rowdiest, wild west towns in Texas.

El Paso, Texas

El Paso earned itself quite a reputation in the days when the west was still wild. Dubbed "Hell Paso," the town became infamous for its shootouts and gunfights. It's a lot like that song by Marty Robbins. You know the one. It's titled "El Paso."

One of the most infamous gunfights that took place in El Paso was the Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight. On April 14, 1881, four men lost their lives in a gunfight that didn't even last five seconds.

Fort Griffin, Texas

When you look up the history of Fort Griffin, Texas, you're met with a laundry list of some of the most infamous outlaw legends from the old west. It started in the 1860s, according to the TSHA, and it didn't take long before someone had to intervene.

Supposedly, the commander at the fort placed the town under government control in order to get a grip on the absolute lawlessness of Fort Griffin. During this time, the more "undesirable" members of the community were forced out.

Not much remains of the town. Only a few original buildings remain, while others have been reconstructed on the existing foundations. It's now being looked after by the Texas Historical Commission, according to the TSHA.

Old Tascosa, Texas

Known as the Cowboy Capital of the Plains, Tascosa was a haven for rough and tumble cowboys, outlaws, and lawmen. Again, we have a town that boasts a laundry list of legendary names making up a portion of the towns lawless history.

There's everyone from Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, to Frenchy McCormick.

There's not much left of Old Tascosa, Texas these days. What is left can be found at Boys Ranch.

Hell's Half Acre (Fort Worth, Texas)

The stories that come out of the history of Hell's Half Acre are stomach churning to say the least. If you want to talk about brutal lawlessness in the old west, you want to talk about Hell's Half Acre.

Every kind of vice and form of debauchery was on full demand in the acre. Gambling, women, booze, and violence ruled the streets. There are stories about everything from gunfights to people being nailed to outhouse doors.

Names like John Wesley Hardin, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and several more all help make up the bloodstained history of the acre.

As Ft. Worth grew, the city calmed and eventually the wild ways of Hell's Half Acre were left to history.