Putting Six Gun Jack and Other Blaine County Outlaws Under the Microscope
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The Blackjack Ketchum Shootout used to evoke the more outlandish days of the Wood River Valley frontier at Wagon Days and Bellevue Labor Day parades.
 
Friday, September 19, 2025
 

BY KAREN BOSSICK


Learn the true stories of Blaine County outlaws, lawmen and inmates—from their daring escapes to notorious crimes—during a special presentation offered by the Blaine County Historical Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 25.


Samuel Anderson, education specialist at the old Idaho Penitentiary in Boise, will share stories of Blaine County’s connections to the old Idaho penitentiary in a free talk at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, at Hailey Town Center West.


The presentation will feature such colorful figures as Samuel Ridgway, Six Gun Jack and Sterling Tucker—all part of the lore of Blaine Count’s vivid frontier past.


Anderson is co-host of the podcast “Behind Gray Walls.” He is known for his captivating storytelling.


Attendees will have a chance to continue the conversation during a social hour at the museum following the talk.


The Old Idaho Penitentiary located underneath Table Rock in Boise is well worth a visit, if you’ve never been. One of only four territorial prisons open to the public today, it was built in 1870.


It offers people a chance to go behind bars and learn of the rich treasure trove of legendary Idaho outlaws, including Harry Orchard, who assassinated Gov. Frank Steunenberg in 1905, and Lyda Southard, who killed several husbands to collect their life insurance.


 

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