Vigilante Days & Ways: Updated Edition

by Nathaniel P. Langford

Overview

Ride Into the Wild West with a Real Vigilante
Experience the raw, riveting truth of Montana's gold rush era through the eyes of someone who lived it—and enforced its justice. In Vigilante Days & Ways, Nathaniel Langford—explorer, historian, and actual vigilante—offers a first-hand chronicle of frontier lawlessness, desperate gold seekers, and the rise of the infamous Montana Vigilantes.
True Crime of the Old West: A gripping narrative of outlaw gangs, impromptu trials, and frontier justice.
Firsthand Perspective: Written by Nathaniel Langford, a founding figure in Montana history and member of the real vigilante movement.
The Tale of Henry Plummer: Follow the chilling rise and swift fall of a sheriff-turned-gang leader.
Vivid & Historic: A compelling window into a time when justice often came at the end of a rope.
Perfect for readers who crave authentic Wild West history, thrilling true crime, and unforgettable tales of frontier justice.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940184592817
Publisher:	Farcountry Press
Publication date:	07/07/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Nathaniel Pitt Langford (1832–1911) was an explorer, businessman, bureaucrat, vigilante, and historian from Saint Paul, Minnesota, who played an important role in the early years of the Montana gold fields, territorial government, and the creation of Yellowstone National Park. Langford was born in Upstate New York and moved to Saint Paul in 1854. He worked as a banker and was involved with the investment of the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood.
On June 16, 1862, Langford, as a member and officer of the Northern Overland Expedition, left Saint Paul to establish a wagon road to the Salmon River mine regions of the Rocky Mountains via Fort Benton. The expedition ended up at the Grasshopper Creek gold fields in the area soon to be named Bannack, Montana. There Langford and his fellow businessmen established freight companies, a saw mill, and other businesses. In 1864, shortly after the Montana Territory was established, Langford was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue and National Bank Examiner, positions he held for five years in the Montana Territorial government.
Langford was a member of the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition which explored portions of the region that would become the Yellowstone National Park. Afterwards, Langford was appointed as the first superintendent of the park. He soon got the nickname National Park Langford because of his initials, N. P. There was no money available to offer him a salary for this new position, so he had to earn his living elsewhere. This left Langford with little time to run the park, and he entered it only twice during his five years as superintendent.
Langford was also part of the vigilante movement, the infamous Montana Vigilantes, who dealt with lawlessness in Virginia City and Bannack, Montana during 1863–1864. In 1890, Langford wrote Vigilante Days and Ways to chronicle the era of pioneer justice in the American Old West.
Biography and photo adapted from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons License.