UNT Press

Crimewave: Murder and Mayhem in the Far West, 1850-1900

Published: July, 2026  Pages: 320  Features: 24 b&w illus. 7 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

When on May 12, 1848, Sam Brannan walked down San Francisco’s Market Street, holding high a bottle of gold dust and shouting, “Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!” he initiated the great California Gold Rush. As prospectors flooded into California, they also caused a surge in crime. In Crimewave author Matt Bernstein presents twenty-four of the most audacious and chaotic incidents in the Far West, bringing to light stories from frontier California that have too long remained hidden. more... about Crimewave: Murder and Mayhem in the Far West, 1850-1900