About me


Where I will be
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I have pretty much devoted the latter part of my adult life to being the "official family" public relations officer, or publicity agent, for Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith. It sounds a lot better than saying I am obsessed. My continued successes and research work are the reasons this blog exists.

I was born 1958 in Anaheim, California. I have two wonderful children, Ashley (21) and Jefferson (16). I am a student and author of  late nineteenth century American underworld criminal history. The seedy side of the latter old west era.

I grew up in a family mesmerized with Soapy Smith. My father's siblings researched Soapy much of their lives, and I am carrying on the tradition. My childhood home was a museum and center of study. We even had our own private old west saloon complete with full size antique gambling tables, slot machines and equipment. It was nice enough to be featured on the cover of a magazine. I had a lot of fun growing up in that saloon. There I learned about history, gambling, and cheating. From my father I learned to be skeptical which in regards to history is a very good thing. He also taught me to be truthful. From gambling I learned about math, namely the poor odds, and thus I never have been able to enjoy Las Vegas. From cheating at cards I learned not to play another man's game.

In 1985 I began my own lifelong quest, searching for the truth about my great-grandfather Soapy. It was at that time that I decided to write his true and complete biography, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. I researched his good and bad sides with equal and honest determination. I completed publication in 2009. My research continues, thus this blog.