Member-only story
Big Nose George Parrott, The Real Life Wild West Bad Guy Who Was Turned Into A Pair Of Shoes
A 19th century American outlaw met a grisly end before his remains were repurposed into some unlikely items
The Wild West was a relatively brief period of time (roughly 1865–1899) where cowboys, guns and chaos reigned on the American frontier. Naturally, a number of characters, both of the good and bad variety, emerged during this time. One of the more unique was an outlaw named “Big Nose George” Parrott, who made an art of breaking the law until he was finally caught, lynched and made into a pair of shoes among other shocking items.
Parrott, also known as George Warden, was one of the most notorious outlaws of the American West during the latter part of the 19th century. His relatively brief life was marked by crime, scandal and a gruesome death and aftermath that quickly became the stuff of legend.
Little is known about his early days, but it’s believed he was born in 1834. He gained his nickname due to his prominent nose, which sounded funny but came to strike fear in the hearts of many when it was uttered.
By the 1870s, Parrott ran a gang of outlaws that roamed the territories of Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas. He commanded his men with…