Mike Coppock, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

The Marlow Brothers

Oct 14, 2024 | truewestmagazine.com | Mike Coppock

Whether highborn or from the wrong side of the tracks, those who came West appreciated grit in a person, never mind if displayed by a hero or an outlaw. Their attention was captured by the grit displayed by the Marlow Brothers who overwhelmed a vigilante mob while shackled. George, Charley, Alf and Epp Marlow were chained together in pairs along with two other prisoners as they were being transported out of Graham, Texas, in the dead of night on January 19, 1889.
Book Review: ‘The Oceanside History of Alaska’ provides an introduction to the diversity and histories of coastal communities

Sep 7, 2024 | adn.com | David James |Mike Coppock

“The Oceanside History of Alaska”By Mike Coppock; Epicenter Press, 2024; 306 pages; $19.95. Like many Alaskans, I first arrived via the Alaska Marine Highway, in my case more than 34 years ago aboard a ferry from Bellingham. I’ve only traveled the Inside Passage twice and, tied to departure schedules, barely had time to alight and visit the towns that passed by so quickly. From Haines, I headed straight for the Interior and have never since lived elsewhere in the state.
London's First Ever Mountain Marathon

Apr 30, 2024 | ukclimbing.com | Mike Coppock

If you're raising money for a charity that helps introduce young people from the city to the mountains, what better way to do it than bringing a mountain to the city? Mike Coppock took the novelty costume to new heights at this year's London Marathon - and even managed to finish in what counts, in the circumstances, as a respectable time. Last year the London Marathon had me shouting from the edge of my seat.
Cold weather worries wheat farmers

Mar 29, 2024 | journalrecord.com | Mike Coppock

Listen to this articleFear is gripping winter wheat producers in northern Oklahoma. Just as their crop has been maturing, the region has seen hard freezes for several nights this past week. At one point, the area experienced 19 hours below freezing. “I think we’ll have some damage,” said Brady Sidwell, owner of the grain elevator in Kremlin, OK. “This winter was unusually warm, and we had plenty of moisture so the wheat is ahead of schedule.
Mixed report for 2023 Oklahoma cotton crop; acres planted up, yield down

Dec 13, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com | Mike Coppock

STILLWATER ― Oklahoma cotton producers are bucking a national trend in 2023, planting more acres than their counterparts across the country. This year’s Oklahoma cotton crop finished 35% higher in acreage over last year with a 13% increase in bales harvested. The cash value of this year's cotton crop in Oklahoma is roughly $88.5 million, according to Troy Marshall, Oklahoma Statistics for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Oklahomans planted 570,000 acres in cotton this year.
A Forgotten ‘Trail of Tears’

Nov 24, 2023 | historynet.com | Mike Coppock

At times American history—and especially American Indian history—takes a dive down the rabbit hole with its twists and contradictions. The 1842 Cherokee Slave Revolt is one of those rabbit holes. The idea the Cherokee, or any tribe, owned slaves is not that alien a concept.
The Reign of Terror

Sep 21, 2023 | l8r.it | Mike Coppock

At three in the morning an explosion rocked the small Oklahoma town of Fairfax in Osage County. Five gallons of nitroglycerin had been used to blow up the Smith home, killing Osage tribal member Rita Smith and her White servant, Nettie Brookshire. Smith’s husband, Bill, died four days later. It was March 10, 1923. By then some 27 Osage tribal members had died in the Osage Hills under mysterious circumstances over a two-year period.
The Reign of Terror

Sep 21, 2023 | truewestmagazine.com | Mike Coppock

At three in the morning an explosion rocked the small Oklahoma town of Fairfax in Osage County. Five gallons of nitroglycerin had been used to blow up the Smith home, killing Osage tribal member Rita Smith and her White servant, Nettie Brookshire. Smith’s husband, Bill, died four days later. It was March 10, 1923. By then some 27 Osage tribal members had died in the Osage Hills under mysterious circumstances over a two-year period.
10 Rip-Roaring Books and Films About the Klondike Gold Rush

Sep 11, 2023 | historynet.com | Mike Coppock

The Call of the Wild (1903, by Jack London) Kidnapped from a comfortable life, Buck the dog is forced to labor on the trail toand from the Klondike goldfields before ultimately escaping to join a wolf pack. Jack London’s novel gives the reader a gritty impression of the gold rush and brought its author international repute. Dogs London encountered during his own adventures in the Yukon likely served as models for Buck.
The Klondike Gold Rush Was Either a High Road to Riches or Heartbreak for Both Famous and Everyday Seekers

Aug 28, 2023 | historynet.com | Mike Coppock

George Carmack strutted into Bill McPhee’s smoke-filled saloon in the settlement of Forty Mile, Canada, at the confluence of the Fortymile and Yukon rivers. Days earlier, on Aug. 16, 1896, Carmack and his Tagish brother-in-law, Keish (aka “Skookum Jim” Mason), and nephew Káa Goox (aka “Dawson Charlie”) had found gold far to the east on Rabbit Creek, a tributary of the Klondike River.