Wild West Fest honors L. Ron Hubbard’s 90th anniversary as a Western author

Buck Montgomery, co-founder of the Little Hollywood Wild West Fest in Kanab, Utah, presented an etched cowboy boot trophy recognizing 90 years since L. Ron Hubbard entered Western fiction. The tribute highlights Hubbard’s long-running influence on the genre and comes as Galaxy Press continues to promote his Western stories.

Why it matters: - The recognition marks 90 years since L. Ron Hubbard published his first Western story, underscoring his lasting place in Western literature. - The presentation also connects Hubbard’s fiction to the frontier history and imagery that shaped the Wild West Fest setting in Kanab. - The award adds public attention to Galaxy Press’s effort to keep Hubbard’s Western catalog in circulation.

What happened: - Buck Montgomery, co-founder of the Little Hollywood Wild West Fest, presented an etched cowboy boot trophy at the festival in Kanab, Utah. - John Goodwin, president of Galaxy Press, received the award in a movie set in Little Hollywood. - The presentation recognized the 90th anniversary of L. Ron Hubbard’s debut as a Western author. - Hubbard entered the genre in September 1936 with "The Baron of Coyote River."

The details: - The trophy honored Hubbard for his "lasting contribution to Western literature." - Montgomery presented the award alongside several other actors in the Wild West show. - The trophy inscription described Hubbard as "one of the best western writers." - Hubbard’s Western stories drew on his Montana childhood and his memories of frontier life. - Hubbard recalled growing up around old frontiersmen, cowboys and an Indian medicine man who was one of his best friends. - "The Baron of Coyote River" follows Lance Gordon after he avenges his father’s murderer and learns the man he killed was a deputy marshal. - The story sends Lance into a territory where sheriffs, posses and cavalry patrols are hunting him. - Lance rides toward the domain of the Baron of Coyote River, where he hopes to stop running, clear his name and reclaim his future. - The story was the first of 38 Western tales by Hubbard. - Robert A. Heinlein credited Hubbard with showing him a third main plot line for human-interest fiction: the man-who-learned-better. - Booklist’s 2010 review called the story “slick and speedy” and noted Hubbard’s recurring theme of blurred moral lines and “two-fisted action.” - Galaxy Press lists Hubbard’s full line of Western tales at the Western stories collection. - Galaxy Press also directs readers to more information on Hubbard’s fiction works.

Between the lines: - The tribute frames Hubbard less as a nostalgia act and more as an author with a durable commercial and cultural footprint in Western fiction. - The festival setting gives the recognition a performative, frontier-themed backdrop that matches the subject matter of Hubbard’s work. - The references to Heinlein and Booklist are meant to bolster literary credibility, not just fan interest.

What’s next: - Galaxy Press is continuing to promote Hubbard’s Western fiction through its website and catalog pages. - The anniversary recognition may help draw new attention to Hubbard’s Western titles among readers interested in classic frontier fiction.

The bottom line: - The Wild West Fest tribute turned a genre milestone into a public celebration of Hubbard’s place in Western storytelling.