Jim Courtright

Who was Jim Courtright?

Timothy Isaiah Courtright, also known as "Longhair Jim" or "Big Jim" Courtright, was an American lawman, outlaw and gunfighter.

He was born in Sangamon County, Illinois, which includes the capital city of Springfield, in the spring of 1848, the son of Daniel Courtright. Not much is known about his early life except that he had four older sisters and one younger brother. He was also said to have practiced shooting frequently. He enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War, but he had to lie about his age in order to join. He served under General John A. Logan, for whom he once took a bullet and therefore earned Logan's admiration. He was rootless, and traveled around often until he finally settled in Fort Worth in north Texas. While in Fort Worth, Courtright was at various times a jailer, city marshal, deputy sheriff, deputy U.S. Marshal, hired killer, private detective, and racketeer. During his travels, Courtright had developed a reputation as being fast with a gun.