The Wild West wasn’t just about cowboys and saloons—these strange traditions made it even wilder.

The Wild West was a world of lawless towns, rough-and-tumble outlaws, and untamed frontiers. But beyond the gunfights and gold rushes, life on the frontier came with its own set of bizarre customs. From spitting contests that measured a man’s aim to outlaw codes that dictated the rules of an old-fashioned duel, these traditions shaped the rugged culture of the American West.
Some were practical, born out of necessity in a world where survival often depended on wit and skill. Others were just plain strange, proving that life on the frontier was anything but ordinary. Here are 13 of the most unusual customs that kept the Wild West as wild as ever.