Were "Wanted" posters as common in the Wild West as cowboy movies portray them?

by Thejes2
Shadowmant

Not sure it completely answers the question of how common they were but here are a couple of posts that are relevant that you might find interesting.

From /u/kingconani
From /u/emkay99

thumbnailmoss

As a follow-up question: Is the phrase "Dead of Alive" merely a trope we see in the movies?

kingconani

Yes, there were "Wanted" posters, but they were not as common as we are made to think. For one thing, a poster, even a public place (such as a post office), will only be seen by people who happen to be passing by that way. It's not a very efficient way of disseminating information. Reward notices would also be placed in newspapers, would be sent via telegraph, and would be sent to relevant institutions (police, sheriffs, marshals, Pinkertons, etc.).

I won't go further now, since I've linked more below, but if you have more questions, let me know. :)