It was founded by former high-tech and defense manufacturing entrepreneur Robert Hartman.

When Hartman's family moved to Los Angeles in the early 1920s, Josephine and Wyatt soon followed.

Hartman's parents purchased a ranch in the San Fernando Valley where he was raised.

This inspired the idea of creating a glossy storytelling magazine, and Hartman began formulating the substance of the publication in 1991, in an effort to combine the history and stories of the American West with art, Western antiques, ranching, real estate, fashion, and travel.

The first issue became a highly collected issue followed by a growing circulation that was distributed through subscription, airports, and over 17,000 locations in the United States and a number of foreign countries.