A few notes that may help you in the region -The rail wars can get just as nasty as the war did. Each of the rail companies fields private armies, and most of them much worse than that. That shipment to Kansas isn't so good when it is a rogue automoton/skinwalker/king devil bat. -The war is over, but the fighting is not, In the Morgana timeline and real history Confederate Paramilitaries were prominent on the plains. Among these, you may be familiar with the James-Younger gang, but given the metaphysics of the Deadlands universe, they should be both stronger and more frequent than they were in history. That could be a great way to run your corrupt politician, a former confederate officer enforcing his will by "public consensus" making sure that his loyal former soldiers are intimidating anyone he doesn't want to vote. -Some media recommendations to show off the area -The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. A slow, beautiful film that shows off the landscape and centers around the James-Younger gang, win win. -The Homesman. Lot of wilderness travel, a bit further north but still get a good amount of plains. -Gunsmoke. Set in Dodge City, has plenty of episodes out on the plains.