This episode is set circa 1902, which is the year guest star Chill Wills was born (July 18, 1902).
Mathias Kane (Kurt Russell) was born and raised in Tyler, Texas. In 1880, which would have been the approximate year Mathias was born, Tyler, Texas had a population of 2,423, according to the US Census. In the 1900 US Census, the era of this program, Tyler had grown to a 8,069 residents.