124 episodes

True tales from the Old West! Gunfighters, outlaws, lawmen, frontiersmen, and Native Americans – the real people and events that shaped the American frontier.

The Wild West Extravaganza The Wild West Extravaganza

    • History

True tales from the Old West! Gunfighters, outlaws, lawmen, frontiersmen, and Native Americans – the real people and events that shaped the American frontier.

    Tom Horn | Apache Wars

    Tom Horn | Apache Wars

    “Killing men is my specialty. I look at it as a business proposition, and I think I have a corner on the market.” – Tom Horn, scout, lawman, detective, and assassin.
    As a young man, Tom Horn walked the rough cow towns of Dodge and Newton before cutting his teeth and fighting Apache down in Arizona. Graduated to the Range Wars, and in time, Horn would put his talents to use for the wealthy cattle barons of Wyoming, possibly killing as many as 17 men in the process.
    Or at least he did before being executed for a murder that many believe he did not commit.
    Today, we’ll discuss Tom’s background, his early life as a cowboy, and his time working for the Army in Arizona and Mexico. Also discussed are the Apache, Al Sieber, Geronimo, and the Pleasant Valley War.

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    • 40 min
    The REAL Lonesome Dove

    The REAL Lonesome Dove

    Lonesome Dove, the 11th novel of famed author Larry McMurtry, was published in 1985. Four years later, the characters Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call were immortalized on screen by actors Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. But did you know that much of Lonesome Dove was inspired by real-life people and events? Today, we discuss the real history behind Lonesome Dove—Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, Bose Ikard, Nelson Story, and more! We also discuss favorite Lonesome Dove quotes and a little behind-the-scenes trivia.

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    Satanta | Kiowa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_tbWm_hDh0

    Remembering Larry McMurtry | Texas History Lessons -https://www.texashistorylessons.com/remembering-larry-mcmurtry/
     
    Texas Cattle Drives | Texas History Lessons -https://www.texashistorylessons.com/the-texas-cattle-drives-of-1866-to-1/

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    • 33 min
    Legends of the Wild West | Outlaws, Gunfighters, & Lawmen

    Legends of the Wild West | Outlaws, Gunfighters, & Lawmen

    There is no new episode this week. Instead, I thought I'd share a compilation of previously released material. In this collection of true stories from the Old West, we’ll discuss Comanche Jack Stilwell, his heroics during the Battle of Beecher Island, and his brother’s time in Tombstone. Afterward, we’ll join Billy the Kid and his pals over at White Oaks and discuss the Kid’s arrest at Stinking Springs. We’ll take some sage advice from the legendary Wyatt Earp, delve into the lives of Alabama outlaw Rube Burrow and Old West conman Soapy Smith, join Kit Carson as he faces off against the Comanche at Adobe Walls, draw inspiration from sharpshooter Annie Oakley and finally, we’ll take a look at the circumstances surrounding the death of Billy the Kid.
    (0:00) Comanche Jack vs Wyatt Earp
    (10:27) Billy the Kid & the White Oaks Standoff
    (14:17) Wyatt Earp Speaks
    (26:59) Rube Burrow
    (1:15:43) Billy the Kid’s Arrest at Stinking Springs
    (1:20:49) First Battle of Adobe Walls
    (1:45:54) Soapy Smith
    (2:31:41) Billy the Kid’s Escape from Lincoln
    (2:37:07) Cullen Baker
    (3:21:58) Annie Oakley

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    • 3 hrs 56 min
    John Colter | The First Mountain Man

    John Colter | The First Mountain Man

    Considered by many to be the first Mountain Man, John Colter first came west with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When they head back to civilization, Colter instead chooses to stay behind. He’d live with the Crow tribe and go on to be the first American to cast eyes on the Teton Mountains, Colter’s Hell, and what’s now known as Yellowstone National Park. Later, as a fur trapper, Colter would survive numerous close calls with the Blackfeet. At one point, he’d be stripped naked and forced to run for his life. What was Colter’s early life like? Was he really a Ranger under Simon Kenton? And how would Colter finally die?
     
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    Looking for the Lewis & Clark series? Start here -  https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/
     
    Mountain Man: John Colter by David Marshall - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682684423?ref=yb_qv_ov_prnt_dp_rw
     
    11 Bang Bang on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Real11BangBang
     
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    • 41 min
    Lewis & Clark | The Journey's End

    Lewis & Clark | The Journey's End

    Today, we’ll follow the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they return to civilization. We’ll also discuss the lives of a few key figures post-expedition. What ever happened to Sacagawea? What about her son, Pomp? How about George Drouillard? Finally, we’ll examine the mysterious death of Captain Meriwether Lewis.
     
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    Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/
     
    Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/
     
    Part 3 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-shoshone-part-3/
     
    Part 4 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-york-fort-clatsop-part-4/
     
    Part 5 in the Lewis & Clark series -
     
    The Explorer’s Podcast Lewis & Clark Ep 8 - https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/ADL4434397541
     
    Discover Lewis & Clark - https://lewis-clark.org/
     
    American History Tellers Lewis & Clark Pt 1 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ghh9ScQAN1zQAFi7HzrZd
     
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    • 30 min
    Lewis & Clark | The Blackfeet

    Lewis & Clark | The Blackfeet

    In July of 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis and three of his companions had a violent confrontation with the Blackfeet, resulting in at least one dead warrior. This encounter would lead to strained relations between the United States and the Blackfeet Confederacy and result in decades of bloodshed. But is the official story – as told by the Corps of Discovery – truly what occurred? The Blackfeet don’t think so! Also discussed is the re-crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains, the splitting up of command, and the curious pronunciation of the Marias River. This is part 5 in the series on Lewis and Clark—links below for the previous four installments.
     
    Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/
     
    Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/

    Part 3 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-shoshone-part-3/

    Part 4 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-york-fort-clatsop-part-4/

    Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/

    Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/

    Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest

    Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/

    Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/

    Merchandise! https://www.teepublic.com/user/wild-west-extravaganza

    Book Recommendations! https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/YEHGNY7KFAU7?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d

    Missouri River Outfitters - https://www.youtube.com/@TalesoftheTrailsPodcast

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    • 20 min

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