Tales of the True Grit Trail
Join Mattie Ross, of True Grit fame, as she tells the tales of adventure and life along the True Grit Trail. In each episode, Mattie reaches into the late 1800s to tell the stories of heroes, villains, residents, and those passing through True Grit territory. You can learn more about life outside of Charles Portis's book, True Grit when you hear the true stories as told by Mattie Ross. Learn more by visiting truegrittrail.com
Episodes
Written by Sue Robison, this tale of Annie Maledon, daughter of the famed Western District jailer and hangman,George Maledon has been the subject of many fiction writings.
Featuring Maggie Jones as Mattie Ross, Marcus Woodward as the Reporter, and Kevin Jones as Mr. Green, the Mailman.
Here is the latest episode from Tales of the True Grit Trail. Produced by Spinnin' 'Round Productions.
Written by Sue Robison, this tale of Annie Maledon, daughter of the famed Western District jailer and hangman, George Maledon, has been the subject of many fiction writings. Featuring Maggie Jones as Mattie Ross, Marcus Woodward as the Reporter, and Kevin Jones as Mr. Green, the Mailman, here is the latest episode from Tales of the True Grit Trail.
Thomas Boles of Johnson and Yell Counties made his mark as a lawyer, soldier, federal marshal, county clerk, judge, US Representative, and more. This episode was written by Maggie Jones and features Maggie as Mattie Ross and Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith as Thomas Boles. Produced by Spinnin' 'Round Productions.
When Mattie Ross traveled the True Grit Trail from Dardanelle (Yell County) to Fort Smith (Sebastian County) she traveled through Loan and Franklin counties.
Colonel Wittich, the Harris gang, and reconstruction politics were all part of the daily life of the 1870s in Logan and Franklin counties. In this episode, Mattie Ross (portrayed by Maggie Jones) talks politics and mob justice with Col. L. L. Wittich (portrayed by Dr. Eddie Gl...
The story of German and Swiss Stories on the Trail: SubiacoAbbey, the Fort Smith and Arkansas Railroad, and James G. Blaine. Hard-working farmers, pioneering monks, craftyrailroad men, and scheming politicians" make up this latest tale.
This episode was written by Jonathon Lance, who also portrayed Jesse Turner.
The cast included Maggie Jones as Mattie Ross. Dr. Erik Carlson as Johan, Dr Eddie Glenn as James G. Blaine, and M...
While the book, True Grit by Charles Portis, is fictional history, the trail and the exciting stories of people and events are real. Listen as Mattie Ross tells the story of western Arkansas and southeastern Arkansas in the 1800s. The story Mattie tells is a history lesson that inspired Charles Portis' story and many Western movies, books, and television shows.
Visit the True Grit Trail, some 261 miles in length from Dardanelle, A...
Join Mary and Judge Isaac Parker as they talk about preparations for a reception to be held in their home on New Year's Day. Guests for the event include Mattie Ross and attorney William Henry Harrison Clayton. Enjoy hearing the Parkers talk about the journey that brought them to Fort Smith.
Mattie Ross tells the back story of how the Parkers met. For those familiar with the Fort Smith landscape, the Parkers lived at 318 North 13th...
Marie Cole was Arkansas' first female pharmacist, William saved a drowning Gypsy child. This endeared the couple to the Gypsy community. The couple worked with the local community when others would not. Judge Parker and others also frequented the Cole's pharmacy shop on Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith.
This episode was written by Sue Robison. Actors were Maggie Jones as Mattie Ross, Susie Brooks as Marie "Mama" Cole, Marcus Woodwar...
There is little known about Deputy Marshal Robert Fortune. He was born in Virginia in 1865. Fortune's first appointment as a deputy marshal was in Judge Isaac Parker's Fort Smith, Arkansas district on May 1, 1895. In his service as a marshal, he was known to be very effective. He was a deputy until 1907.
In 1917 he was an attorney in Chickasha, Oklahoma, and developed a reputation as a civil rights activist.
The honorable George...
Viola Reed, was a schoolteacher from Ohio who assisted her husband, defense attorney J. Warren Reed, with decades of cases in Fort Smith, Arkansas and Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Viola was often crucial to his work and helped in building the local community. This story tells of their years in Fort Smith and the growth of that city.
The cast for The Last Journey of Viola Reed includes: Sue Robison as Viola Reed; Maggie Jones as Mattie...
Bass Reeves is considered by many to be the greatest US Marshal ever. His bravery, commitment, and results have no comparison.
As Bass grew his amazing skills, who was his mentor? It was James Mershon; a Deputy US Marshal.
Judge Jim Spears is the host of this program. Maggie Jones portrays Mattie Ross. And James Mershon is portrayed by John Hagen, a historical interpreter, former Hollywood stuntman, and entrepreneur.
Train robber; thief; and someone not to be crossed; this is the story of Cherokee Bill.
Maggie Jones portrays Mattie Ross. Detective Justin Wing of the Van Buren, AR police department is the voice of Cherokee Bill. Retired Sebastian County court judge Jim Spears is the host. Marcus Woodward is the historian of the program. And Dr. Kevin Jones is the producer.
David Kennedy, curator of the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith says the Tragedy at Goingsnake was the bloodiest gunfight in the American West. Tuesday, April 15, 1872, was the worst day in the history of the U.S. Marshal Service.
Retired Judge Jim Spears hosts the episode. Maggie Jones plays Mattie Ross. Jonathan Lance plays Ezekial Proctor. Marcus Woodward is our historian. The program is produced by Dr. Kevin Jones.
Deputy Wiley Cox served in Fort Smith in the time of Mattie Ross. An exemplary deputy he had sustained injuries in many encounters. This is a fascinating story of life in the 1880's. Mattie Ross was played by Maggie Jones; Wiley Cox played by Bill Hollenbeck, former sheriff of Sebastian County, Arkansas, host is retired Sebastian County judge, Jim Spears.
The Feud at Three Corners, also known as the Daniel Potter Feud, in an area of southern Yell county, Montgomery, and Garland counties, consisted of a problem between William Potter, Jack and John Daniel, and Rial Blocker in the 1880s. The feud exploded into mob violence, vigilante justice, manhunts, suicide, and much more. Gary Witcher, a member of the Fort Smith Historical Society and South Sebastian County Historical Society, is ...
When you read the book, "True Grit" by Charles Portis you will find that Rooster Cogburn did not wear an eye patch. However, both John Wayne and Jeff Bridges did. (And did you notice they did not wear the patch on the same eye?)
This episode of Tales of the True Grit Trail tells the story of Cal Whitson, a real deputy marshal in Fort Smith who wore his hat in a way that it hid an injured eye.
In this episode, Cal Whitson ...
This episode was recorded during the November 2023 Charles Portis Symposium held at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.
The Goingsnake Massacre refers to the eleven victims of a fatal shootout on April 15, 1872, that broke out during a murder and assault trial in the Cherokee court in the Goingsnake District of the Cherokee Nation (now within Adair county, OK) The dead included three Cherokee on the defendant's side, incl...
This episode has an all-star cast; Maggie Jones as Mattie Ross, Ben Johnson (president of US Marshals Museum) as the host, Jay Jennings (editor of Portis), Jonathan Portis (brother of Charles Portis), Bob Gray (marshal of True Grit Trail) and Tom Shay (marshal of True Grit Trail).
This episode tells of the Clayton family. William Henry Harrison Clayton served as the prosecuting attorney in Judge Isaac Parker's court in Fort Smi...
His real name was Ray Daugherty but he took the nickname of Arkansas Tom. While he left home at the age of 14 and became a cowboy, he soon became connected with Bill Doolin and Bill Dalton in the Doolin-Dalton gang; a multi-talented group of men who robbed banks, trains, and stagecoaches.
He spent time in prison; was a cook; back to prison again; and then he was fascinated by movies. What better career change than to be the true ex...
If you have seen the first True Grit movie which came out in 1969 and starred John Wayne, Glen Campbell and Kim Darby, perhaps you remember the scene when Mattie Ross first met Rooster Cogburn. At the federal courthouse in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Rooster is unlocking a trailer and unloading about seven prisoners that he had caught. Catching seven at once? How did he do that?
How about a true story of deputy Heck Thomas who in one tri...
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