Wild West Podcast
Welcome to the Wild West podcast, where fact and legend merge. We present the true accounts of individuals who settled in towns built out of hunger for money, regulated by fast guns, who walked on both sides of the law, patrolling, investing in, and regulating the brothels, saloons, and gambling houses. These are stories of the men who made the history of the Old West come alive - bringing with them the birth of legends, brought to order by a six-gun and laid to rest with their boots on. Join us as we take you back in history to the legends of the Wild West. You can support our show by subscribing to Exclusive access to premium content at Wild West Podcast + https://www.buzzsprout.com/64094/subscribe or just buy us a cup of coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwestpodcast
Episodes
Pour yourself a shot and settle in for an entertaining journey through Dodge City lore and fine spirits! Our debut episode of "Whiskey and Westerns on Wednesday" brings together host Mike King and Dodge City historian Brad Smalley to explore frontier legends while sampling Ardbeg 10, a smoky Islay scotch.
We kick things off by shattering a persistent Wild West myth about the origin of "shot&quo...
The enduring legend of Belle Starr, America's notorious "Bandit Queen," culminates in this riveting final episode that traces her tragic demise and extraordinary posthumous transformation. After the death of her husband Sam Starr in 1886, Belle found herself in a desperate legal battle to keep her beloved home at Younger's Bend. The Cherokee Tribal Council delivered devastating news – as a non-citi...
Saddle up for a journey into the heart of podcast storytelling excellence as we explore the remarkable success of the Wild West Podcast. Since 2017, this captivating show has transported listeners back to frontier America through its perfect tagline: "where fact and legend merge."
What makes this podcast truly exceptional is the extraordinary partnership that brings each episode to life. Michael Kin...
Get ready to celebrate the spirit of the West! The Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame Committee is thrilled to invite you to honor remarkable individuals, both living legends and those who have passed, by nominating them for induction into the illustrious Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame!
This is your chance to spotlight someone extraordinary! Whether you're part of an organization or an individual with a passion for preserving...
The rugged terrain of Indian Territory in the 1880s offered both peril and possibility—a perfect backdrop for one woman's remarkable transformation from grieving widow to frontier legend. After losing both her brother to war and her husband to violence, Myra Maybel Reed found herself drawn to an untamed region where she would forge an extraordinary new identity.
Her fateful connection with the notorious ...
Step back in time to July 4, 1884, when Dodge City, Kansas staged one of the most audacious spectacles ever seen on American frontier soil – a genuine Mexican bullfight. As the cattle trade slowed and prosperity waned, former Mayor A.B. Webster hatched a plan that would either save the town's economy or cement its reputation for lawlessness.
The Great Bullfight of 1884 represents the fascinating collisio...
The remarkable transformation of Myra Maybel Shirley from educated piano player to notorious outlaw woman unfolds against the chaotic backdrop of post-Civil War Texas. What forces drive a respectable young woman into the dangerous world of outlaws? The answer lies in the unlikely sanctuary her family's farm provided to some of America's most wanted men.
Scyene, Texas was described as "a rendezv...
The afternoon of April 14, 1935, began with an unsettling calm across the southern Great Plains. After weeks of relentless dust storms, this brief moment of respite felt almost divine—until an ominous black line appeared on the horizon. Witnesses described a sky divided between golden sunlight and a monstrous curtain of dust that towered a thousand feet high, churning like a reverse waterfall.
When this apoca...
The infamous Belle Starr—a pistol-packing outlaw queen of the Wild West or a misunderstood historical figure whose legend overshadows reality? This fascinating exploration of Myra Maybel Shirley Starr reveals the stark contrast between the woman herself and the sensationalized "Bandit Queen" who captured America's imagination.
Born in 1848 Missouri to a prosperous family, young May Shirley stra...
The sprawling plains of North America once thundered with the hoofbeats of countless bison and horses belonging to the Kiowa Nation – a people experiencing a golden age of cultural flourishing in the early 19th century. From their origins near the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, the Kiowa embarked on an epic southward migration that transformed them into masters of the Southern Plains landscape.
Step into th...
Step back in time to the American frontier where five extraordinary women defied expectations and carved their names into history.
The vast expanses of the American West weren't just shaped by cowboys and outlaws – they were transformed by women of remarkable courage, talent, and determination. Our journey begins with Annie Oakley, whose unparalleled sharpshooting skills captivated audiences worldwide w...
A single mechanical failure changed the course of Western history on a hot July night in 1870. When Medal of Honor recipient Private John Kile pressed his Army Remington against Wild Bill Hickok's head and pulled the trigger, the hammer fell with a dull click instead of a fatal blast. That misfire in Paddy Welch's Saloon set off a desperate struggle that would leave Kiley dead, his companion wounded, and add...
Step back in time to autumn 1877, where the whispers of history echo beneath the branches of an oak tree at Sawlog Creek. Frank Buskirk and his fellow drovers have just completed their cattle drive from Texas, setting up camp near Dodge City when a stranger named Bob Shaw rides into their midst. What begins as a chilling campfire tale about two men—one guilty, one innocent—hanged from the very oak tree above their hea...
The forgotten heroes who shaped the American West emerge through the harrowing tale of the 1867 cattle drive that would later inspire the beloved "Lonesome Dove" narrative. As northeastern cities expanded in the 19th century, feeding their growing populations became increasingly problematic. The solution came in the form of the Long Drive—an economic revolution where small teams of cowboys moved massive herd...
At the razor's edge where civilization meets chaos stood a man whose name struck both fear and awe - Wild Bill Hickok. The sweltering summer of 1869 found Hays City, Kansas transformed into a powder keg of violence where 37 licensed liquor sellers hosted a volatile mix of railroad workers, soldiers, buffalo hunters, and fortune-seekers.
When traditional law enforcement faltered against this tide of lawle...
Step into the captivating world of one of the American frontier's most enigmatic figures as we unravel the complex tapestry of James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok. Beyond the legendary gunfighter lies a man of striking contradictions – fearless yet temperamental, courteous yet deadly, flamboyant yet practical.
Our deep dive reveals Hickok as neither simple hero nor villain, but rather as the embodi...
Before Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson became synonymous with Dodge City, a more sinister form of "justice" ruled the streets. "The William Taylor Incident" transports you to 1873 frontier Kansas, where the line between law and lawlessness wasn't just blurred—it didn't exist at all.
Narrated through the eyes of Herman Fringer, one of Dodge City's founding settlers, this harrowi...
Bat Masterson wasn't just a legendary gunfighter—he may have been the greatest practical joker the American West ever produced. His favorite prank? The notorious "Indian Act," where he and his friends would dress as Native Americans, complete with war paint, to terrorize boastful newcomers in Dodge City. They'd stage mock killings in the streets before charging at their target, revealing the joke a...
The crack of gunfire shatters the morning air over Dodge City's dusty plaza. A black derby hat bobs above a railroad embankment as bullets fly from every direction. It's April 16, 1881, and Bat Masterson has just stepped off the train and into one of the American frontier's most chaotic yet consequential gunfights.
Masterson had returned to help his brother, Jim, recently fired as city marshal ...
While most Western history fans know the famous lawmen and outlaws who made Dodge City legendary, the actual souls buried on Boot Hill Cemetery have remained largely forgotten—until now. These weren't just nameless bodies; they were real people whose violent deaths created the reputation that still defines Dodge City nearly 150 years later.
The summer of 1872 marked the beginning of Boot Hill's dark...
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