Dr. History's Tales of the Old West

Chief Joseph - Episode 1The Nez Perce, a gentle tribe, helped the white men, including Lewis and Clark. Trouble began with the signing of a treaty forcing some to leave their lands and leading to battles and a 1700 mile trek. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America's first train robbery, five Reno brothers, stole a lot of money and set the example for future robbers. John spent 25 years in prison, the others met their fate at the end of a rope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The quest for a river leading to the Pacific Ocean led to half-truths, exaggerations and downright lies. Captain Robert Gray, Alexander Mackenzie and the Lewis and Clark expedition finally established the rivers West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A river of flowing mud, dead trees, and sand bars, yet thousands traveled by canoes, flatboats, Mackinaws, keelboats and steamboats to reach the Rockies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Real gunfights in the old west were not like those seen in movies. Bat Masterson, Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the gunfight at the OK corral all had their own gunfights. (Previously recorded show from Jan 22, 2013) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1862, The Tonkawa tribe awoke to an attack by the Shawnees, Delawares, Wichitas, Kickapoos and a few other tribes Why? Maybe it was because they acted as scouts for the Army in attacking other Indian tribes, or their tradition of eating their enemies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cattle drives faced a lot of challenges, not always making a profit. Payment to Indians for crossing their land, freezing weather, buffalo, elk and deer mingling with the cattle were just some of the challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weary and starving, the explorers accepted food and a canoe ride only to be ambushed. Heddon packed his wounded companion over thirty miles to safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UP began the Transcontinental Railroad in Omaha. Thousands worked in all kinds of weather, heavy lifting, shoveling, pounding spikes, setting ties and rail, they accomplished the impossible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With picks, shovels, wheel barrows, teams and scrapers, they prepared the grade for ties and rails. The Chinese ate healthy, worked hard and had the most dangerous job of drilling and blasting the solid rock to build the tunnels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They came first to lay out and mark the line for the Transcontinental Railroad, trying to avoid lakes, mountains and rivers. Like Lewis and Clark, they explored the west to find the best route. Grenville Dodge fought Indians, explored and found the route West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas was the cattle raising industry which gave rise to the first cowboys. Armed to the teeth, spurs, long hair covered with a broad-brimmed sombrero was the look of the Texas cowboy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buffalo Bill's Wild West show began in 1883. Gunfights, outlaws, stagecoach and wagon train attacks, sharpshooters and Cossack Prince Tifto all added to the excitement of a real Wild West Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Never a Cheyenne Chief, he believed he could not be killed due to his "great medicine". He rode in front of the enemy while arrows and bullets whistled past, with not even a scratch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stray horses caused problems between ranchers, but they usually came to a friendly agreement. Cowboys loved silver on their saddles, bridles, bits and spurs and were the first to give money to poor kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

His courageous mother escaped capture, walked 600 miles returning to her native Northwestern Shoshoni tribe. Pocatello hunted buffalo, fought the Sioux, Blackfeet and white men, robbed to feed his people and died in 1884. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Remember the Alamo" and "Remember Goliad" was the war cry as General Sam Houston led the Texan Militia against Santa Anna. Victory resulted in gaining nearly one third of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was there a coward in the Alamo? Moses Rose made the difficult decision to leave rather than face certain death and was branded a coward and a deserter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The War of 1812, "Old Glory" and the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This is one of my favorite shows I repeat every year, so listen now to our rerun of last years show from July 5, 2016. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The hard working Chinese played a big role in settling the Old West. Virginia City, Montana was the site of the trial of two Chinese men accused of murder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Springs 120 million gallons of water each day and Johnny Sack's cabin, near Island Park, Idaho. Head West to ghost towns, Nevada and Virginia City, Montana where $30,000,000 in gold was taken. Pan for gold, ride a stage coach, then past Quake Lake and into West Yellowstone to the Playmill Theatre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She was a "thorn" in the side of Denver society, but the rest of the world fell in love with this somewhat crude illiterate woman. She was reported to be the last woman off the Titanic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Toothache? Try alcohol, heroin, or an "electric toothbrush". Mix boiled spiders, eggs, oil and apply to the sore tooth or spit into the mouth of a frog. To clean teeth, mix ground antlers, hooves, crabs, eggshells and lizard livers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Indians knew about tonics, astringents, antiseptics, and many natural remedies. They performed amputations, treated fractures and removed arrows. In some ways they may have been superior than the Europeans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cooking, sewing, cleaning, doctoring, even harnessing and driving wagons, these women had to be strong. Wagon trains didn't stop long for women giving birth, or for burying the dead. 2400 miles with hopes and dreams for a better life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices