Dr. History's Tales of the Old West

He arrived in Deadwood as a prospector, but soon turned to gambling. At the No.10 Saloon, he didn’t take his usual stool at the card table. Jack McCall had lost big to Wild Bill the night before. Without warning, he pulled a six shooter and shot Wild Bill in the back of the head and was eventually hung. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He began his practice at Fort Halleck as post surgeon, Dakota Territory. He cared for soldiers, emigrants, scouts, freighters and locals. He developed an amputation method called “disarticulation,” amputating the limb at the joint. A strong advocate for clean water and a central sewer system in Laramie and one of the founders of the Laramie Presbyterian Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

The Potawatomi’ left their reservation to hunt buffalo to prepare for a hard winter. After a successful hunt they camped near a small new community of freed slaves who were destitute, no food or shelter. They fed the people, helped build shelters, then split all their food and buffalo robes with them. They would not have survived without the kindness of the Potawatomi Prairie Band. Learn more abou...

Born into slavery, once free he headed west. He joined the Rocky Mountain Fur Company along with Hugh Glass and Jim Bridger. He married a Crow woman and lived with the Crow band for several years. He was in California for the gold rush, blazed trails across the Rockies and Sierra Nevada’s. He achieved as much or more than his white counterparts and is now being recognized for his accomplishments....

Young Mohave boys were encouraged to race each other to prepare to be a runner. The runners enabled small bands to communicate and trade with each other. They could run 100 miles in 3 hours, 200 miles in 24 hours, even out run a horse over a long distance and go four days without food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marshal Dyer charged the government for cows and seed potatoes, the prisoners did the work, then sold it back to the government. Sheriff Johnny Behan testified against the Earps. Pinkerton Detective Tom Horn was caught robbing a faro game eventually hung for killing a rancher’s son. Most lawmen served honestly and with integrity facing danger and poor pay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

Almy coal Mine Number 5 had water, methane gas, explosive dust and the danger of cave-ins and fire. Although they used the most modern safety equipment at the time, in 1895 two explosions destroyed equipment and instantly killed sixty-two miners. Some suffocated, burned or were killed by flying debris or concussion. The mine closed in 1909. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...

A robber and killer, he was caught and after three attempts he was finally hung. His remains were found in 1950 in a whiskey barrel. His fame came from the fact that his skull and “strange” shoes are in one museum, his skull cap and shackles he wore are in another museum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Black with white tufts of hair at the bottom of his legs, Steamboat was a magnificent horse. So powerful at unloading riders, they called him the “Outlaw Horse.” Some say his image is on the Wyoming license plate. One of only five horses named to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Native Americans lived there for thousands of years. Mountain men, trappers and fur traders followed by “Bachelor settlers” prospectors, immigrants, runaways, and refuges from the law. The last of the old west, these people endured hardship but used the natural resources to make a living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Native Americans rounded up rattlesnakes, put them in a pen, then prodded them to strike a piece of liver to inject the venom. They pushed their arrow and lance tips into the liver to get the poison. There were many ideas how to treat snake bites, some worked, some didn’t. Today, getting to a hospital is the most important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Native Americans all knew where they came from as these stories passed down from generations. There is a strong spiritual bond with the “Creator”, “The Master of Life”, the “Great Spirit” or “Wakan Tanka”. Most tribes believed their land was the center of the world and was a sacred place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fifty soldiers at Fort Hill in Los Angeles were surrounded by five hundred native Californians. Lean John was chosen to ride for help. A horse was shot out from under him, he still rode over 500 miles, in five days on ten horses. The fastest ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Christmas Message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pioneer Christmas was a special occasion, trees were decorated with popcorn, pinecones and ribbons. All gifts were handmade, Christmas eve was spent going to church, Christmas day was a day of good food and spending time with family and friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1894 Emilie Tremblay was living with her husband in a one room sod-roof cabin in the Yukon. As the only woman, she decided to make Christmas dinner for the local miners. Stuffed rabbit, roast caribou, beans, potatoes, sourdough bread and butter, with cake and plum pudding for dessert1. She remembers it as the best time she ever had. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adc...

Three German prospectors claimed to have a good gold find on the Snake River near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They conned John Tonnar into funding the venture and being a partner. There were arguments, the three miners were found dead. Tonnar was suspected, arrested, but found innocent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hidden in Targhee National Forest is stolen treasure, buried by the outlaws who usually came to a bad end. Jim Locket and his gang were all caught and paid the price after burying their loot. A young man buried his stolen treasure, but died at the end of a rope. Some has been found, but more lies undisturbed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nellie Burgess drew on forty acres along the Snake River and called it the Rainbow Ranch. She planted a garden and trees, hauling water by bucket from the river. Along with the other homesteaders, they built a church and improved on their homes and ranches. It grew into the small Idaho community of King Hill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Butch Cassidy carefully planned the robbery, arranged for horses and supplies and with help from other gang members made his escape from a sympathetic posse. He even rescued a stray dog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Also called the "Sheepeaters." They lived high in the Rockies, were excellent hunters, well dressed and fed. They were a peaceful tribe, but became extinct due to smallpox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jake was a failure at being a rodeo star, so decided to be a rodeo clown. He had a trick mule, dog and skunk and once butted heads with a bull which left both knocked out. He brought a lot of applause and laughter with his act and retired at age 72. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Known as the Grey Fox, he had a habit of always getting caught when he committed a crime. He also managed to escape from prison several times, but eventually died in prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They said Henderson Luelling was crazy to think he could take a heavy wagonload of fruit trees to Oregon. He made the trip, started the Luelling and Meek Nursery and sold grafting shoots all over Washington, Oregon, and California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Because of a huge demand for feathers, Arizona ranchers imported ostriches in 1883. They were cheap to raise, ate less and produced $30 a year in income. The feathers were cut and sold at a huge profit until it became unfashionable to wear feathers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices