While Buffalo Roamed: The Wild West History of Colorado

A "lazy" Georgian (John H. Gregory - cover art), professional miner, hears about gold near Pike's Peak and arrives early in 1859.  The Georgian did not light the fuse of Colorado, but he placed the charge perfectly, the result and aftermath directly responsible for the West Kansas gold rush (Colorado gold rush) AND the expedited formation of the area from West Kansas Territory to Colorado.  This "...

How to Survive the Plains - Tribal Stories from Captain - Randolph Marcy (cover art) - The Prairie Traveler 1959 - Guns and Equipment - Native American Black Beaver - Rattlesnake Bit and Remedy? - Blackfeet Tribe - Denver and Auraria - William N. Byers     Two interesting guide books, one civilian and one military prove valuable sources for firsthand intelligence regarding heading west in 1859.  W...

First Newspapers in Colorado - William N. Byers (cover art) - John L. Merrick - Cherry Creek Pioneer versus The Rocky Mountain News - Western Traveling Printers - 1440 Johnnas Gettenberg and the printing press (original internet) - Official Record Begins in Colorado   The first newspapers (yes! two newspapers with editors) arrive in Denver City, K.T. (Kansas Territory) not knowing of the other (at...

Authentic letters and articles from the original pioneers of Colorado (from and to the Old  West).  This episode brings color, detail, attitude, and life to the fifty-eighters and fifty-niners who have the honor of arriving in the Denver / Auraria (Colorado) region (Arapahoe County) FIRST.  Arguments, an invention, descriptions of the Wild West, slices of life - this is a great episode to dig into...

Homicide - First Execution - First Capital Murder Case and Trial - Denver / Auraria - P.T. Bassett and John Scudder - John Scudder and Thomas Biencroff - New County Elections The first "legal" execution occurs in Auraria (now Denver) and a friendship ends in bloodshed, this episode details the first murders and trials in the western edge of the Kansas Territory.  John Stoefel is tried for capital...

Two forgotten Native American legends - The Legend of the Manitou Springs - The Legend of the Maiden (Georgetown, Colorado) - Comanche - Ute (Utah)  Legends are fun and were an excellent way to pass on knowledge, particularly when the circumstances are other-worldly; unexplainable. The first tale explains the reason why the Shoshone and Comanche became separated and waged war on one another.  The...

George Andrew Jackson (cover art) - Gold in Colorado - Idaho Springs - Hot Springs - Wolverine attack - Clear Creek - Chicago Creek The story of Colorado takes a turn, the first big discovery of gold in the mountains is made in current Idaho Springs, Colorado, near the confluence of Chicago and Clear Creeks.  A hot spring, several mountain lions, mountain sheep and a wolverine greet our hero.  A t...

Crossing the Plains - 58ers - Augustus Voorhees (cover art) - Jason Voorhees - Buffalo of the Plains - Rattlesnakes - Sioux - Comanche - Apache - Arapahoe - Bent's Fort - Pueblo - Cherry Creek Today we hear about the journey across the plains from a member of the Lawrence Party, Augustus Voorhees, by way of his journal entries beginning May 31, 1858.  These entries describe the scenery, interactio...

William Larimer Jr (cover art) - Auraria - Denver City - Arapahoe City - Kansas Territory - Montana City - Colorado - William Greenberry Russell - Golden  The creation of Denver AND Colorado, three places to visit in Denver, the first towns of Montana City, Auraria, St. Charles and Arapahoe City - all  in contention for the county seat (Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory).  This is the dawn of Colo...

Murder on the Plains - Julia Archibald Holmes - Lawrence Party - Georgia Party - Leavenworth Party - Russell Party (William Green Russell cover art) - Gold - Garden of the Gods - Arapahoe County - Cherry Creek 1858 is a huge year for Colorado, this is the story of the early risk-takers, the fifty-Eighters, who arrived at future Denver in 1858 (lured by rumors of gold). First significant gold disco...

Gold Panning in Colorado How Pioneers Found Gold - Gold Panning - Gold Falls From Heaven - Asteroids - Water is the Key After an unknown teamster finds gold in Cherry creek (modern downtown Denver), gold will be a driving force to this series - time to learn a little about GOLD. Basic gold prospecting (panning) and how the frontier miners found gold in the water and way up on mountainsides. placer...

Captain Marcy's Disaster - Colonel Loring March - Frozen and Burned - Eating the Horses and Mules - Death on the Road - Utah The lonely gravesite of Michael Fagan marks the location of the Marcy / Loring march, in which a snowstorm killed 3, one man burned to ...   Thanks to DELOSound  JB

Fort Laramie - Bent's Old and New Forts  Jacques La Ramee (Laramie) William and Charles Bent (cover art) Oasis in the desert  A detail of two important forts, Fort Laramie and Bent's Fort(s).  Both vital to westward expansion, worth the drive and visit - hit both in a day if you can!   JB  

Kit Carson - Captain Bonneville - James P. Beckwourth (cover art) - Treaty 1851 - Arapahoe - Cheyenne - Ute - Trappers and Traders - Blood Meridian - Sioux - Snake  - Wyoming - Montana - Kansas Territory  Today we talk about the wild westerners that were here before the cowboys and lawmen -  Tribal People and the American Fur Trappers "The Other Guys" Cheyennes: Wah-ha-nis-satta, Voist-ti-toe-vetz...

Setting the stage:  America looks west, Napoleon and Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson cover art), THE Free People, Oregon country, wars of the West, trappers, California and 49ers, camping for months, avoiding the mountains, terror in Utah (Mountain Medows Massacare). 1 of 2 There will be two episodes dedicated to a general background and history of the region before permanent settlement. Thank you, JB...