Wild West Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Looking to get your cowboy boots dirty and take a wild ride through time? We're here to give you a taste of the cattle industry's past, bringing the Chuck Wagon's pivotal role into the present day. Join us as we unpack the rich history and fascinating intricacies of this mobile kitchen, all while serving up some hearty cowboy tales to wet your appetite for the Old W...

Send us Fan Mail As much as we like to romanticize cattle drives, they were more complicated than we imagined. Hours were long, food was monotonous, horses were bad, cattle were worse, and sleep was hard to come by. Yet, despite the hardships, many young men answered the call for trial hands during the second half of the 19th century. The allure of trailing thousands of cattle over wild lands and...

Send us Fan Mail Driving cattle over the various trails was no easy or unassailable task. The cowboy was forced to cope with the perils of the frontier. These perils included terrible roads, rough weather, cattle stampedes, and requiring men to pass through Indian Territory to reach their destinations. In addition, the Indians encountered often demanded tributes from the cowboy as compensation for...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how cattle branding came about, or the intricacies of a cowboy's life during cattle drives? Prepare to be enlightened as we journey back in time to the Wild West. We uncover the Spanish influence on cattle branding and the roundup process. Experience the cowboy way of life, from levering their unique skills to the responsibilities of a trail boss and the invalua...

Send us Fan Mail Prepare to journey through the raw, romanticized visions of the American cowboy. We're kicking the dust off the myths, winding through the stories, and riding into the heart of their gritty reality. Together, we'll unravel the hidden layers of this iconic figure, their deep, cross-cultural roots, and the pivotal role they played in shaping our nation. In this captivating...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered about the historical roots of cattle trails in America and their significance? Get ready to saddle up as we embark on a journey that dissects this fascinating era; from the rise of the famous Chisholm and Western Trails to the notorious Red River Crossing, we uncover the stories and the people who shaped these trails. Our discussion begins with an in-depth exploratio...

Send us Fan Mail Prepare for a riveting journey back to the 19th-century cattle industry as we spotlight Joseph G McCoy's game-changing contributions. Ever wondered how the inception of the first cow town in Abilene, Kansas, complete with a pen for a thousand head of cattle, a hotel, a bank office, and a livery stable came to be? Or how the creation of a unique transportation system for the b...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine journeying back to the late 1400s, tracing the remarkable history of the Texas Longhorn. These hardy, long-legged, long-horned creatures were born out of the accidental crossbreeding between escaped descendants of Creolo cattle, brought by Spanish explorers, and the cows of early American settlers. Prepare to be spellbound as we unravel their incredible evolution, characte...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what life was like for the rugged buffalo hunters of the wild American West? In our latest episode, you can almost feel the chill of the icy weather as we journey with Jim White, Hoodoo Brown, Prairie Dog Morrow, and Josiah Wright Mooar, sharing their trials and tribulations while they prepare buffalo hides for the market. Listen in as Hoodoo recounts a harr...

Send us Fan Mail In the fall of 2022, Wild West Podcast will proudly present an all-new series entitled Trails, Cattle Drives, Cowboys, and Cattle Towns. This new series will explore the early cattle trade, relive the challenges of a trail drive, describe the character of the cowboy, and retell the stories of individuals who endured the hardships of the cattle trails of the 1800s. The podcast seri...

Send us Fan Mail Unearth the riveting tale of Bat Masterson, the man of many hats from the American West who played a pivotal role in the Royal Gorge War. You're joining us on a thrilling journey back in time, where you'll gain insight into the fierce dispute between the Santa Fe and Denver & Rio Grande railroads. Decoded tactics like recruitment of armed men and storming a telegraph...

Send us Fan Mail Prepare to be transported back to the Wild West as we uncover the life and trials of Billy Brooks, infamously known as Buffalo Bill. Witness the birth of a legend in the plains of Kansas as we follow his journey from being a part of the Great Buffalo Hunt to becoming the first marshal of Newton, Kansas, a formidable man whose name is synonymous with fearlessness and prowess in wea...

Send us Fan Mail Hold onto your hats as we pull back the curtain on the life of legendary lawman Bat Masterson. Prepare for an adrenaline-filled journey through the Wild West, starting with Bat's time in Texas, his notorious gunfight in Sweetwater, and his subsequent move to Dodge City. As we put you in the middle of the action, you'll experience first-hand his tussle with Sergeant King...

Send us Fan Mail Journey back in time with us to the unforgiving plains of 1870s Kansas. Today, we're sharing the bone-chilling tale of the John German family who faced an unimaginable ordeal. September 11, 1874, was a day that would see their lives torn apart by Medicine Wat and his band of 17 Cheyenne warriors. Our special guest, Scott Dean, joins us to offer his valuable insights on this h...

Send us Fan Mail Prepare for a gripping tale from the annals of history, as we transport you back to the time of Bat Masterson and the Red River War. This episode promises to take you on a thrilling journey, making you feel the desperation, the courage, and the heroism that this era was known for. We've pieced together the audacious exploits of Masterson and Dixon, Army scouts and former buff...

Send us Fan Mail Are you ready to kick up the dust and step into the world of Wild West gunfighters and their iron? Brace yourself as we take you on a gritty journey back in time to explore the deadly skills of the gunslingers who won the West, often at the end of a pistol barrel. We promise you'll be riveted as we unravel tales of legendary figures like Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp, dissecti...

Send us Fan Mail How did a young boy from Canada transform into an iconic symbol of the American West? We're about to take you on Bat Masterson's riveting journey - from hunting bison on the plains of Kansas to his daring escapades in Dodge City. We'll trace his migration from Canada to Illinois, and on to Sedgwick County, Kansas. You'll hear tales of courage, perseverance, and...

Send us Fan Mail H. L. Sitler constructed the first building on the town site of Dodge City in 1871. The location of the sod house was five miles west of Fort Dodge. The spot was near a lone cottonwood tree standing near the entrance of Wright Park that marked a long-used ford across the Arkansas River. The first business that opened on the site of Dodge City was George M. Hoover and John McDonald...

Send us Fan Mail In this fictitious episode based on a true account of Bat Masterson's arrival in Tombstone, he meets with Doc Holliday at the stage station, and they take a stroll along Allen Street. During their walk, Masterson inquires about the whereabouts of Big Nose Kate. Holliday extends this opportunity to provide Masterson with the ongoing troubling affirmations and differences betwe...

Send us Fan Mail Strap on your boots and prepare to traverse the wild and unforgiving terrain of the Wild West. We're taking you on a perilous journey through Tombstone, Arizona; a hotbed of guns, political strife, and fearsome outlaws. This episode unravels the captivating tale of a stolen election, a fearless lawman named Bob Paul, and of course, the daring escapades of the audacious tricks...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the history of the Wild West variety shows, including Dodge City in 1878 and beyond. The podcast is based on the work provided by the Kansas Historical Society and the research of Dr. James C. Malin, along with our producer and historical writer Mike King.  Step back in time with us as we explore the wild and vibrant history of 1800s American variety sh...

Send us Fan Mail Step right into the heart of the Wild West with us, as we recount the gritty tales of post-Civil War America. We're venturing into the untamed frontier, retracing the steps of the brave men who sought riches but ended up with nothing more than broken dreams. One such man, Raymond Ritter, led us on a fruitless railroad construction job, leaving us with empty pockets and a hung...

Send us Fan Mail We're taking you on a time-traveling expedition to the heart of Kansas history with our special guest, Lynn Johnson, Director of the Boot Hill Museum. Lynn not only takes us through the riveting development of the museum, from its inception by the Dodge City J.C.s in 1947 to its ongoing expansion but also immerses us in the rich tapestry of Dodge City's past. The museum&...

Send us Fan Mail Can you imagine the chilling sensation of a cold, vigilante mob's gaze on you as they draw their revolvers, ready to end your life in an instant? This episode of our history podcast brings to life the intensity of such a moment, as we recount the infamous William Taylor Incident. Guided by the firsthand account of early settler Herman Fringer, we journey through the lawless s...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we venture into the past with our special guest, Connie Pinnock, Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Ford County Historical Society. Connie paints a vivid picture of the importance of preserving Fort Dodge, a pivotal piece of history that had a significant role in settling the West and safeguarding travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. Interestingly, Fort Dodge re...