x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Wild West Extravaganza

The Wild West Extravaganza

The Wild West Extravaganza is a weekly history podcast that explores the real-life people and events from the Old West. Each episode brings to life the legendary outlaws, gunfighters, lawmen, cowboys, and Native Americans who shaped the frontier. From iconic figures like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Doc Holliday to overlooked tales of shootouts, cattle drives, and rowdy towns like Deadwood, there"s no shortage of stories to tell. So saddle up, dust off your boots, and let"s hit the trail!

history

All Episodes

23:07

Pat Garrett | The End of the Kid (Part 3)

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/08/02

Pat Garrett, along with deputies John W. Poe and Kip McKinney, make one final push into Fort Sumner in search of Billy the Kid. In doing so, they immortalize themselves. Also discussed in this episode is whether or not Pat Garrett was a coward. Was Billy the Kid armed when he met his end? How do we know for sure that Billy was indeed killed that night at Fort Sumner? Why wasn’t a photograph taken of the Kid’s body and why was he so quickly buried? This is part 3 in the series on Pat Garrett. Link

en

38:19

Pat Garrett | Pat vs Billy the Kid (Part 2)

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/07/26

Pat Garrett is now the Sheriff of Lincoln County and he’s got one job – to put an end to his old friend, Billy the Kid. And you better believe he wastes no time in starting on the hunt. Aiding him in these efforts are Secret Service Agent Azariah Wild and Texas cattleman investigator Frank Stewart. Also discussed in this episode: Barney Mason, the raid on Fort Sumner, Pat Garrett’s confrontation with two Puerto de Luna badmen, his refusal to be arrested, the standoff with an armed mob in Las

en

47:03

Pat Garrett | Origin Story (Part 1)

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/07/19

On the night of July 14th, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett killed Billy the Kid. In doing so he not only helped create a legend, but he also ensured that his legacy would forever be intertwined with that of the notorious outlaw. And let’s be honest – it ain’t that great of a legacy. Many consider Garrett to be a coward, at best; a no-good backstabbing Old West Judas who betrayed his own friend for a handful of silver. What’s more, Pat is also labeled as a rank liar and an ego maniac. A glory seeker would

en

26:28

Scalping & Trading | My Sixty Years On The Plains

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/07/12

Who invented scalping? The Native Americans? Or did the Europeans introduce the atrocious behavior to the New World? The answer – like much of history – is complicated. In this latest installment of My Sixty Years, we join the young fur trapper William Hamilton as he, Old Bill Williams, and the others embark upon the Wind River Country where they make contact with both the Blackfeet and the Shoshone. Brutality and trade ensues. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West

en

19:08

Old Solitaire | My Sixty Years On The Plains

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/07/02

Before he became known as Old Bill Williams, the gaunt and scarred Mountain Man was a Methodist preacher who attempted to bring the gospel to the Osage people. Bill lived among the Osage, married into the tribe, helped them negotiate a treaty, and even translated the Bible into their language. It’s said, however, that it was the Osage who ultimately ended up converting Williams. Sadly, Bill’s Osage wife passed away and he pressed further west to the Rockies, becoming a free trapper and trader (as

en

22:55

The Plainsman W.T. Hamilton | My Sixty Years On The...

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/06/28

In the year 1842, a sickly 19-year-old named William T. Hamilton embarked on a journey to the Rocky Mountains accompanied by famed frontiersman Old Bill Williams. Over the course of the next several decades, Hamilton worked as a fur trapper, trader, lawman, guide, hunter, and scout. He’d ride with other notable figures such as George Armstrong Custer and General George Crook, take part in numerous engagements with hostiles, travel the west extensively, and finally – as a very old man – write a book

en

29:33

The Execution of Cherokee Bill

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/06/20

This is part 2 in a two-part series. Please check out the link below for the first installment. And please check out the book Cherokee Bill: Black Cowboy Indian Outlaw by Art Burton! Cherokee Bill, notorious outlaw of the Indian Territory, met his fate on March 17, 1896, when he was executed at Fort Smith, Arkansas. Following his death, his family took his body to Fort Gibson and buried him at the Cherokee National Cemetery in Fort Gibson, known today as the Citizens Cemetery of Fort Gibson. And

en

40:46

The Outlaw Cherokee Bill

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/06/13

Despite his young age, Cherokee Bill’s boldness and audacity surpassed that of many outlaws on the Western frontier, making him a truly exceptional badman. What set Bill apart, first and foremost, was his status as an African American residing in the Indian Territory. Additionally, he was a Native American and a member of the Cherokee Nation through his mother’s lineage, making his background all the more unique. And when Bill joined forces with the Cook brothers, he displayed a fatalistic mindset,

en

01:17:13

Liver Eating Johnson

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/06/06

John “Liver Eating” Johnson was the inspiration behind 1972’s Jeremiah Johnson but the real man’s life was even more extraordinary than portrayed on film. Johnson/Johnstone was a sailor, soldier, fur trapper, prospector, scout, Indian fighter, and lawman. Sometimes a good guy, sometimes a bad guy, and always larger than life. Dubbed "Liver-Eating" due to a chilling tale of vengeance, he allegedly killed Crow warriors and consumed their livers, but are these stories true? Later in his life, Johnston

en

43:25

The Last Wild Apache

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/05/30

On September 4th, 1886, the mighty Apache leader Geronimo surrendered to the U.S. Army. The last American Indian warrior to formally surrender to the United States. And with him, so went the Indian Wars. The buffalo were gone, the railroads and churches were here to stay, and the wild west was – for the most part – over. But what if I were to tell you that not all of the Apache surrendered and that there were a few holdouts that not only continued to live free but continued to make war with their

en

17:49

Billy the Kid's Trigger Finger

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/05/24

Just a few days following the death of Billy the Kid a newspaper out of Las Vegas, New Mexico reported that they had, in their possession, the notorious bandit’s severed trigger finger. Others claimed to have Billy’s skull, and clumps of his hair, and one scoundrel was even peddling a skeleton he declared to be the recently deceased Billy Bonney. How true were these claims? Was Pat Garrett telling the truth when he declared that Billy the Kid was buried fully intact at Fort Sumner? And is Bonney

en

21:47

The Big Fight at Jenkins Saloon

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/05/17

Tascosa, Texas, in those turbulent times of the 1880s, epitomized lawlessness and chaos. It was a place where legends were born, and outlaws roamed freely. The echoes of Billy the Kid's footsteps still reverberated through its dusty streets, mingling with the shadowy presence of Dave Rudabaugh, John Selman, Henry Newton Brown, Charlie Siringo, and countless other fabled figures who had left their indelible mark on the annals of the Old West. And by the time of the “Big Fight” aka the Gunfight at

en

46:32

Al Swearengen & the Gem Saloon

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/05/10

Al Swearengen was the notorious owner of Deadwood’s Gem Theatre, which quickly became one of the boom town's most popular entertainment venues. Swearengen’s business practices, however, were far from ethical. He coerced desperate women into becoming prostitutes, often through bullying and physical violence, and wasn’t exactly gentle with the menfolk, either. Despite the Gem Theater burning down in 1879 as part of a larger fire that destroyed much of Deadwood, Swearengen was undeterred. He rebuilt

en

23:57

Jim Crow Chiles | The Dancing Missouri Bushwhacker

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/05/03

You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your family. An old adage that the 33rd President of the United States Harry S. Truman knew all too well. Every family has that one black sheep, right? In the case of the Trumans, that shameful distinction fell on James John Chiles, aka Jim Crow Chiles, Harry’s Uncle by marriage; a violent Missouri Bushwhacker who fought alongside Bloody Bill Anderson and Jesse James described by author David G. McCullough as universally hated

en

45:10

Jose Chavez y Chavez

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/04/26

One of the more memorable characters from Young Guns 1 and 2 was Chavez y Chavez, portrayed by the talented Lou Diamond Philips. And yes, Chavez was real! He was a constable in San Patricio and an ally of the Tunstall McSween faction during the Lincoln County War. Jose was a full participant in the troubles, and he was present during the Battle of Lincoln, making a getaway from the burning McSween home right alongside Billy the Kid. But who was Jose Chavez y Chavez really? Was he a Navajo as

en

37:11

Doc Scurlock | The Thinking Man's Outlaw

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/04/19

Josiah "Doc" Scurlock was a poet, philosopher, intellectual, and a hardened killer long before he ever met Billy the Kid. A mysterious past in Mexico, rumors of dead men from New Orleans to Texas, a penchant for vigilantism, and several close calls with the hostile Natives all made Doc a man to be both feared and respected. However, it was the trials he would face after the Lincoln County War that made Scurlock the man his family would remember. Also discussed: J.J. Dolan, John Riley, Billy

en

44:37

Billy the Kid | Quién es (Part 5)

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/04/12

By 1880 The Kid was not only being hunted by Sheriff Pat Garrett and the Texas Panhandle Stock Association, but the federal authorities as well. He’d be arrested, sentenced to hang, and then make one of the most daring escapes of the Old West. Little did Billy know how numbered his days truly were. In this final chapter of the Billy the Kid series, we’ll delve into the gritty details of the standoff at White Oaks, the Stinking Springs standoff, the daring escape from the Lincoln jail, the shotgun

en

39:03

Billy the Kid | Desperado (Part 4)

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/04/04

This is part four in the series on Billy the Kid. See the links below for the previous three installments. In the aftermath of the Battle of Lincoln, Billy and the Regulators sought to acquire much-needed horses by striking the Mescalero Reservation. Although successful, they left a man dead in their wake; a killing ultimately pinned on The Kid. Moving on to Fort Sumner, they drove a herd of stolen Chisum horses to the Texas Panhandle, after which many of Billy's friends decided to call it quits

en

54:31

Billy the Kid | Lincoln County War (Part 3)

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/03/29

Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory was the setting of a brutal conflict between rival factions vying for control of the county's dry goods and cattle interests. The Lincoln County War, as it came to be known, began in 1878 and persisted until 1881, a time of lawlessness and bloodshed in the Old West. One side of the feud was led by James Dolan, a powerful figure who wielded a monopoly over dry goods through his establishment "The House". The other faction was established by English-born John

en

12:12

Billy the Kid | Croquet Photo

The Wild West Extravaganza ·

2023/03/27

Is the croquet photo legit? Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Croquet Photo | CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/15/living/billy-the-kid-photo-feat/index.html Identifying Old West

en

221 results

Similar Podcasts

The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

جنود خلدهم التاريخ

ALSUMOOD PODCAST

Film History - Daily

Inception Point Ai

Madonna - Biography Flash

Inception Point Ai