The Wild West Extravaganza is a weekly history podcast exploring the real-life people and events of the Old West and the American frontier. Each episode explores the true stories of outlaws, gunfighters, lawmen, cowboys, Native Americans, and frontiersmen (and women) who shaped the Old West. From famous legends like Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, and Geronimo to forgotten tales of shootouts, cattle drives, and frontier towns, this show delivers the grit, drama, and truth behind Western history.
…
continue reading
Texashistory Podcasts
1
Unboxing History
Unboxing History | History Expert Jodi Wright-Gidley & Galveston Author Christine Hopkins
2
17
Explore the past with Unboxing History as we take you on a journey into the captivating Galveston County Historical Museum collection. Uncover the hidden stories behind artifacts, delve into the intricacies of local history, and discover the treasures that connect us to bygone eras. Join us for a unique and insightful exploration of our heritage, one unboxing at a time. Hosted by local author and Galveston expert Christine Hopkins and Museum Director Jodi Wright-Gidley, "Unboxing History" wi ...
…
continue reading
1
The Widow's Secret: Was Billy the Kid's Death a Hoax?
24:00
24:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:00
Did Pat Garrett’s widow really claim that her husband helped to fake the demise of Billy the Kid? What about Garrett’s daughter, Elizabeth? Did she really give an interview in the 1980s saying the same thing? Endless online debates and unreliable sources have fueled questions such as these. But what does the historical evidence actually say? Today,…
…
continue reading
John Tornow, also known as the Wild Man of the Wynoochee, became one of the most feared and hunted men in the Pacific Northwest during the early 1900s. Born in Iowa in 1880, he grew up in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, where he developed an unmatched skill with a rifle and a deep love for the wilderness. What began as the life of a quiet hermit sp…
…
continue reading
Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton was more than a mascot. He was a real man who claimed to have lived one of the most violent and extraordinary lives of the Old West. Born in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut, Eaton moved with his family to Kansas, where he witnessed his father’s murder at the hands of six vigilantes. From that moment on, young Frank dedicated…
…
continue reading
If you grew up watching westerns in the late 80s and early 90s, Young Guns II was probably on your list, but how much of what we saw on screen was true? Today, we dig into the real history behind Billy the Kid and Young Guns II with Dan LeFebvre, the award-winning host of the Based on a True Story Podcast. Together, we explore questions such as whe…
…
continue reading
Archie Clement was one of the most notorious guerrilla fighters to emerge from Missouri during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. Barely over five feet tall and weighing around 130 pounds, Clement quickly became feared across the state for his ruthlessness and intensity. Riding with William “Bloody Bill” Anderson, Jesse James, and Frank James, h…
…
continue reading
Jack Hinson, known as “Old Jack,” began the Civil War as a wealthy Tennessee planter with no intentions to enlist in the Civil War. That changed in 1862 when Union troops executed his sons and displayed their heads on his plantation gateposts. At 57 years old, Hinson armed himself with a custom .50 caliber rifle and launched a one-man war of reveng…
…
continue reading
1
Chief Joseph & the Nez Perce War: The Fight Begins
32:02
32:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:02
The Battle of White Bird Canyon was one of the most lopsided defeats the U.S. Army ever suffered in the American West. On June 17, 1877, Captain David Perry led roughly one hundred soldiers and scouts into Idaho’s White Bird Canyon, believing they could quickly subdue the Nez Perce. Instead, the Nez Perce delivered a crushing defeat. In less than a…
…
continue reading
1
Elfego Baca & the Frisco Shootout (Encore)
38:16
38:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:16
In October of 1884, 19-year-old Elfego Baca made history during the legendary Frisco Shootout. After pinning on a fake badge and arresting a drunken cowboy named Charlie McCarty, Baca found himself surrounded by dozens of angry ranch hands. The standoff escalated into a 33-hour siege in which as many as 80 cowboys fired more than 4,000 rounds into …
…
continue reading
Teton Ridge has snagged the film and TV rights to Larry McMurtry’s legendary Lonesome Dove series, promising a fresh take on the Pulitzer Prize-winning saga of retired Texas Rangers on a perilous cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The original adaptation in 1989 became a Western classic, but will the remake live up to its legacy? And did you know …
…
continue reading
1
Chief Joseph & the Nez Perce War: Genesis
41:19
41:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
41:19
The Nez Perce War erupted in 1877 after decades of brokentreaties, stolen land, and violent confrontations between settlers and the Nez Perce people. At the center of this struggle was Chief Joseph, a leader who had spent years trying to keep peace, only to be forced into leading his people on one of the greatest fighting retreats in American histo…
…
continue reading
Send us a text Join hosts Christine Hopkins and Jodi Wright-Gidley as they unbox the rich history of Galveston County’s schools in this special Back to School edition of Unboxing History! Discover unique artifacts ranging from an 1885 teaching certificate to a 1920s report card, and hear the stories behind them. Whether you’re a history buff or jus…
…
continue reading
1
Mysterious Dave Mather: The Gunfighter Who Vanished Without a Trace
23:18
23:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:18
Mysterious Dave Mather was one of the Old West’s most elusive figures. Born in Connecticut and orphaned at a young age, Mather drifted west, where his life became a blur of gunfights, gambling halls, and questionable alliances. He wore a badge in towns like Dodge City and East Las Vegas, but just as often found himself standing trial for murder. Kn…
…
continue reading
1
Tom "Bear River" Smith: Abilene's Forgotten marshal
21:52
21:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:52
Tom “Bear River” Smith tamed one of the wildest towns in the Old West without firing a single shot. Armed with nothing more than a badge, a banjo, and a pair of fists that made even the toughest cowboys think twice, Smith brought order to Abilene, Kansas, at a time when cattle drives and rowdy trail hands turned the streets into chaos. But how did …
…
continue reading
King Fisher was no ordinary Texas gunfighter. This is a man who once killed a circus tiger so that he could make a pair of chaps from its hide. He boasted of killing 37 men, and at the height of his power, commanded over 100 armed bandits, ruling South Texas like his own personal kingdom. Known for his gold-embroidered jackets, rattlesnake hatbands…
…
continue reading
For centuries, the Northern Paiute have told of the Si-Te-Cah, a mysterious tribe said to have lived on tule rafts across Nevada’s Lake Humboldt. Described as fierce warriors with red hair and even cannibalistic tendencies, the Si-Te-Cah were eventually trapped and wiped out at Lovelock Cave. Skip ahead to 1911, and miners discovered thousands of a…
…
continue reading
The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine is one of the most enduring legends of the American Southwest. Said to be hidden somewhere in the Superstition Mountains east of Apache Junction, Arizona, this mythical mine is named after Jacob “Dutchman” Waltz, who supposedly discovered a rich vein of gold in the 19th century and concealed its location before his dea…
…
continue reading
Clay Allison was one of the lesser-known yet deadlier of the Old West gunslingers. Join me today as we follow Allison on his adventures inDodge City, his encounters with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, and finally his tragic demise in Pecos, Texas. Check out the website for more true talesfrom the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! http…
…
continue reading
1
The Reign of Terror: Osage Nation Murders w/ Crimes of the Centuries
44:17
44:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
44:17
This is a special bonus episode from the excellent Crimes of the Centuries podcast. When members of the incredibly wealthy Osage Nation started dropping dead of mysterious ailments in 1920s Oklahoma, few people in state power paid it much mind. After all, many of those who could do something about it were benefiting from the deaths. Eventually, wit…
…
continue reading
1
Clay Allison & the Colfax County War (Part 1)
45:14
45:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:14
Clay Allison might not be as famous as Billy the Kid or Jesse James, but he was every bit as deadly. He was also just a tad bit insane. Clay got his start riding for Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War. Then, after a brief career as a Texas Cowboy, Clay drifted west and found himself knee-deep in the Colfax County War. From New Mexico to Co…
…
continue reading
Stagecoach Mary Fields worked hard, she drank hard, and if the situation called for it, she fought hard. And despite being born a slave, Mary lived to become one of the freest souls ever to draw a breath. Or a .38 revolver. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra…
…
continue reading
On September 11th, 1857, over a hundred men, women, and children were brutally slaughtered. The victims belonged to a wagon train that had left Arkansas months prior, bound for California. They followed the Cherokee Trail before cutting north till they reached Fort Bridger. Up until then, things had gone relatively well. They were making good time …
…
continue reading
The late summer of 1868 found Major George Forsythe and his scouts fighting for survival. For nine long days, they hunkered down on a little sand bar as they faced off against an overwhelming force of Cheyenne Dog soldiers. Fierce warriors who were joined on the battlefield by none other than the legendary Roman Nose. But why? Why did Major Forsyth…
…
continue reading
The Saint Patrick’s Battalion, also known as the San Patricios, was a hard-fighting unit of foreign soldiers, mostly Irish, who deserted the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. From the Siege of Fort Texas to the Battles of Monterey, Buena Vista, Cera Gordo, and beyond, these Irishmen served with valor and distinction. Surrounded, outgunned,…
…
continue reading
1
From Posters to Murals: Commemorating Juneteenth
14:03
14:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:03
Send us a text Galveston's Pictorial Legacy of Juneteenth In this episode of Unboxing History, hosts Christine Hopkins and Jodi Wright-Gidley explore a World War I poster commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation. They are joined by historian Sam Collins III, who discusses the historical significance of the poster, which links the Civil War to Wo…
…
continue reading
Whisperin’ Jim Smith was a deputy and railroad detective whowas said to have written more red history with his pistol than any two men of his time, who had enough dead outlaws to his credit to start a fair-sizedgraveyard. Despite having a bestselling novel and several movies bearing his name, Whisperin’ Jim remains a relatively unknown figure. Join…
…
continue reading
For a brief period in the 1870s, Mart Duggan served as the lone vestige of law and order in the violent boomtown of Leadville, Colorado. Originally from Ireland, Duggan got his start out West prospecting for gold. He quickly garnered a deadly reputation, and by the time he arrived in Leadville, he had a total of 7 notches already on his gun. And wh…
…
continue reading
