The Old West: When Did It Begin & When Did It End?
When did the Old West truly begin, and when did it finally come to an end? Some trace the Wild West’s start to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, while others think it was much late,r as cowboys started trailing herds out of Texas. As for the end, many point to 1890, when the U.S. Census Bureau declared the frontier closed and Wounded Knee marked the last big clash between the Indigenous and the U.S. Army. But where does the true lie? Did the Old West really begin with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, or was it much earlier when the acquisition of the horse forever changed the landscape of the Great Plains? And if the Old West was over by 1890, then why did stagecoach robberies and gunfights continue well into the early 1900s? Also discussed are Apache raids from the 1930s, the Billy the Kid wannabe John Miller, Billy Dixon, Clay Allison, my favorite drink of choice, and much more!
Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/
Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/
Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest
Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/
Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/
Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/
Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
45:43
--------
45:43
Ordinary People Who Became Old West Legends (ENCORE)
When most folks think about the Old West, they almost immediately envision daring lawmen and bloodthirsty outlaws. But did you know that the frontier was filled with ordinary people who also lived truly extraordinary lives? Today, we’ll shine a light on four such characters. First up is the legendary fur trapper, James Beckwourth. Born a slave, Beckwourth trapped beaver with Kit Carson and Jim Bridger, fought battles from Florida to Montana, and rose to become a leader of the Crow Nation, only to meet a mysterious end in the wilderness. Next, we’ll turn to William Bigfoot Wallace, a Texas giant who survived a Mexican prison, battled Comanche warriors, and helped shape Texas history from the Revolution all the way to the dawn of the automobile. But was Bigfoot Wallace truly a hero, or is there a darker side to his legend? I’ll also share my personal take on mixing history and politics, no holds barred. After that, we follow buffalo hunter and frontier scout, Billy Dixon. Outnumbered 20 to 1 at Adobe Walls, Dixon made the shot of the century, dropping a mounted warrior from nearly 1,500 yards with a Sharps rifle. He went on to become one of only eight civilians in U.S. history to receive the Medal of Honor for heroism under fire. Finally, meet the one and only Stagecoach Mary Fields, born a slave but remembered as one of the wildest (and toughest) women in the Old West. Stagecoach Mary drank hard, fought harder, and conquered everything from Montana blizzards to packs of wolves, yet she still found time to hand out candy and babysit the local kids, including one who’d become a Hollywood legend.
Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/
Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/
Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest
Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/
Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/
Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/
Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:56:42
--------
1:56:42
Dan Bogan: The West’s Most Elusive Fugitive
At just 21 years old, Dan Bogan was already facing a death sentence. After a drunken rampage in Texas ended in murder, he and his partner were found guilty and ordered to hang, but Dan wasn’t the type to go quietly. In a chaotic courtroom escape, he grabbed a guard’s pistol, fired wildly, and leapt to freedom out of a second‑story window. From there, his life turned into pure frontier legend. Using aliases like Bill Gatlin and Bill McCoy, Bogan drifted through the roughest corners of the West, cowboying, picking fights, and causing trouble from the Texas Panhandle to Wyoming. He crossed paths with Pat Garrett and the Pinkertons, dodged more than one noose, and earned a reputation for being as unpredictable as he was dangerous. But even with detectives on his trail and a thousand‑dollar bounty on his head, Dan Bogan always managed to slip through the cracks. And to this day, his fate remains a mystery.
Legends & Outlaws Calendar - https://wildwestcalendar.com/
Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/
Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest
Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/
Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/
Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/
Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
24:08
--------
24:08
Bounty Hunters of the Wild West: Fact or Fiction?
Did Bounty Hunters really exist in the Old West, or is that just another invention of Hollywood? The truth is a lot more complicated than the movies make it seem. Law enforcement in the Old West was patchwork at best, often made up of part-time sheriffs, underpaid marshals, and ramshackle jails. With courts just as unreliable, ordinary citizens and private companies like Wells Fargo began offering cash rewards for outlaws. These rewards gave rise to a system of bounties that blurred the line between justice and profit. But the iconic lone gunman chasing fugitives for money? That’s mostly fiction. In reality, bounty collection was done mostly by deputy U.S. marshals, sheriffs, or detectives from agencies like the Pinkertons and Wells Fargo. Figures such as Charlie Siringo, Bass Reeves, and Pat Garrett did collect bounties, but as part of their official duties, not as freelance bounty hunters. Even the few who did, like Jack Duncan of Texas, earned little compared to the risks they faced.
Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/
Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/
Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest
Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/
Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/
Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/
Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
20:52
--------
20:52
Barney Riggs: The Deadliest Gunfighter You've Never Heard Of
Barney Riggs was one of the Old West’s most notorious and controversial gunfighters. Born in Arkansas in 1856, Riggs moved to Texas as a child, where violence quickly became a family tradition. At just 18, he killed a friend in what was called an accidental shooting. By his twenties, Riggs was in Arizona, working as a cowboy, stealing horses, and allegedly committing multiple murders. After being convicted of murder and sentenced to life at Yuma Prison, Riggs won a full pardon by saving the warden’s life during a bloody escape attempt. He returned to Texas, where he continued his violent ways, becoming embroiled in the infamous Frazer-Miller feud and serving as a deputy under a controversial sheriff. Repeated arrests, deadly shootouts, and family drama followed Riggs until his tragic demise in 1902.
Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/
Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest
Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/
Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/
Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Wild West Extravaganza is a weekly history podcast that brings the real stories of the Old West and American frontier to life. Each episode explores the legendary outlaws, gunfighters, lawmen, cowboys, Native Americans, and frontiersmen who shaped the West. From iconic names like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Geronimo to overlooked tales of shootouts, cattle drives, and wild frontier towns, this podcast delivers the drama, grit, and historical truth of Western history. Discover the legends and forgotten figures that defined the American West.
USA