Episodes

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 that many of the characters and events in Lonesome Dove were inspired by real-life people and events? Today, we explore the remake rumors as well as t...

Part 1

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. Known for surviving situations that should have ended him, Mather’s story takes an even stranger turn at its end. At the height of his notoriety, he van...

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 a man who hated using guns manage to subdue some of the most dangerous men on the frontier? And what chain of events led to one of the most brutal and...

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, bells on his spurs, and those infamous tiger-skin chaps, Fisher was equal parts deadly and flamboyant. Who was King Fisher? How does a man go from o...

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 artifacts and mummified remains buried deep inside the cave, including a body reportedly over six feet tall with striking red hair. Some claim this pro...

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 death in 1891. Over the decades, thousands of treasure hunters have searched the rugged terrain of the Superstition Wilderness in hopes of finding Waltz’...

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 in Dodge City, his encounters with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, and finally his tragic demise in Pecos, Texas. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.p...

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, with the help of a still-evolving agency called the FBI, federal authorities uncovered an unthinkable conspiracy known today as the Reign of Terror. "Cri...

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 Colorado and beyond, Allison left a trail of bodies in his wake. But unlike many of the other notable gunmen of the time, Clay was not an outlaw. He jus...

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.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextr...

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 and figured they’d reach their destination by late fall. Little did they know they were headed straight to their deaths. You see, to get to California...

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 Forsythe go kicking a hornet’s nest deep in the heart of Cheyenne territory? And who exactly was Roman Nose? What made him such a formidable opponent? And wh...

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, far from their homeland, and branded as traitors, the men of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion had nothing to lose. But why? Why’d they turn their backs ...

Whisperin’ Jim Smith was a deputy and railroad detective who was 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-sized graveyard. Despite having a bestselling novel and several movies bearing his name, Whisperin’ Jim remains a relatively unknown figure. Join me today as we discuss a man who a contemporary described as the “very incarnation of a relentless, inexorable, indomitable, avenging Nemesis.” Als...

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 when the town marshal was shot dead in April of 1878, it was Duggan who took his place. Despite being fearless, Duggan just couldn’t adjust to an ever-c...

Seth Bullock first pinned a badge in Montana, where he presided over the territory’s very first legal execution. That’s in addition to serving as a territorial senator and establishing Yellowstone National Park. Bullock then drifted east to the Black Hills and helped tame the lawless boom town of Deadwood. And let’s be honest, Bullock’s time in Deadwood is what he’s mostly known for, thanks to the HBO drama of the same name. But how accurate was that portrayal? What was Bullock’s life like befor...

By the mid-1920s, Al Capone was the undisputed kingpin of Chicago and was working feverishly to expand his empire. The only thing standing in the way of his ambitions was an overzealous Nebraska lawman known as Richard “Two Gun” Hart. The mysterious Hart claimed to be half Native American and appeared like something straight out of a Hollywood Western. Still, he was said to be both fearless and incorruptible, going down in history as one of the most effective Prohibition Agents of all time. But ...

Dallas Stoudenmire was a soldier, mercenary, Texas Ranger, gunfighter, and extremely capable El Paso marshal. He was also a mean drunk. However, despite coming out victorious in the “Four Dead in Five Seconds” gunfight, Stoudenmire quickly spiraled out of control. It wasn’t long before the citizens of El Paso had to rein in their rogue Marshal. Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF + a FREE Gift with code wildwest at https://huel.com/wildwest (Minimum $75 purchas...

Regulators: Mount up! The Governor of New Mexico issued a press release on March 13th stating that Young Guns 3: Dead or Alive will be filmed in New Mexico, and that Emilio Estevez will be reprising the role of Billy the Kid, “alongside original cast members Lou Diamond Phillips and Christian Slater.” This is great news for Western fans! Join me today as I share what we know about the plot of Young Guns 3: Dead or Alive, as well as a few predictions (just for fun). Also discussed are Jim French...

My name’s Josh, and this is the Wild West Extravaganza, a history podcast where we discuss all the real-life people and events from the Old West. Today’s show is somewhat different. Rather than talk history, I thought I’d share a few announcements. Sort of a State of the Podcast address, just my way of touching base and letting you know what’s going on and what to expect going forward. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://...

In the late 1940s, a man calling himself J. Frank Dalton made a startling announcement: He said that the outlaw Jesse James had not been killed by Bob Ford in 1882. According to Dalton, the entire thing was a hoax, and he – Dalton – was the REAL Jesse James. Join me today as we examine the validity of Dalton’s claims. We’ll also take a look at other Jesse James imposters, as well as the 1995 DNA test. Also discussed are Al Jennings, Alfred Packer, Frank James, and my willingness to accept bribe...

Join me as we discuss the final days of Jesse James. From the aftermath of Northfield to his untimely demise at the hands of Bob Ford. Also discussed are the Knights of the Golden Circle, along with the fate of Frank James, Dick Liddil, Jim Cummins, and the Ford brothers. This episode is sponsored by Mint Mobile – www.mintmobile.com/wildwest Frank James | The Old Shoe Salesman - https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-james-the-old-shoe-salesman/ Check out the website for more true tales from the...

The aftermath of the Northfield raid as Jesse James and the James-Younger gang are shot to pieces and attempt to flee Minnesota. Also discussed are the many injuries of Cole Younger, Jesse James, his alleged jump across Devil’s Gulch, and the mysterious fate of outlaws Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts, & Bill Chadwell. This episode is sponsored by ExpressVPN - https://www.expressvpn.com/wildwest Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! ht...