The Wild West Extravaganza

In the summer of 1881, Billy the Kid was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett. The lawman had been on the hunt ever since Billy broke out of jail in the town of Lincoln and finally caught up to the ...

15 Mar 202339min

Just a short update. No new episode today but next week we’ll kick off the Billy the Kid series. In the meantime, check out some of these book recommendations and give a listen to a few of my friends!...

8 Mar 202314min

Gold was discovered in Montana in 1862, ushering in a flood of prospectors straight through the heart of Lakota territory on a new road called the Bozeman trail, further straining tensions between set...

1 Mar 202344min

In the 1850s, Jim Bridger put his extensive knowledge of the West to use by guiding wealthy adventurers, geological surveyors, and the U.S. military. Then, in 1862, the discovery of gold in Montana sp...

22 Feb 202329min

The Wild West Extravaganza is a history podcast that delves into the fascinating and often tumultuous world of the American Old West. From outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James to lawmen like Wya...

20 Feb 20231min

This is part 3 of the series on Jim Bridger. For the previous 2 installments see the links below. Fur trading no longer lucrative, Jim Bridger and a business partner decide to open up a trading post o...

15 Feb 202333min

Some of the richest beaver country was in the heart of territory claimed by the Blackfeet Confederacy; a tribe known to the fur trappers as Bug’s Boys, or the Sons of Satan. Needless to say there was ...

8 Feb 202342min

Jim Bridger would join the ranks of Ashley’s One Hundred while still a teenager and - alongside other future old west legends like Hugh Glass, Jedediah Smith, and James Beckwourth - head up the Missou...

1 Feb 202350min