Bloody Beaver

In this collection of true stories from the Old West, we’ll discuss Bass Reeves, one of the first black deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. We’ll also take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum with Cherokee Bill – the son of a buffalo hunter who became one of the deadliest outlaws of Indian Territory. Finally we’ll celebrate the life and death of Brit Johnson, a former slave who’s quest to retrieve his wife and children from the clutches of captivity would inspire John Wayne’s The Searchers.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old 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 Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/   Merchandise! https://www.teepublic.com/user/wild-west-extravaganza   Book Recommendations! https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/YEHGNY7KFAU7?ref_=aip_sf_lis

In this collection of true stories from the Old West, we’ll discuss George Parrot, aka Big Nose George – a lesser-known outlaw who had a noose around his neck more times than you'd believe. And that’s just half the story! You’ll never guess how this one ends! Afterward, we’ll hop over to El Paso for a legendary showdown between madams Big Alice Abbot and Etta “The Grasshopper” Clark before discussing the legendary gunfight in Newton, Kansas. And don’t forget about legendary Joaquin Murrieta – the supposed inspiration for the likes of Zorro and Batman. Was Murrieta a righteous freedom fighter or simply a charismatic bandit? Then we’ve got Ed Scarborough, a fearless lawman whose biggest enemies turned out to be himself and a rabid skunk. With cross-dressing, shootouts with bicycles, and daring prison escapes, Ed’s story is about as wild as the West gets. Following Scarborough, we’ll delve into the Colorado cannibal Alfred Packer and his eyebrow-raising story of survival. Finally, we’ll pay a visit to Winslow, A

John Wesley Hardin killed his first man at the age of 15, and for the next decade, he would continue to kill. The exact number of victims is unknown, but it’s estimated that anywhere from twenty to forty men fell before Hardin’s guns, making him one of the deadliest shootists of the Old West. Then, at the age of 25, Hardin went to prison. After numerous attempts at escape and several lashings, Wes finally settled down and became a model inmate. And, upon his eventual release, Hardin truly seemed to be a changed man. Believe it or not, he would even receive a license to practice law and begin working as an attorney. But how long would this last? Would Hardin continue to walk the straight and narrow in the rowdy border town of El Paso, or would he return to his old vices? And what about those rumors of indiscretions in prison? Also discussed are John Selman Sr., Jeff Milton, Deputy George Scarborough, Deacon Jim Miller, and Reconstruction Texas.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West http

The Sutton-Taylor feud was one of the deadliest of the Old West. On one side you had the Taylor clan – descendants of Virginian Josiah Taylor, who settled near Cuero in DeWitt County. Tough-as-nails patriarchs Pitkin and Creed, along with their many sons and nephews, formed the backbone of their faction. Their adversaries, initially tied to the nefarious Texas State Police, rally under the name of William E. Sutton and Sheriff Jack Helm. Ambushes, assassinations, and betrayals became the norm, with each party vying for dominance. But who’s side would gunman John Wesley Hardin fight on? Also discussed is John Wesley Hardin’s time on the run, his arrest at the hands of Texas Rangers, and his murder trial.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   John Wesley Hardin Part 1 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/john-wesley-hardin-first-blood/   John Wesley Hardin Part 2 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/john-wesley-ha

John Wesley Hardin – the Old West gunfighter who not only faced down Wild Bill Hickok but also gained infamy for (allegedly) shooting a man merely for snoring! Join me as we examine both of these incidents, as well as Hardin’s encounter with the Bloody Bender family of Kansas, the time a belt buckle saved his life, and the lead up to the infamous Sutton-Taylor feud. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ John Wesley Hardin Part 1 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/john-wesley-hardin-first-blood/ Wild Bill Hickok - https://www.wildwestextra.com/wild-bill-hickok/ Shootout at Hide Park aka Newton Massacre - https://www.wildwestextra.com/the-newton-massacre/ The Life of John Wesley Hardin by John W. Hardin - https://www.amazon.com/Life-John-Wesley-Hardin/dp/1545102228/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N2NHCZI3QKV5&keywords=john+wesley+hardin+books&qid=1704831121&sprefix=john+wesley+hardi%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-1 John Wesley Hardin: Dark An

Join me in a discussion with actor Rib Hillis and producer Paul Epstein as we discuss the upcoming premiere of INSP’s The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger! As a fur trapper, legendary mountain man Jim Bridger explored the entire distant West and survived countless hair-raising adventures. Now, he's a respected trail guide and army scout who knows every river, mountain, and trail of the frontier. As a new generation of settlers, soldiers, and speculators crowd the Bozeman Trail, Bridger's hard-won wisdom is more valuable than ever, even if his famous tall tales sound more like fiction than fact. But the West is still a perilous place, and with danger just around every bend, the greenhorns heading west quickly realize they need Bridger's guidance for much more than the trail. Rib Hillis is an accomplished actor, host, producer, and model known for his work across primetime television, non-scripted reality television, and films spanning multiple genres. Hillis has worked on many notable titles, such as Ugly Betty, Two

In November of 1868 – at just the tender age of fifteen – John Wesley Hardin killed his first man. And, a few weeks later, he’d kill yet again; this time three soldiers who came looking for him. Fearing a hangman’s noose, Wes struck first, dispatching two troopers with a shotgun and finishing the third with an old cap and ball colt. And you better believe the hits just kept on a coming. Before it was all said and done, Hardin would be responsible for anywhere between twenty to possibly as many as fifty killings, each of which – according to him – were justifiable. But how true is that? Was John Wesley Hardin a persecuted hero or a homicidal killer? How’d the son of a minister become one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West? And did he really kill someone just for snoring?   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjo

Today we hear from the legendary Wyatt Earp, in his own words, as he dispenses sage advice on the art of gunfighting. We’ll also examine the legitimacy of these statements. The passages quoted are from Stuart Lake's biography Wyatt Earp Frontier Marshal, a work deemed by historians as mostly fiction. Examine Lake's admission of embellishment and invention and consider the impact of his storytelling on Wyatt Earp's legacy. Share your thoughts on the authenticity of Earp's wisdom and the influence of Hollywood adaptations on his iconic status. Regardless of fact or fiction, I certainly acknowledge Stuart Lake for contributing captivating narratives that have entertained generations!   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old 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 Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercas

Uncover the dark history of the Yuma Crossing and the infamous John Joel Glanton's reign of terror. Learn how Glanton's brutality led to a massacre that sparked the Yuma War and a tense standoff on Christmas Day 1851. Lieutenant Amiel Whipple and his men find themselves outnumbered and facing certain death at the hands of the Quechan people, still angry at Glanton's many abuses. What happens next is what many would consider a Blood Meridian Christmas miracle.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old 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 Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/   Merchandise! https://www.teepublic.com/user/wild-west-extravaganza   Book Recommendations! https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/YEHGNY7KFAU7?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d   Check out the website f

On June 25th, 1876, George Armstrong Custer rode into battle for the last time. He and his troops faced an overwhelming force of Lakota and Cheyenne along the banks of the Little Bighorn, and before the sun sank into the horizon, every man in his command was dead. When General Terry arrived two days later, the victorious warriors were already gone. The soldiers on Reno Hill had watched in awe as the large progression, stretching for more than two miles, passed them by. And when Terry and his men approached, their first question was “Where’s Custer?” They’d been so busy just trying to stay alive that they had no idea their commander was dead. This news not only shook the surviving troopers to the core, but also the entire Nation. A Republic getting ready to observe its centennial now had to contend with its most celebrated hero slaughtered at the hands of so-called “savages.” As you can imagine, the reaction was swift. And in less than a year the Great Sioux War would be over, and those who defeated Custer wou

“All around, the Indians began jumping up, running forward, dodging down, jumping up again, down again, all the time going toward the soldiers. Right away, all of the white men went crazy. Instead of fighting us, they turned their guns upon themselves. Almost before we could get to them, every one of them was dead. They killed themselves.” - Wooden Leg, a Northern Cheyenne who faced off against Custer and his 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn; a fight we will examine today from this young warrior’s point of view. But who was Wooden Leg? How credible of a source is he when it comes to Custer’s Last Stand? And what really kicked off the Great Sioux War of 1876? Also discussed are the battles of Powder River and the Rosebud.    Check out the website for more true tales from the Old 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 Into History fo

“It’s just as easy to make big money as little money. In my profession, a hundred dollars is just chicken feed. We think in thousands, not tens. Experience has taught me that it is as easy to separate a sucker – the right sucker – from five thousand dollars as from fifty. We always offered our services to well-to-do men, holding out the promise that their investments were certain to net them profit in three to four figures, at least – and that’s the real bait for the sucker – particularly if he’s the close-fisted kind that always wants something for nothing. Yes, there always was a lot of satisfaction as well as cash profit in trimming some old skin flint who would rob his grandmother if he had a chance.” - Doc Bags; a legendary con artist and frontier gambler who plied his trade throughout the West. Although Doc is largely forgotten today, his lasting legacy was his most notorious apprentice, a young man from Georgia who’d come to be known as Soapy Smith. You see it's on the streets of Denver that Smith lear

This is Part 2 and the final installment in the series on Harry Tracy. In the previous episode we discussed Tracy's early life, his various scrapes with the law, and his dramatic prison escape. On today's episode we'll follow Tracy as he eludes the authorities, culminating in his ultimate showdown.  Miss Part 1? Listen here - Harry Tracy | The Last of the Wild Bunch (Part 1) - https://www.wildwestextra.com/harry-tracy-the-last-of-the-wild-bunch-part-1/   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old 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 Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/   The Saga of the Outlaw Harry Tracy by James Nystrom - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1456373501?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzjoshta02-20&creativeASIN=1456373501&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.YEHGNY7KFAU7&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin

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 Lincoln and finally caught up to the bandit at Old Fort Sumner. It was around midnight, and Pat was waiting inside Pete Maxwell’s darkened bedroom when the Kid stepped in. “Quien es?” Billy asked, noticing the large shape looming in the shadows. “Who is it?” Pat answered in the form of two shots from his 44-40 Colt revolver and just like that Billy the Kid was over. At least in his mortal form. His body may have been stuck in the ground the next day, but can’t no pine box contain the legend that soon emerged. And make no mistake about it, Billy the Kid has taken on mythical proportions unrivaled by any other character of the old West over the decades that followed. But who was he REALLY? This is the definitive guide to Billy the Kid, a remastered compilation from a previously released five-part series, along with a look at the mystery surrounding the Kid’s deat

Considered by some to be the last of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, Harry Tracy blasted his way out of prison in the summer of 1902. What followed was one of the most desperate man hunts in all of U.S. history. Over the course of the next two months, Tracy would lead hundreds of lawmen, including the National Guard, on a deadly game of chase that would see at least 7 men gunned down. According to the papers of his time, “In all of the criminal lore of the country, there is no record equal to that of Harry Tracy for cold-blooded nerve, desperation, and a thirst for crime. Jesse James, compared with Tracy, is a Sunday School teacher.” But who was the real Harry Tracy? Where’d he come from? What started him on a life of crime? And did he really ride with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?    Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://

Make no mistake about it, the exploits of escaped slave-turned-lawman Bass Reeves are legendary.  Described in the papers of his day as a holy terror and one of the greatest manhunters to ever grace Indian Territory, Bass Reeves served as a deputy U.S. Marshal for over three decades; routinely traveling into no man’s land and returning with wagonloads of prisoners. With over 3,000 arrests and over a dozen kills to his name, Reeves was not only one of the most effective lawmen of the Old West but also one of the most deadly. But who was Bass Reeves really? What kind of man was he? Where’d he come from? How does a mere mortal grow such an amazing mustache? And did he really inspire the Lone Ranger?  This is part 2 and the final installment of the Bass Reeves series. Link below for episode 1. Today we cover Reeves’ hunt for Ned Christie, his transition from frontier marshal to town police, and we examine whether Bass truly inspired the Lone Ranger.   Bass Reeves | Lawman (Part 1) - https://open.spotify.com/episo

Make no mistake about it, the exploits of escaped slave-turned-lawman Bass Reeves are legendary.  Described in the papers of his day as a holy terror and one of the greatest manhunters to ever grace Indian Territory, Bass Reeves served as a deputy U.S. Marshal for over three decades; routinely traveling into no man’s land and returning with wagonloads of prisoners. With over 3,000 arrests and over a dozen kills to his name, Reeves was not only one of the most effective lawmen of the Old West but also one of the most deadly. But who was Bass Reeves really? What kind of man was he? Where’d he come from? How does a mere mortal grow such an amazing mustache? And did he really inspire the Lone Ranger?  Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Snapper’s Antique Firearms | 45 Colt in a 73 Winchester 44-40 - https://youtu.be/xa9WMMlSWlU?si=KuXpcq1q-aQUs57b Black Gun

There are many purported photos of the legendary Doc Holliday but only two are authenticated. This is a VISUALY DEPENDENT episode. Check the video out here: https://youtu.be/FvIDvi5NdMo?si=P1mn9Byw4Lte9Vun   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Doc Holliday Picnic Photo - https://www.lotsearch.net/lot/1881-doc-holliday-and-morgan-earp-picnic-tintype-photograph-44737126   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/   Merchandise! https://www.teepublic.com/user/wild-west-extravaganza   Book Recommendations! https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/YEHGNY7KFAU7?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s just something about uncontacted tribes that’s always piqued my curiosity. Perhaps you’ve heard of Ishi, who, as the last of his people, emerged from California’s Sierra foothills in the summer of 1911. It’s estimated that Ishi was around 50 years of age and spent the vast majority of his life completely cut off from modern society. And for good reason, after all his tribe was literally slaughtered in a series of massacres. Then there’s the Bronco Apache I covered here on The Wild West Extravaganza way back when. Link in the description. These guys and gals were still making raids into Arizona and New Mexico as late as 1926. Hell, even a decade later they themselves were being hunted in the mountains of northern Mexico. According to Jason Betzinez, an Apache who rode with Geronimo, those Broncos were still out there as recently as 1959. Now I don’t know how accurate that is, but if true that’s still quite a long time ago. I think it’s safe to say that as of this recording, there are no remaining uncon

James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was the epitome of the Wild West. Soldier, spy, scout, gambler, lawman, and yes – gunfighter. Friends with other Old West legends like Buffalo Bill Cody, Kit Carson, Calamity Jane, and George Armstrong Custer, Hickok also brushed shoulders with his fair share of notorious outlaws like John Wesley Hardin. This is a comprehensive look at Wild Bill’s life, from his early days growing up in Illinois, to his time in the Civil War, and his various exploits as a frontier lawman. And finally, we’ll accompany Hickok to the black hills boomtown of Deadwood and his ultimate destiny. You’ve never heard Wild Bill’s story quite like this! THIS IS A COMPILATION FROM A PREVIOUS SERIES ON HICKOK.    Check out the website for more true tales from the Old 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 Into History for ad-free and bonus c