Bloody Beaver

One of the more memorable characters from Young Guns 1 and 2 was Chavez y Chavez, portrayed by the talented Lou Diamond Philips. And yes, Chavez was real! He was a constable in San Patricio and an ally of the Tunstall McSween faction during the Lincoln County War. Jose was a full participant in the troubles, and he was present during the Battle of Lincoln, making a getaway from the burning McSween home right alongside Billy the Kid. But who was Jose Chavez y Chavez really? Was he a Navajo as popularly believed? And how did he become a hired assassin? Also discussed in this episode is Chavez’s encounter with Bob Ford and the other Regulators and friends of Billy the Kid, guys like Henry Newton Brown, George and Frank Coe, Ab Saunders, John Middleton, Billy Wilson, Tom Pickett, and more! I also give my opinion on what really happened there at Fort Sumner on the night of Billy’s alleged death and discuss The Kid’s “body count”.    Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West! https://www.wildweste

Josiah "Doc" Scurlock was a poet, philosopher, intellectual, and a hardened killer long before he ever met Billy the Kid. A mysterious past in Mexico, rumors of dead men from New Orleans to Texas, a penchant for vigilantism, and several close calls with the hostile Natives all made Doc a man to be both feared and respected. However, it was the trials he would face after the Lincoln County War that made Scurlock the man his family would remember.  Also discussed: J.J. Dolan, John Riley, Billy Campbell, John Kinney & Jesse Evans. Blood on the Saddle: The Life of Doc Scurlock - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084DG17FT?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzjoshta02-20&creativeASIN=B084DG17FT&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.YEHGNY7KFAU7&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin   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 Patreon fo

By 1880 The Kid was not only being hunted by Sheriff Pat Garrett and the Texas Panhandle Stock Association, but the federal authorities as well. He’d be arrested, sentenced to hang, and then make one of the most daring escapes of the Old West. Little did Billy know how numbered his days truly were. In this final chapter of the Billy the Kid series, we’ll delve into the gritty details of the standoff at White Oaks, the Stinking Springs standoff, the daring escape from the Lincoln jail, the shotgun full of dimes rumor, and more! This is part 5 in a series of 5. Links below for the previous 4 installments.   Check out the Wild West Extravaganza website for more true tales from the wild and woolly 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 Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Billy the Kid pt 1 | Orphan - https://www.wil

This is part four in the series on Billy the Kid. See the links below for the previous three installments.  In the aftermath of the Battle of Lincoln, Billy and the Regulators sought to acquire much-needed horses by striking the Mescalero Reservation. Although successful, they left a man dead in their wake; a killing ultimately pinned on The Kid. Moving on to Fort Sumner, they drove a herd of stolen Chisum horses to the Texas Panhandle, after which many of Billy's friends decided to call it quits. This left The Kid as the undisputed leader of those who remained. Over the next year, Billy attempted to make peace with his old enemy, J.J. Dolan, but their short-lived truce was shattered when Dolan murdered Susan McSween's lawyer. Seeking amnesty, The Kid offered to testify for the new governor, Lew Wallace, in return for a pardon, but his enemies went free and the pardon never came. Still a wanted man, Billy returned to stealing cattle – and killing – as his reputation continued to grow. It wasn’t long before on

Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory was the setting of a brutal conflict between rival factions vying for control of the county's dry goods and cattle interests. The Lincoln County War, as it came to be known, began in 1878 and persisted until 1881, a time of lawlessness and bloodshed in the Old West. One side of the feud was led by James Dolan, a powerful figure who wielded a monopoly over dry goods through his establishment "The House". The other faction was established by English-born John Tunstall and his partner Alexander McSween, who opened their own competing store with support from established cattleman John Chisum. Both sides gathered lawmen, businessmen, and criminal gangs to their aid, setting the stage for a violent and deadly confrontation. The Dolan faction was aligned with Sheriff William J. Brady and supported by the notorious Jesse Evans Gang. The Tunstall-McSween faction organized their own armed posse, the Lincoln County Regulators, with their own lawmen in the form of town constable Richa

Is the croquet photo legit? Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly 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 Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Croquet Photo | CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/15/living/billy-the-kid-photo-feat/index.html   Identifying Old West Photos | Dan Buck - https://wildwesthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/wwhajournal1809-adventures-in-wonderland.pdf   WSJ Facial Recognition Meets Its Match With Old West Photos WSJ | Parmy Olsen - https://www.wsj.com/articles/facial-recognition-software-old-west-outlaw-photos-11606922350?st=phdce06ntg07x9b&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink   The Croquet Kid | Mark Boardman - https://truewestmagazine.com/article/the-croquet-kid/   The Brutal Truth About Most Billy the Kid Wannabes | Bob

Fleeing a potential hangman’s noose in Arizona, Kid Antrim returns to New Mexico, taking on the alias William H. Bonney as he begins riding with the outlaw Jesse Evans and his Boys. The Kid would soon find legitimate work elsewhere, however, coming into the employ of English rancher John Tunstall just as tensions are at an all time high with the rival Murphy Dolan faction. Also discussed on this episode is the famous tintype and why it probably didn’t do The Kid justice. This is part 2 in the series on Billy the Kid. Link for the first installment below.   Part 1 | Orphan - https://www.wildwestextra.com/billy-the-kid-orphan/   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly 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 Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   The Many Faces of Billy the Kid | True West Magazin

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 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 ground the next day but can’t no pine box contain the legend that soon emerged. And make no mistake about it, over the decades that followed Billy the Kid has taken on mythical proportions unrivaled by any other character of the old west. But who was he REALLY?  In this episode we’ll take a look at the Kid’s origin story; what we know about his family and his early life. We’ll dive into Billy’s time in Silver City, his first brush

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! Topics include: Louis L’Amour, Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, William W. Johnstone, Terry C. Johnston, rebelliousness, awesome YouTubers, mushrooms, western cinema, and vampires. Yeah, vampires.   Fiction Books | Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/2H6WTE0CNW87P?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d   11 Bang Bang featuring The Wild West Extravaganza - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0UYgXf78SM   11 Bang Bang YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZW1XuaZrR92BhXE09AOd5Q   Duke Frazier Productions – https://www.youtube.com/user/dukefrazier   Snapper’s Antique Firearms - https://www.youtube.com/@snappers_antique_firearms   To Be A Rebel Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3MB010NPTevGamVDMF4kqW   Wrong Reel Podcast w/ David Lambert | Winchester ’73 - https://open.sp

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 settlers and Natives. Jim Bridger opened up his “Bridger’s Trail”, a much safer – and popular - alternative but the powers that be were dead set on erecting forts on the Bozeman. Violence erupted across the Great Plains as the Lakota, Arapaho, and Cheyenne took to the war path, vowing to drive the whites from their land forever. These new tensions saw Bridger return to military duty once again, first guiding the Army during the Powder River campaign and again as he led Colonel Carrington to the Bighorn country and establishing Fort Phil Kearny. Jim Bridger, now in his sixties, was still riding the prairie, rifle across the saddle, and still blazing new trails.   This is episode five and the last installment in this series on Jim Bridger. Links below for the previous four.  In this episode we’re going to explore the

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 sparked yet another gold rush, leading thousands of prospectors to illegally trespass on Lakota and Cheyenne land via the Bozeman trail, resulting in violence. The Army intervened and hired Bridger once again as their guide. Additionally covered in this episode is the Mountain Meadows massacre, the Utah War, and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851.   This is part four in the Jim Bridger series. Links for the previous three installments below.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly 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 Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra     Jim Bridger Pt 1 | Ashley’s 100

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 Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok to trailblazing pioneers, Native Americans, and frontiersmen, The Wild West Extravaganza tells the stories of those who shaped this iconic period of American history. So, saddle up and discover the true history of the American frontier – the good, the bad, and the ugly. https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 of their own, dubbing it Fort Bridger. Wasn’t long before Jim began doing brisk business, both to travelers along the Oregon Trail and those brave enough to try their luck on the Hasting’s Cutoff; migrants like the ill-fated Donner Party. Bad luck aside, Bridger’s fort – and his Green River ferry – did so well financially that his new neighbors, the daggum Mormons, decided to take it from him. By force! Also discussed in this episode: Magic underwear, Sister wives, the Whitman Massacre, Joseph Meek, Henry Fraeb, and Louis Vasquez!     Jim Bridger Pt 1 | Ashley's 100 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-ashleys-100/     Jim Bridger Pt 2 | Bugs Boys - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-bugs-boys/     Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/

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 no love lost between the American trappers and the Blackfeet, and violence became a given any time the two groups would meet with mercy rarely extended by either side. Nevertheless, the mountain men – piloted by Jim Bridger - persisted season after season, staking their fortunes and lives on Blackfeet Beaver. This is part 2 in the Jim Bridger series. Link below for part 1.   Jim Bridger Pt 1 | Ashley's 100 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-ashleys-100/   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly 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 Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Jim Bridger Trai

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 Missouri river in search of beaver. From present day northern Montana all the way down to the Gulf of California, from the Mississippi on west to the Pacific Ocean, the iconic Mountain Man Bridger saw it all; discovering and blazing trails that still bear his name to this day while at the same time facing off with some of the deadliest warriors who ever strung a bow. This is the first episode in a series of five, discussing Jim Bridger's childhood, his time as a fur trapper with Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Company, his possible involvment in the Hugh Glass affair (the Revenant) and his "discovery" of the Great Salt Lake.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.c

My Darling Clementine is considered the greatest Wyatt Earp film of all time. It also just so happens to be the least accurate, despite legendary director John Ford having known Wyatt personally. Contrary to popular belief – and Ford’s own claims - this film was NOT based on Earp’s own account of his days in Tombstone, but rather an earlier film whose director also knew the now famous lawman. I say now famous because Wyatt wasn’t exactly what you would call a household name prior to the 20th century. His time in Dodge City - as well as his actions in Tombstone - certainly garnered Earp a reputation in certain circles. However, his introduction to the nation at large wouldn’t be as a lawman at all, but rather as the corrupt boxing referee who threw the fight for heavyweight champion of the world; a fiasco that saw Wyatt turn to Hollywood in an effort to redeem his sullied reputation.   More true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contac

We all know the "scene", right? Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp are walking the streets of Tombstone when they’re confronted by a visibly inebriated Johnny Ringo. He informs the trio that he wants their blood and their souls, and he wants them now. Wyatt refuses to fight, says there ain’t no money in it and tells Ringo to sober up, as he and his brothers turn and walk away. At this point Johnny really begins to rage. “Don’t any of you have the guts to play for blood?” And that’s when Doc steps out; fingers dancing close to the butt of his holstered revolver with another pistol concealed behind his back. He’d been watching the events unfold from a nearby barber’s chair and once Ringo blurts out his bold invitation, Holliday decides he wants to play. And you know what he says next. Or at least I should say you THINK you know. 1994’s Tombstone remains an iconic movie that produced many an iconic phrase, one in particular that people have been quoting nonstop for the past 3 decades. A simple idiom now emblazoned o

This is the fifth and final installation in the Frank Canton series. Link below for the previous four. In the early morning hours of June 2nd, 1899, five masked men held up a Union Pacific Train near Wilcox, Wyoming. In what would become one of the more famous robberies of the old west, the bandits used dynamite to blast their way into a mail car and after another detonation took care of the safe, they’d ride away with an estimated 50,000 dollars. Nearly 2 million in today’s money. And if this sounds familiar well maybe you’ve seen a little film called Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Contrary to what’s portrayed in the movie, there’s a very good chance that Butch Cassidy himself had nothing to do with this particular hold up. Be that as it may, it’s next to certain that those who did were members of his gang – the Wild Bunch. Harry Longabaugh, aka the Sundance Kid, was likely one of the masked men. So was the deadly Harvey Logan and his brother Lonnie, the Tall Tex

This is part 4 in the series on Frank Canton. Link to previous episodes below. When we left off, Frank was laying low in Nebraska following the aftermath of the Johnson County War. On this episode we’ll take a look at Canton’s next job – that of Undersheriff in a newly formed county down in Indian Territory. We’ll discuss his relationship with the famed Three Guardsmen – Heck Thomas, Bill Tilghman, & Chris Madsen, as well as Frank’s efforts to put an end to the notorious Doolin Gang as well as Cattle Annie & Little Britches. And we’ll also discuss Canton’s time in Alaska. Spoiler alert, he built Wyatt Earp’s cabin! All this PLUS Frank’s explosive return to Johnson County!   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly 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 Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Bec

This is Part 3 in the Frank Canton series. See links below for Parts 1 2. https://open.spotify.com/episode/04X4DO7USW9EzqK0xFNhSJ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Nh2kWENOVK8xwZgy5SLf6   Things in Johnson County, Wyoming had finally come to a head. After the Wyoming Stock Growers Association allegedly lynched James Averell and Ella Watson, there was a series of repercussion killings. When respected cowboys Orly Jones and John A. Tisdale were also found brutally murdered, all eyes were cast on Frank Canton (Although many now suspect noted assassin, Tom Horn). Opting to not take his chances in a Johnson County courtroom, Canton fled temporarily to Chicago as his legal team worked on his behalf. But he would return and return with a vengeance. Frank came riding back into Johnson County with a small army of cattle barons and hired guns from Texas, a kill list in their hands. And their first target was a little someone known as Nate Champion.   How the West was Fucked | Granville Stuart - https://open.spotify.com