Legends of the Old West

By Black Barrel Media

Society & Culture Arts History

What's Legends of the Old West about?

Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, and Butch and Sundance. Lakota, Comanche and Apache. Wars, gunfights and robberies. This show covers the toughest lawmen, the wildest outlaws, and the deadliest towns — all the people and events that shaped the American West.

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Introducing "Real Survival ...

08.30.2023

Noiser presents a brand-new podcast: Real Survival Stories. Hosted by John Hopkins, the show brings you astonishing tales of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary survival situations. In this taster episode, we meet Matt Lewis - a rookie sailor who goes ...

Legends of the Old West episodes:

08.30.2023 Introducing "Real Survival Stories" from Noiser Noiser presents a brand-new podcast: Real Survival Stories. Hosted by John Hopkins, the show brings you astonishing tales of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary survival situations. In this taster episode, we meet Matt Lewis - a rookie sailor who goes ...
08.23.2023 SWINDLERS Ep. 6 \| “The Snake Oil King” A mysterious remedy called “snake oil” became one of the most enduring parts of the Old West. Of all the scammers who traveled the towns of the West selling the magical potion, Clark Stanley rose to the top. He is ...
08.16.2023 SWINDLERS Ep. 5 \| “Fool’s Gold” Charles Baggs, who became known as Doc Baggs, followed the gold rush to Colorado in the late 1850s. He quickly decided that there were easier ways to make money than by mining for gold. For years, he ran elaborate cons ...
08.09.2023 SWINDLERS Ep. 4 \| “Lottie Deno” A woman who used the name “Lottie Deno” became one of the most successful gamblers in the West. She kept her true identity secret from most people as she moved through towns in Texas, including Fort Griffin, where she crossed ...
08.02.2023 SWINDLERS Ep. 3 \| “The Great Diamond Hoax” In 1872, two men devised one of the most audacious plans of the Old West era. They started a campaign to convince high-profile businessmen that a barren patch of ground was the first diamond mine in North America. It was ...
07.26.2023 SWINDLERS Ep. 2 \| “Riverboat Gambler” George Devol spent 40 years gambling on trains and riverboats. He was clever and creative, and he needed all his wiles to escape some close calls. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Noiser+ ...
07.19.2023 SWINDLERS Ep. 1 \| “Soapy Smith” From Colorado to Alaska, Jefferson “Soapy” Smith made a name for himself as one of the premier con artists of the Old West. He used a variety of tricks to swindle people out of their money, but none was more ...
06.21.2023 KIT CARSON Ep. 6 \| “The Battle of Adobe Walls” While the Navajo try to adjust to life at a new home, Kit Carson returns to the army for one more mission. He leads a column to the stronghold of the Kiowa and Comanche in Texas to try to stop ...
06.14.2023 KIT CARSON Ep. 5 \| “The Navajo Long Walk” Kit Carson begins the chapter that will be the darkest of his life. He follows an order to force the Navajo – by any means necessary – to move to the Bosque Redondo reservation. Carson’s scorched earth campaign works, and ...
06.07.2023 KIT CARSON Ep. 4 \| “Civil War” By 1862, the Civil War has stretched across the continent to the farthest territories of the West. Kit Carson joins the effort in New Mexico and leads a unit of volunteers at the Battle of Valverde. In the next engagement, ...
05.31.2023 KIT CARSON Ep. 3 \| “The Mexican American War” While the largest battles of the Mexican American War happen in Mexico, Kit Carson adds another layer to his growing legend during fighting in California. American units put down an uprising in Taos and Santa Fe that threatens Kit’s family, ...
05.24.2023 KIT CARSON Ep. 2 \| “The Bear Flag Revolt” Kit Carson becomes the steady and reliable guide for John C. Fremont’s historic expeditions to California. The first two are relatively routine, but the third takes an unexpected and consequential twist. The exploratory expedition turns into a military campaign to ...
05.17.2023 KIT CARSON Ep. 1 \| “Mountain Man” Christopher “Kit” Carson is born in Kentucky, grows up in Missouri, and then heads west in search of adventure. He becomes a Mountain Man in the early years of exploration of the West. He marries and begins a family, and ...
05.10.2023 SUMMER OF 1876 BOOK \| Audiobook Preview This episode is a special preview of the audiobook version of Chris Wimmer’s book, “The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, And Legends In The Season That Defined The American West.” Pre-order the audiobook on Apple Books, Audible, Google Play, Audiobooks.com, ...
05.03.2023 SUMMER OF 1876 BOOK \| Book Tour, Bestseller “Horror” Story In this episode about Chris Wimmer’s book, “The Summer of 1876,” he reveals plans for a (mini) book tour and tells a story about the secrets behind The New York Times Bestseller List. (Mini) Book Tour: June 7, 2023 – ...
04.19.2023 TEXAS JACK Ep. 6 \| “Epitaph for a Cowboy” Texas Jack’s twin careers are winding down. He wraps up his final hunting expedition in the wilds of the American West, and then launches his final dramatic tour. Jack and Giuseppina Morlacchi arrive in Leadville, Colorado for several months of ...
04.12.2023 TEXAS JACK Ep. 5 \| “Lies and Statistics” Texas Jack sets the record straight after his honor and reputation are slandered in a newspaper. He leads another hunting trip to Yellowstone National Park, and his trip collides with the Nez Perce as they make their epic run for ...
04.05.2023 TEXAS JACK Ep. 4 \| “Disaster, East and West” The successful partnership of Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill ends on good terms, but shock and sadness await both men as the historic summer of 1876 unfolds. After the disaster at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Army calls ...
03.29.2023 TEXAS JACK Ep. 3 \| “Hunting in Yellowstone” Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill recruit Wild Bill Hickok to co-star in a slightly different version of their successful play. Hickok tolerates the production for a while, but it quickly becomes clear that he isn’t meant for the life of ...
03.22.2023 TEXAS JACK Ep. 2 \| “Scouts of the Prairie” Texas Jack and his good friend Buffalo Bill prepare for the most terrifying adventure of their lives: performing on stage in front of live audiences. They are savaged by the critics for their horrible acting abilities, but the audiences love ...
03.15.2023 TEXAS JACK Ep. 1 \| “Cowboys and Indians” John Omohundro grows up in Virginia and serves as a Confederate spy during the Civil War before moving west to become one of America’s first cowboys. He becomes known as Texas Jack, meets Wild Bill Hickok, and then Buffalo Bill ...
02.22.2023 OUTLAWS Ep. 6 \| Black Jack Ketchum: “In Hell For Dinner” Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum and members of his gang rob trains in New Mexico until they become the most wanted men in the territory. Lawmen systematically dismantle the gang until only Ketchum remains. He attempts a train robbery alone and ...
02.15.2023 OUTLAWS Ep. 5 \| Black Jack Ketchum: “Westbound and Down” Tom Ketchum roams some of the same ground as Jim Miller. When Ketchum is suspected of murder in Texas, he flees to New Mexico and Arizona. He returns to Texas for the pivotal point in his criminal career: to rob ...
02.08.2023 OUTLAWS Ep.4 \| Jim Miller: “The Downfall of Deacon Jim” Jim Miller’s killing spree continues. He targets his own business partner, and a lawyer, and a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and possibly the famous sheriff, Pat Garrett. Miller stays out of trouble, as usual, until he travels to Oklahoma to dispose ...
02.01.2023 OUTLAWS Ep. 3 \| Jim Miller: “Born Bad” In the 1890s, Jim Miller emerges from central Texas as a strange combination: he’s both a religious fanatic and a cold-blooded killer. He drifts west to the El Paso area and becomes embroiled in a long-running feud with a local ...
01.25.2023 OUTLAWS Ep. 2 \| Joaquin Murrieta: “The Five Joaquins” Joaquin Murrieta’s gang dominates central California for more than two years. To stop the bandit king, the governor authorizes the formation of the special unit. Captain Henry Love and his new California Rangers confront Murrieta and claim victory over the ...
01.18.2023 OUTLAWS Ep. 1 \| Joaquin Murrieta: “Bandit King” After the Mexican-American War, a young man from Sonora, Mexico, travels to the new state of California. He brings his new bride, and they hope to help the young man's older brother establish a ranch. But the young man experiences ...
12.21.2022 NEZ PERCÉ WAR Ep. 6 \| “Fight No More Forever” The Nez Percé have performed an extraordinary feat: they have traveled more than 1,300 miles and repelled three American armies in a series of battles and smaller skirmishes. But they are sore and exhausted. They are within reach of the ...
12.14.2022 NEZ PERCÉ WAR Ep. 5 \| “The Medicine Line” The Nez Percé escape the Battle of Big Hole and move into Yellowstone National Park. Their options are limited and they choose a treacherous path over a mountain range to try to lose their army pursuers. But the army catches ...
12.07.2022 NEZ PERCÉ WAR Ep. 4 \| “Thunder In The Mountains” The Nez Percé are on the run. They cross the Bitterroot Mountains and arrive in Montana. They believe they have left their troubles behind and can start fresh in a new territory. But they soon learn the truth. They are ...
11.30.2022 NEZ PERCÉ WAR Ep. 3 \| “Battle of Clearwater” A few days after the Battle of White Bird Canyon, an army unit attacks a Nez Percé village. After the fight, the army unit becomes trapped at an abandoned ranch by the advancing Nez Percé column. The smaller fights lead ...
11.23.2022 NEZ PERCÉ WAR Ep. 2 \| “A Hornet’s Nest” In the summer of 1876, the murder of a Nez Percé man nearly starts the war. The following summer, a series of attacks by the Nez Percé against settlers who had invaded their homeland pushes the conflict over the edge. ...
11.16.2022 NEZ PERCÉ WAR Ep. 1 \| “50 Years of Peace” For about 50 years, there was relative peace in the U.S. and the Nez Percé. There were outbreaks of violence, like the Whitman Massacre, but not the continual warfare that existed between the U.S. army and other tribes. Tensions rose ...
11.09.2022 BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT Here is the official announcement of Chris’s book — “Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends In The Season That Defined The American West.” It will be released June 13, 2023, from St. Martin’s Press, but PRE ORDERS available now! ...
10.26.2022 TOM HORN Ep. 6 \| “The Murder of Willie Nickell” In July of 1901, 14-year-old Willie Nickell is found dead near his family’s farm. Residents of southern Wyoming are outraged, but there are very few leads in the case. The investigation begins to focus on Tom Horn, and lawmen will ...
10.19.2022 TOM HORN Ep. 5 \| “The Hunt for Butch and Sundance” Tom moves back to Wyoming near the same time that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid organize the last major train robbery of the Old West. Tom joins the manhunt for the most wanted fugitives in America, but the only ...
10.12.2022 TOM HORN Ep. 4 \| “Have Gun - Will Travel” Tom Horn and his employer are infuriated by the results of a cattle rustling case. Shortly thereafter, a small rancher is murdered. Then another is murdered. Tom Horn becomes the primary suspect, but charging Tom with a crime is easier ...
10.05.2022 TOM HORN Ep. 3 \| “The Johnson County War” Tom Horn helps recruit a mercenary army on behalf of the cattle barons and they kill two men outside Buffalo, Wyoming. The mercenaries meet their match when the sheriff recruits a posse to oppose the cattle barons. After the war ...
09.28.2022 TOM HORN Ep. 2 \| “Pinkerton Detective” After Tom helps track some horse thieves, he receives a recommendation to join the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. He heads north to Colorado, and before long, he and the agency learn of a range war in Johnson County, Wyoming. The ...
09.21.2022 TOM HORN Ep. 1 \| “Arizona Wars” Tom Horn battles through a rough childhood and then heads west like many young men of the era. He lands in Arizona and quickly finds himself embroiled in the Apache Wars and the Pleasant Valley War. In that crucible, he ...
09.07.2022 Introducing "Real Outlaws" from Noiser Ned Kelly is the model social bandit, an Australian legend without equal – even today he’s still considered a symbol of rebellion against the establishment. But what’s the truth behind the myth? We journey into the harsh bushland territories of ...
08.24.2022 THREE GUARDSMEN Ep. 6 \| Bill Tilghman: “The End of the Outlaws” As the battle raged between the U.S. Marshals and the Doolin-Dalton Gang, Tilghman narrowly missed a legendary – but tragic – shootout between the two sides. In the aftermath, an elite group of manhunters, including Tilghman, pursued the gang day ...
08.17.2022 THREE GUARDSMEN Ep. 5 \| Bill Tilghman: “Dodge City Deputy” Bill Tilghman grew up idolizing Wild Bill Hickok. When Tilghman was 24, he became a full-time lawman in Dodge City during the peak of its wild years as one of the wickedest towns in the West. He worked with the ...
08.10.2022 THREE GUARDSMEN Ep. 4 \| Chris Madsen: “Oklahoma Lawman” One of the most dangerous jobs in Oklahoma Territory is that of a U.S. Marshal. After the Doolin-Dalton Gang robs a series of trains, Deputy Marshal Chris Madsen and his posse fought in deadly shootouts to stop the gang once ...
08.03.2022 THREE GUARDSMEN Ep. 3 \| Chris Madsen: “Soldier of Fortune” Chris Madsen was a Danish immigrant with a colorful past, but one thing was certain: he loved action. When he moved to America, he joined the Fifth Cavalry and fought on the Northern Plains for nearly 15 years. Then, he ...
07.27.2022 THREE GUARDSMEN Ep. 2 \| Heck Thomas: “Tracking the Dalton Gang” The Dalton Gang plagued Oklahoma Territory in the early 1890s. After the disastrous Coffeyville Raid, the gang reformed as the Doolin-Dalton Gang, with Bill Doolin at the helm. The U.S. Marshals hired a legion of deputies, including Chris Madsen and ...
07.20.2022 THREE GUARDSMEN Ep. 1 \| Heck Thomas: “Fort Worth Detective Association” Henry Thomas, Jr., better known as Heck Thomas, was a young lawman in Georgia before he caught what he called “a severe case of Texas fever.” He became an express messenger on a railroad and then a self-made detective. He ...
06.29.2022 ENCORE I DODGE CITY Ep. 5: “The Last Hurrah” In Tombstone, Arizona, events lead Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. And then Wyatt and Doc seek further justice on the outlaws who attack Wyatt’s brothers. Wyatt’s posse ends up in Colorado where Bat ...
06.22.2022 ENCORE I DODGE CITY Ep. 4: “The Battle of the Plaza” After a shocking murder in April 1878, another murder rocks Dodge City in October. Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and an all-star posse attempt to bring the killer to justice. A year later, Wyatt and Bat leave town for good. Bat ...
06.15.2022 ENCORE I DODGE CITY Ep. 3: “Wicked Town” Wyatt Earp meets Doc Holliday while trailing outlaws to Texas. In Dodge, Bat Masterson takes a new law job and his older brother, Ed, becomes town marshal. But Ed’s life is in danger. In the first six months, he finds ...

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