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This Week in the West: Cowboy Poet Badger Clark
🤠This Week in the West
🎙️ Episode 47: Cowboy poet Badger Clark
📢 Episode Summary:
Charles Badger Clark was the first poet laureate of South Dakota and one of the most enduring cowboy poets of the American West. Born in 1883, his life took him from Iowa to Dakota Territory and eventually to the deserts of Arizona, where a battle with tuberculosis set him on the path of writing. His time working on ranches gave him a firsthand understanding of cowboy life, which would become the heart of his poetry.
Clark’s verse captured the rugged independence, loneliness, and beauty of Western life. His first published poem, Ridin’ (1907), quickly resonated with readers, and his collection Sun and Saddle Leather cemented his reputation as a voice of the plains. His work combined simple language with deep insight, making it accessible to both cowboys on the range and urban readers fascinated by the West.
Later in life, Clark returned to South Dakota and lived in a cabin in Custer State Park, where he wrote and welcomed visitors for three decades. His poetry not only preserved the cowboy experience but also shaped how generations imagined the American West—an enduring contribution to both literature and cultural identity.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
👥 Behind the Scenes
Host: Seth Spillman
Producer: Chase Spivey
Writer: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
📬 Connect With Us:
🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org
📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/
📩 Email: [email protected]
📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/
📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum
❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm
💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/
🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U
🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN
🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!
View all episodes
By The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
4.7
1919 ratings
🤠This Week in the West
🎙️ Episode 47: Cowboy poet Badger Clark
📢 Episode Summary:
Charles Badger Clark was the first poet laureate of South Dakota and one of the most enduring cowboy poets of the American West. Born in 1883, his life took him from Iowa to Dakota Territory and eventually to the deserts of Arizona, where a battle with tuberculosis set him on the path of writing. His time working on ranches gave him a firsthand understanding of cowboy life, which would become the heart of his poetry.
Clark’s verse captured the rugged independence, loneliness, and beauty of Western life. His first published poem, Ridin’ (1907), quickly resonated with readers, and his collection Sun and Saddle Leather cemented his reputation as a voice of the plains. His work combined simple language with deep insight, making it accessible to both cowboys on the range and urban readers fascinated by the West.
Later in life, Clark returned to South Dakota and lived in a cabin in Custer State Park, where he wrote and welcomed visitors for three decades. His poetry not only preserved the cowboy experience but also shaped how generations imagined the American West—an enduring contribution to both literature and cultural identity.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
👥 Behind the Scenes
Host: Seth Spillman
Producer: Chase Spivey
Writer: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
📬 Connect With Us:
🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org
📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/
📩 Email: [email protected]
📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/
📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum
❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm
💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/
🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U
🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN
🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!
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