Where the West Commences podcast

In this episode the boys debate the essential elements that qualify a movie to be called "A Western".

This episode explores the life and movies of Jimmy Stewart, and the contribution he made to the film library of American Westerns. We visit Indiana, Pennsylvania, and tour the Jimmy Stewart Museum to delve into his military career and his film legacy.

The Boys pay tribute to The Rifleman TV Show.

In a moment of impulsiveness, the core members of the infamous "Hole in the Wall Gang" dressed up and posed for a group picture in a Ft. Worth professional studio. Once that picture was developed, it was posted and circulated into the hands of every law enforcement agency in the country. That photo sealed the doom of this illusive gang, because no longer did the police have to rely on sketches, drawings, and verbal recollections of what these men looked like. They now had an actual photograph of Butch Cassidy and his gang to work from.

As a tribute to the legendary actor who filmed 18 westerns in his acting career, we celebrate the life and films of Kirk Douglas.

Daring and gutsy men were not alone in leaving their mark on the wild west. A handful of audacious women carved out their names in the western hall of fame. We will single out four of the many women who conquered the west in their own unique way - Annie Oakly, Calamity Jane, Susie Anderson, and Josie Earp.

March 6, 2020 marked the 184th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo. In honor of this crucial event in the history of the west, the boys pay tribute to the 13 days of glory at the siege of Alamo.

This episode celebrates the short-lived cross-country mail delivery service known as The Pony Express, which operated from April 1860 to October 1861. Daring riders fulfilled the promise of delivering a letter from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in just ten days by horseback. Riders included such celebrated characters as Buffalo Bill Cody, who signed on at the tender age of 15.

Once the railroads became popular with American travelers, the flaws inherent in relying on "Solar Time" for railroad arrival and departure schedules required a remedy. In this episode we delve into the creation of the four standard time zones for the continental US.

The Transcontinental Railroad joined our nation together in 1869, making it possible to travel from New York to San Francisco in less than five days - a mind-boggling improvement over the usual 6-month wagon train ordeal. We salute this amazing achievement and the leap forward it contributed to the settlement of the west.