While Buffalo Roamed: The Wild West History of Colorado

Driven to the ultimate extremity. Drifting blindly into the Gulf of Mexico, the overloaded rafts of the Narvaez expedition are scattered by storms. In this harrowing episode of While Buffalo Roamed, we witnessed the survivors wash ashore near Galveston Island – a place Cabeza de Vaca rightfully names, Malhado, the Island of Doom.

stripped of their clothes, weapons, and dignity, the remaining cookies to doors are forced into a brutal fight against winter, freezing, disease, and starvation. This episode tackles, the darkest chapter of La Relación, detailing how a group of isolated Spaniards resorted to the ultimate taboo – cannibalism – consuming one another until only a single man was left standing with no one left to eat.

"So great is the power of need..." Stranded at the coastal village of Aute, facing starvation and death, the remnants of the Narvaez expedition make a desperate gamble. In this haunting episode of While Buffalo Roamed, we witness the ultimate trial of human ingenuity and sheer terror as detailed in Cabeza de Vaca's La Relación.

With their ships long gone and no help in sight, 250 desperate conquistadors melt down their stirrups, armor, and crossbows, two forge saws, axes, and nails. They slaughter the remaining horses for food and use the skins to build five crude, fragile rafts. Watch the tragedy unfold as they push these dangerously overloaded vessels into the treacherous waters of the Gulf of Mexico - driven, purely by survival, without a single man among them having the slightest knowledge of maritime navigation.

One terrible mistake sealed their fate. After sighting Florida, Panfilo de Narvaez makes the catastrophic decision to separate his 300 men from their support ships. In this episode of While Buffalo Roamed, we track the expedition's brutal trek inland through the uncharted, unforgiving Florida wilderness as chronicle in Cabeza de Vaca's la Relación.

Lured by rumors of gold in the wealthy province of Apalachen, the conquistadors instead find starvation, deadly terrain, and relentless guerrilla warfare from the local indigenous tribes. Real realizing they are trapped, exhausted, and outmatched, they're surviving men begin a desperate, frantic retreat toward the coastal village of Aute.

Before there were survivors, there were conquerors. Discover the disastrous 1527 launch of the Panfilo de Narvaez expedition to colonize Florida. In this premier episode of while Buffalo roam, we dive into the opening chapters of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's legendary Chronicle, La Relación.

We follow a fleet to five Spanish ships and 600 ambitious men as they depart Spain, only to be instantly battered by this deserters, deadly Caribbean hurricanes, and crippling management. Experience the mounting tension as the expedition finally sites, the uncharted coast of Florida on April 12, 1528 – unwittingly sailing straight into one of the greatest survival stories in human history

The American West didn't start with the cowboy – it started with a disaster.

welcome to While Buffalo Roamed, your home for gritty, deep dive history. Usually, we track the lawless frontier days, rugged, minor, and wild mountain peaks of Colorado. But in the special narrative series, we are going back to the absolute beginning to trace the earliest, deadliest survival story in American history: the 1527 Panfilo de Narvaez expedition.

Through the lens of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's legendary 1542 Chronicle, la Relación, we follow 600 ambitious Spanish conquistadors, who sailed for Florida, only to be utterly decimated by hurricanes, starvation, and fierce indigenous resistance. Stranded on the Texas coast with no weapons and no clothes, the final force survivors had to transform from conquerors into captives, traders, and faith healers just to stay alive.

join us as we track an epic, eight year journey across the American Southwest. This isn't just a tale of exploration; it is the original, raw blueprint of human endurance on the American continent, hit subscribe and binge the ultimate prequel to the wild West.

Before the Cowboys, the gold Rush, or the outlaw trails, the ultimate Western survival story began.

As "While Buffalo Roamed: The Wild Western Days of Colorado" prepares for season 2, we are taking an epic detour into a staggering piece of history. Welcome to the official trailer for our upcoming 11-part special miniseries based on la Relación, the legendary 1542 Chronicle written by Spanish explorer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca.

Shipwrecked, stranded, and stripped of everything, Cabeza de Vaca, and a tiny handfull of survivors spent eight grueling years walking across the uncharted American South and Southwest to find their way home. This isn't just an exploration narrative – it's the original blueprint for "Wild West" resilience, harrowing survival, and deep, cultural encounters a Americagainst impossible odds.

Hit play for a sneak peek at the incredible journey coming your way between seasons!

In this final episode of season one, we take a glimpse back, a look forward, and introduce the theater (The Haydee Stars) - the teacher (professor Owen John Goldrick) - and James Beckwourth moves to future Colorado! The cast of characters continue to grow and bloom.

WE did it!

1858 and 1859 (future) Colorado now has its colorful history in one place - digitally recorded and available to all - for as long as we keep the lights on!

Season 2? Yes... but I'm taking some time off (it's been a year and a half) need a recharge!

Thank you to all the listeners who took the time to hear these tales, this history. Without YOU, it wouldn't have been very much fun. Thank you for being there, thank you for the positive vibes and a few perfectly timed comments.

Let those who know spread our history - it's rich and interesting - let the pioneers live through our expressions.

Best wishes, and thank you again-

JB Reynolds

A short story of lawlessness in Denver City between a baker and a blacksmith is yet another illustration of the lack of law and order in the west Kansas Territory.

The settlers of western Kansas (future Colorado) are without a true government, lawlessness rules the streets.

The pioneers desperately try to organize some form of government, but end up with three poor versions: The Territory of Jefferson, the county of Arapahoe, and the miners' impromptu courts.

The need for a stable government is desperately needed (being so far away from "civilization"), and the coming year will test the pioneers when the next wave of emigrants arrive.

Murder in Denver City - not a finger is lifted to stop a argument that (needlessly) turns deadly.

Friends, thanks for listening!

Love, JB

Today we cover three (1859) ghost towns all within 5 miles of Golden, Colorado and all invisible!

Baden, Golden Gate City and Mt. Vernon

All three towns existed at the foot of their respective mountain "gate" or "road" - nothing you might be interested in walking or driving today.

An introduction to the towns (we will hear from them later), and where they are, and how you can see them today!

Thank you for coming!

Just a short episode entered as a supplement to episode 32 (Disturbed: Golden City 1859.)

Three newspaper articles reporting on the summary hanging of Edgar Vanover (by the townspeople of Golden City - September, 5 1859).  

First from the September 10, 1859 issue of the Rocky Mountain News

Second, from the September 17, 1859 issue of the Rocky Mountain News

Lastly, from the October 5, 1922 issue of the Colorado Transcript

These articles (combined) offer the best details on this tragic event, the summary hanging of a man who committed no actual crime deserving of that drastic resolution.  

Edgar Vanover, Golden City, Summary Justice, Kansas Territory