Wild West Podcast

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 Welcome to history as you've never heard it before! Promising tales of lawlessness and bravery, our Wild West Podcast takes you on a riveting journey to the notorious frontier town of Dodge City, Kansas. Founded on hunger for wealth, regulated by gunfighters, and straddling the law, this city was the playground of buffalo hunters and cattle drovers. As citizens grit their teeth and tolerated the violence for the promise of fortunes, law enforcement was encouraged to turn a blind eye to all but the most dangerous of men - until an anti-gang reform group decided enough was enough.

Fasten your seat belts as we unravel a tale of reform, rivalry, and resistance. The Dodge City gang, with members such as Bat Masterson and Mayor Kelly, lost their grip on the city to reformers demanding a safer environment. The tables turn with the arrival of the new mayor, Alonso B Webster, a Civil War veteran who's had his fill of the lawless Dodge City. Listen in to the thrilling chain of events that he sets off, ultimately changing the face of Dodge City forever. The Wild West Podcast is your ticket to the untamed past - raw, authentic, and remarkable. Tune in and let history come alive! To learn more about the legends of Dodge City, go to A Man In A Black Derby Hat. 

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Ham Bell of Dodge City Kansas, is a notable legend. He is recognized for his frontier spirit, and his ability to create. He was an entrepreneur; a person who was defined by his willingness to risk loss in order to improve the quality of life for others. Ham Bell had been born July 31, 1853 Hannibal Boettler Beltz in Washington County, Maryland. When he was nine, he and two siblings became orphans. Five years later, after living with an uncle, he set off on his own. Ham Bell made Dodge City his headquarters and it would be home for the rest of his life. 

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The purpose of this podcast is to tell the story of Bill Tilghman, and his Buffalo Days. Tilghman was among the first white men to locate a buffalo hunting camp on the extreme southwestern border of Barbour County, Kansas. The camp was only a few miles north of the boundary line between Kansas and the Indian Territory. An Indian uprising lasting more than a year had been put down the year previous by General Custer, and, as a natural consequence, the Indians who had taken part in the uprising entertained for the white man anything but a friendly feeling.  Billy Tilghman, like the others in that country at the time, became a buffalo hunter and was working along nicely until the Indians got after him. The following story is based on an article written by Bat Master from chapter 4 of his book entitled Famous Gunfighters of the Western Frontier. 

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Emanuel Dubbs has an encounter with Billy Brooks. Among the many lawless characters, who in the beginning drifted into Dodge City, was Billy Brooks. Brooks was a shabby character sporting a narrow mustache with a long rounded face trimmed out with a Van Dyke goatee. Brooks roamed about the town in a dark cloth coat. He brandished two revolvers well insight of those he chose to intimidate. He wore a tall circular crowned black hat supported by a collarless linen shirt. This slipshod dress gave the appearance to everyone who regarded him as dangerous.

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Wild West Podcast proudly presents Treaties chapter four of Trails, Forts Treaties, and Indian Wars. For the Southern Plains tribes, the Comanche, the Kiowa, the Southern Cheyenne, and the Arapahoe, there were three major peace agreements. These agreements attempted to keep Indians off the immigration and rail routes along with the cattle grazing lands in Texas and Kansas settlement areas. This is the story of those agreements leading up to the Plains Indian Wars of 1868.
ALSO BY MICHAEL KING
The Machiavellian's of Dodge City
Return of the Great Hunters: Tales of the Frontier
A Man in A Black Derby Hat: Bat Masterson: Selected Short Stories

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If you'd like to buy one or more of our fully illustrated dime novel publications, you can click the link I've included. 

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Wild West Podcast proudly presents The Battle of Beecher Island, Part II. (You can purchase the book Trails, Forts Treaties, and Indian Wars now on sale for a limited time at Amazon.com.)  In part two of the Battle of Beecher Island, Jack Stilwell tells the story of how Roman Nose leads the second attack against a small force of military scouts at the Arickaree fork of the Republican River. The mission was under the command of Major Forsyth, who received information that Indians had attacked a freighter's train 13 miles east of Ft. Wallace, near the railhead of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The mission was to counter the Indian attack by trailing and punishing the raiding Party.

ALSO BY MICHAEL KING
The Machiavellian's of Dodge City
Return of the Great Hunters: Tales of the Frontier
A Man in A Black Derby Hat: Bat Masterson: Selected Short Stories

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If you'd like to buy one or more of our fully illustrated dime novel publications, you can click the link I've included. 

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The following story is based on Volume VII of the Kansas Historical Society 1926 - 1928 collections edited by William Elsey Connelley on the Life of George W. Brown. Prepare to traverse the annals of history as we follow young Jack Stilwell, a 17-year-old scout, through the violent clashes of the Central Plains Indian Wars. Strap in as we chase down war parties with Colonel George A Forsyth and his band of Hardy Frontiersmen, crossing borders and battlefields in a thrilling rollercoaster of historical storytelling. 

In part one of the Battle of Beecher Island, George Hoodoo Brown arrived in Hays City on September 29, 1868. George enters a saloon where he meets Jack Stilwell, an army scout at the Battle of Beecher Island. Over a few drinks at the bar, Stilwell describes how he and 50 other scouts participated in a special mission out of Fort Harker. The mission was under the command of Major Forsyth, who received information that Indians had attacked a freighter's train thirteen miles east of Fort Wallace, near the railhead of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The mission was to counter the Indian attack by trailing and punishing the raiding Party. 

In our exploration, we'll also shed light on the grim realities that defined the Kansas expansion, guided by our guest, history enthusiast Michael King. His expert insights into the Indian Depredation claims give a fresh perspective on the settlers' experience. The tales of Jack Stilwell take us through numerous conflicts, heroic encounters, and pivotal moments, such as the Battle of Beecher Island and the Solomon's Fork Battle. This journey will offer an in-depth understanding of the Trials, Forts, Treaties, and Indian Wars that shaped this era. Buckle up for a riveting historical adventure!

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Wild West Podcast proudly presents Trail, Forts, Treaties, and Indian Wars a new book by Mike King. You can purchase the book and play the audio version through Wild West Podcast or by scanning the QR code below each chapter. Trails, Forts Treaties, and Indian Wars are based on true accounts in early Kansas history. The illustrated book offers 149 pages and is narrated by Brad Smalley. The book is now on sale for a limited time at Amazon.com. 

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If you'd like to buy one or more of our fully illustrated dime novel publications, you can click the link I've included. 

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The railways pushed westward across buffalo country and the Texas cattle drives came up from the South. The Texas cattlemen drove their cattle to the railheads in Kansas and overnight cattle towns like Abilene sprung civilization, profit, and vice out of the Kansas prairie. The following is a first-person account of George W. Brown and what it was like in western Kansas as a freighter, drover, buffalo hunter, and Indian scout. George W. Brown tells how he joins the times' growing commerce, traveling along the military routes in 1868. 

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If you'd like to buy one or more of our fully illustrated dime novel publications, you can click the link I've included. 

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Ever wondered about the untamed wild of America's early expansion years? Buckle up and prepare for a thrilling journey along the historic Santa Fe Trail, the first commercial highway in America, as we follow William Beknell's footsteps. This daring trader embarked on an audacious five-month expedition, risking it all for a shot at prosperity in Mexico. His journey sparked the birth of the Santa Fe Trail, a lifeline for countless traders, pioneers, and the military alike. Today's episode takes us to the bustling Council Grove, a vital stopover point and trading post on the Santa Fe Trail, forever etched into the history books for its instrumental role in America's frontier expansion.

But every trail has its tales, and the Santa Fe Trail is no different. We'll dissect the ominous accounts of Peacock, a trader whose indiscretion resulted in a tragic end. Brace yourself for a gripping story of deception as we delve into the crafty ways of Satank, who fooled Peacock into meeting his doom. We'll also guide you through the perilous crossing at the Arkansas River, a notorious hunting ground for Native Americans. So, join us on this riveting voyage as we unravel the intriguing tales of bravery, adventure, and the wild splendor of America's early expansion years. Trust us; you don't want to miss it.

Support the show

If you'd like to buy one or more of our fully illustrated dime novel publications, you can click the link I've included.