The Wild West Extravaganza

Latest Episodes:

Kit Carson | Pathfinder (Part 2) Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

Kit Carson ventured west as a teenager, looking to escape the drudgery of civilization. And in the years to come, he’d find all the excitement a youngster could hope for in the life of a mountain man. For over a decade, Carson would embark on a series of fur-trapping expeditions from New Mexico and Arizona up to present-day Montana and as far west as California. According to Carson, these were the happiest days in his life – there in the mountains, far from the habitations of civilized man, with no other food than that which he could procure with his rifle. Sadly, the good times never last forever. By the early 1840s, the beaver trade was played out, Carson’s Arapaho wife passed away, and he soon found himself embarking on a brand new career as a guide for up-and-coming explorer John C. Fremont. This partnership would elevate both men to the status of living legends. What was life like for Kit Carson post-fur trade? Who exactly was John C. Fremont guy? Why’d they call him the Pathfinder? And how much of Fremont’s success stemmed from his association with Kit Carson? We’re going to discuss all this and more, including Fremont’s expeditions, Carson’s family life, and a couple of bloody massacres that have largely remained forgotten even to this day.

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Carson’s Autobiography - https://archive.org/details/kitcarsonsautobi0000cars/page/106/mode/2up

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Carson’s Autobiography - https://archive.org/details/kitcarsonsautobi0000cars/page/106/mode/2up

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Kit Carson | Mountain Man (Part 1) Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

When it comes to the Old West, they don’t get much more legendary than Kit Carson. Although soft-spoken and physically small, this larger-than-life mountain man would go on – during his own life – to become a national hero, and in death, he’d be immortalized in bronze. But who was Kit Carson? What sort of a man was he? What was his childhood like, and what events shaped him into the legend he’d become? Was Carson a courageous hero or a bloodthirsty killer and the living embodiment of manifest destiny? Or just somewhere in between? And just how short was he anyway? Also discussed are the Blackfeet, Jim Bridger, the Mountain Man rendezvous, and Carson’s encounter with a giant known as the bully of the mountains.

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Carson’s Autobiography - https://archive.org/details/kitcarsonsautobi0000cars/page/106/mode/2up

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John Glanton & the REAL Blood Meridian Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

“It makes no difference what men think of war. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.” – Blood Meridian

Blood Meridian, set mainly in the American Southwest during the late 1840s, tells of an unnamed protagonist known only as the Kid. We follow the Kid as he runs away from home and makes his way to Texas before becoming involved in an ill-fated adventure into Mexico. He survives a massacre at the hands of the Comanche and is eventually recruited into a gang of scalp hunters led by John Glanton and his second in command – the absolutely terrifying Judge Holden. The gang then proceeds to cut a murderous swath of destruction throughout northern Mexico before reaping their just rewards. Here’s the fun part: Blood Meridian is loosely based on real-life people and events, including John Glanton and Judge Holden. Today, we’re going to focus mostly on Glanton, an ex-Texas Ranger and War hero turned homicidal maniac. What was John Glanton’s life like before he became a scalp hunter? And how did Glanton really die? Was it as gruesome as portrayed in Blood Meridian? We’ll also take a look at a young soldier by the name of Samuel Chamberlain, as well as discuss the true identity of the honorable Judge Holden.

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Victory and Death: The Battle of San Jacinto - https://youtu.be/pHPsnHlEAdM?si=5LLlsXv2CSfqPO0J

Blood Meridian Christmas Miracle - https://youtu.be/QqHZOzbPvDQ?si=mSIqWjCR6T09PGl5

The Night Does Not End | Professor Gwyn - https://bloodmeridian.substack.com/

My Confession: Recollections of a Rogue - https://openlibrary.org/works/OL3290424W/My_confession

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Dangerous Dan Tucker Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

Dangerous Dan Tucker would arrive in the southwest in the mid-1870s, pin on the badge of a Sheriff’s Deputy, and, in a very short amount of time, tally up a body count surpassed only by the likes of John Wesley Hardin and Deacon Jim Miller. To quote historian Leon Metz, Tucker was a better lawman and more dangerous than high-profile figures like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok. But who was he really? Is it true that Dan Tucker once took out half a dozen of the Tombstone Cowboys in one fell swoop? And what about the stories of Doc Holliday giving Dan a wide berth due to his deadly reputation? FYI: The photo used in the thumbnail is NOT Dan Tucker. There are no known photos of Tucker. Pictured instead is disgraced Dodge City marshal Billy Brooks.

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Dangerous Dan Tucker: New Mexico’s Deadly Lawman by Bob Alexander - https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Dan-Tucker-Mexicos-Deadly/dp/094438353X

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State of the Wild West Extravaganza Jul 24, 2024

Show notes

Thank you for all the well wishes! New content resumes next week!

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John Wesley Hardin | COMPILATION Jul 17, 2024

Show notes

In November of 1868 – at just the tender age of fifteen – John Wesley Hardin killed his first man. And, a few weeks later, he’d kill yet again; this time, three soldiers who came looking for him. Fearing a hangman’s noose, Wes struck first, dispatching two troopers with a shotgun and finishing the third with an old cap and ball colt. And you better believe the hits just kept on coming. Before it was all said and done, Hardin would be responsible for anywhere between twenty to possibly as many as fifty killings, each of which – according to him – were justifiable. But how true is that? Was John Wesley Hardin a persecuted hero or a homicidal killer? How’d the son of a minister become one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West? And did he REALLY kill someone just for snoring? Also discussed are Wild Bill Hickok, the Bloody Bender family, the Sutton-Taylor Feud, and John Selman Sr.

*This is a compilation of a previously released series. My apologies to those who've already heard it, but I experienced a few setbacks this past week due to a dadgum hurricane! Do not despair, brand new content is coming your way next Wednesday!*

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Bill Longley | The Deadliest Gun in Texas - https://www.wildwestextra.com/bill-longley-the-deadliest-gun-in-texas/

Wild Bill Hickok - https://www.wildwestextra.com/wild-bill-hickok/

Shootout at Hide Park aka Newton Massacre - https://www.wildwestextra.com/the-newton-massacre/

The Life of John Wesley Hardin by John W. Hardin - https://www.amazon.com/Life-John-Wesley-Hardin/dp/1545102228/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N2NHCZI3QKV5&keywords=john+wesley+hardin+books&qid=1704831121&sprefix=john+wesley+hardi%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-1

John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas by Leon Metz - https://www.amazon.com/John-Wesley-Hardin-Angel-Texas/dp/0806129956/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2N2NHCZI3QKV5&keywords=john+wesley+hardin+books&qid=1704831176&sprefix=john+wesley+hardi%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-3

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How Wild Was The Wild West? Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

How wild or violent was the Wild West? Were gunfights a daily occurrence, or is that just a byproduct of Hollywood and dime novels? Also discussed are the murder rates for Deadwood and Dodge City, Red Dead Redemption, cowboys sharing toenail clippers, the mysterious Last Stand note, and fighting grizzly bears with a tomahawk!

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Billy the Kid’s Last Stand - https://youtu.be/1dC5USI0ZgI?si=w8OoKrp1-7jey0UV

Homicide Rates in the Old West | University of Ohio - https://cjrc.osu.edu/research/interdisciplinary/hvd/homicide-rates-american-west

Historias Unknown - https://open.spotify.com/show/1YRxl7bTBqM4jfm8P4fGCd?si=8aad41518c4e4e6c

E Spooky Tales - https://open.spotify.com/show/58BqtCJ2nNwruHRuZIM8Ax?si=1f714ac66d3f42e6

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Billy the Kid Debunked Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

There is a lot of misinformation about Billy the Kid's death. This is your comprehensive guide to cut through the noise and determine fact from fiction. Thank you to all of the historians whose research I rely upon.

(1:15) – Did Pat Garrett receive the bounty?

(8:13) – Did Pat Garrett’s deputy say that he shot the wrong man?

(10.33) – Did Garrett bury the body before anyone could see it?

(19:15) – Why was there not a photograph?

(22:39) – Did Billy the Kid have a beard? Did Garrett accidentally kill a Mexican?

(25:32) – Billy Barlow

(26:02) – Were Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid friends?

(27:49) – Was Billy too smart to be killed by Pat Garrett?

(30:50) – Were the residents of Fort Sumner in on the hoax?

(33:23) – Anecdotal stories

(34:50) – Brushy Bill’s history of tall tales

(38:12) – Brushy Bill’s scars

(39:26) – Brushy Bill Roberts Autopsy

(41:15) – Did Brushy Bill know things nobody could have known?

(42:36) – Was Billy the Kid left-handed?

(43:10) – The Billy the Kid Historical Coalition

(44:12) – Brushy Bill Roberts affidavits

(46:40) – Jesse Evans

(47:46) – 1990 Photo Comparison Study

(55:08) – Valid questions concerning the death of Billy the Kid

(56:30) – Who was Brushy Bill Roberts?

(60:29) – Cousin Ollie theory

(65:04) – Why would Brushy lie?

(67:48) – Jim Miller

(68:41) – Why did Billy the Kid speak Spanish?

(80:04) – Did Pat Garrett accidentally kill the wrong men?

(86:55) – Did Garrett’s widow say he killed the wrong man?

(89:35) – Did Brushy Bill have the same eyes as Billy the Kid?

(103:34) – Was Billy already dead in the tintype photo?

(104:21) – Was Billy the Kid a woman?

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Was Billy the Kid’s Death a Hoax? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZ-Rc9Pt3I&t=1s

The Billy the Kid Historical Coalition – https://btkcoalition.com/

Chasing Billy YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@chasingbilly

Debunking Brushy: Were People Allowed to View Billy’s Dead Body | Billy the Kid Historical Coalition - https://btkcoalition.com/btk-history-blog/f/debunking-brushy-were-people-allowed-to-view-billys-dead-body

Petition by Dr. Robert Stahl - http://doc45.com/pleading/tenth-court-pleading-by-dr-robert-stahl-for-kid-death-certificate.pdf

Brushy Bill Saves Texas Rangers from Certain Death | Michael Anthony Giudicissi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBOGtnWS1is

Grand Saline Sun article on Brushy Bill saving the Texas Rangers - https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1016104/m1/8/?q=brushy

Debunking Brushy: How Did He Know So Much? | Billy the Kid Historical Coalition - https://btkcoalition.com/btk-history-blog/f/debunking-brushy-how-did-he-know-so-much

Was Brushy Bill Roberts Really Billy the Kid? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5s5zuDlxfM&t=1094s

Billy the Tintype | True West Magazine - https://truewestmagazine.com/article/billy-the-tintype/

Was Billy the Kid a girl? Wild West Newsletter featuring cart de visite - https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/p/was-billy-the-kid-a-girl

Billy the Kid Compilation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3yBXIa7ZuQ

Pat Garrett Compilation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMp1GayD4-4&t=14s

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John Bull | The Duke of Death Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

Although John Bull remains relatively unknown today, the English-born gambler is considered one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West.

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Deadly Dozen Vol. 1 by Robert K. Dearment - https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dozen-Twelve-Forgotten-Gunfighters/dp/080613559X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JK493YH4C89U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QGna202QisyEY7OQCkSOd5OPt0qxbYaurRTjH1x02NaxEKQC1YbQ5eAvYVONnlGCJelVs2ixVH3Wq1DAIhRtn50qFv2XrHabFqWhLwPhLko.PyNkpU5z0i6iNdZMpageYgxXVeXnBGFgmi2Cn3yFxS8&dib_tag=se&keywords=deadly+dozen+robert+k+dearment&qid=1718635339&sprefix=deadly+dozen+robert+k+dearment%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1

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Pat Garrett | COMPILATION Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

On the night of July 14th, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett killed Billy the Kid. In doing so, he helped create a legend and ensured that his legacy would forever be intertwined with the notorious outlaws.

And let’s be honest – it isn’t that great of a legacy.

Many consider Garrett a coward, at best, a no-good backstabbing Old West Judas who betrayed his friend for a handful of silver. Moreover, Pat is also labeled as a rank liar and an egomaniac. A glory seeker would turn on his mother if that meant earning a little dough and building up his reputation.

And, over 26 years after he gunned down The Kid, Pat himself would be shot and killed under similar circumstances. A murder that to this day remains unsolved.

Who killed Pat Garrett? How accurate is the narrative surrounding the former Sheriff of Lincoln County? Is all the hate deserved?

And who was Garrett anyway? What was his life like before he met the Kid? And what became of Pat in the decades following that fateful night at Fort Sumner?

This is a compilation of a previous series released on Garrett. Enjoy!

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Pat Garrett: The Story of a Western Lawman by Leon Metz - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0806118385?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzjoshta02-20&creativeASIN=0806118385&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.YEHGNY7KFAU7&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin

To Hell on a Fast Horse by Mark Lee Gardner - https://www.amazon.com/dp/006136827X?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzjoshta02-20&creativeASIN=006136827X&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.YEHGNY7KFAU7&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin

Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life by Robert Utley - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0803295588?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzjoshta02-20&creativeASIN=0803295588&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.YEHGNY7KFAU7&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin

Were Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid Friends? https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/p/were-pat-garrett-and-billy-the-kid

The First Battle of Adobe Walls - https://www.wildwestextra.com/the-first-battle-of-adobe-walls/