Dr. History's Tales of the Old West

The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill started the gold rush. Millions in gold were discovered, not just in California, but Colorado, Montana, and most of the western states.

Organized in 1823, they had a questionable reputation, but survived off and on for many years. Re organized for good in 1935, they are the elite in law enforcement and respected around the world. Hollywood's portrayal of gunmen is not accurate, here you will read of famous and little known men who shaped the old west, some for good and others not so good.

There was competition between fur trappers, until it came to fighting Indians. Struck in the head and with two arrows in his back, Jim Bridger survived the battle, but carried an arrow head in his back for three years. He was one of the greatest explorers and trappers, a legend in his own time. One of the most important scouts and guides in the West.

Lone travelers in the old west faced many dangers, some simply vanished and were never seen or heard from again. Dinner at the Bender's Inn could prove to be your last meal.

Eleanora Dumont was a successful gambler and parlor owner. Not so lucky in love nor was her late husband. Her unusual hair growth earned her the name, "Madam Moustache" Note: Recording error for the first part of this podacast. Women in the old west could be heroines, robbers or killers, they were legends larger than life and were sometimes hung.

Jefferson "Soapy" Smith was slick, selling $5 bars of soap, a fake telegraph office, and a desire to be the first thief in Alaska. A very proper gentleman while robbing miners, but in the end justice was served. The Klondike lured thousands in search of gold, so how did we get Alaska? The Chilkoot Trail and Skagway is part of the story, but there are many more than these.

Young Andy Adams first cattle drive with 3200 head, from Mexico to Montana in six months. Of all the dangers on the trail the stampede could be the deadliest. The third week out a horse stumbled, and the stampede was on. Other dangers included indians, wild cattle, flooded river crossings, quick sand, lack of water and feed, wild horses.

Tom "Blackjack" Ketchum was a bank robber, killer, gang leader who hooked up with Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch for a short time. He wanted to make history by robbing a train by himself. He lost his head in the end.

Mountain man, trapper, Hugh Glass was attacked by a grizzly bear. Abandoned, left for dead, revenge drove him to survive to kill Jim Bridger. Part of Bridger's life he would like to forget. Bridger was legend, a scout, guide, explorer, one of the most important men in shaping the old west.

Folk medicine dates back centuries and has passed on for generations. On the frontier, the family doctor was the housewife, or grandma, or neighbor. The homestead mother was the key to health in the old west.

A wagon train was traveling from Missouri in 1861 on the Oregon Trail. In Idaho they took the California trail when disaster struck. Later, another smaller wagon train was also attacked with a much better outcome.

They wanted to make history by robbing two banks at the same time. When the dust settled there were four citizens dead and four robbers dead. Listen to their story and find out what they did wrong.

He became famous for 30 seconds at the Gunfight at the OK corral. But what happened in his later years. He traveled all over the west trying different business ventures that usually didn't work. This is his story of his Alaskan business dealings, his fortune and misfortune in the gold fields.

Mose Burris was an American Indian stickball champion, Marshall, and sharpshooter.

Some inventions have never been improved, the canoe, the moccasin, the snowshoe, the tepee and the bow and arrow. Did they use poisoned arrows or practice for battle? Did they use a lasso? And what happened when they began getting guns?