Although John Bull remains relatively unknown today, the English-born gambler is considered one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! h…

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 …

In July of 1901, 14-year-old Willie Nickell was shot dead in an ambush. He had been less than a mile away from home attempting to open a gate when two bullets struck him in the back. A little over two years later, noted assassin Tom Horn was executed for Willie’s murder. In years prior, Tom had been an enforcer for various cattle barons throughout …

Tom Horn first arrived in Wyoming in 1892. He had spent most of a decade chasing Apache down in Arizona before diving headfirst into a feud known as the Pleasant Valley War. Although Tom’s actions during the feud remain unclear, he most likely fought on the side of the Tewksbury’s against their avowed enemies, the Grahams. And despite wearing the b…

Regarding Old West feuds, Arizona’s Pleasant Valley War ranked among the most violent. Also known as the Graham-Tewksbury feud, this conflict would rage on for over a decade and see a death toll from between twenty to fifty men, some of whom fell at the hands of a notorious up-and-coming killer by the name of Tom Horn. And, of course, this would no…

An investigation into the Mountain Meadows Massacre takes years, and in meantime, Porter Rockwell continues his roles as lawman and mail carrier. He builds a hotel and becomes a successful businessman, but he remains a figure of controversy. Acts of violence throughout Utah Territory become part of his lore, regardless of whether or not he was invo…

In August of 1857, a wagon train of travelers from Missouri and Arkansas rolls into Utah Territory. It’s called the Baker-Fancher party and it’s headed for California. The group camps in a high mountain valley called Mountain Meadows in southern Utah Territory, but Mormon settlers in the area believe the emigrants are more than just travelers. The …

“Killing men is my specialty. I look at it as a business proposition, and I think I have a corner on the market.” – Tom Horn, scout, lawman, detective, and assassin. As a young man, Tom Horn walked the rough cow towns of Dodge and Newton before cutting his teeth and fighting Apache down in Arizona. Graduated to the Range Wars, and in time, Horn wou…

Lonesome Dove, the 11th novel of famed author Larry McMurtry, was published in 1985. Four years later, the characters Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call were immortalized on screen by actors Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. But did you know that much of Lonesome Dove was inspired by real-life people and events? Today, we discuss the real history…

New church leader Brigham Young declares that the Saints must go west to find a place where they can worship in peace. Porter Rockwell becomes the lead scout for the great exodus to Utah Territory. The Saints build Salt Lake City and navigate tensions with local Native American tribes. Rockwell acts as a guide for U.S. Army troops and helps establi…

There is no new episode this week. Instead, I thought I'd share a compilation of previously released material. In this collection of true stories from the Old West, we’ll discuss Comanche Jack Stilwell, his heroics during the Battle of Beecher Island, and his brother’s time in Tombstone. Afterward, we’ll join Billy the Kid and his pals over at Whit…

Porter Rockwell is arrested for the attempted murder of Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs, and Rockwell rots in jail for nearly a year. After a perilous journey to his new home in the Mormon settlement of Nauvoo, Illinois, Rockwell is reunited with the head of his church, Joseph Smith. But the reunion doesn’t last long. The LDS church suffers a devas…

Considered by many to be the first Mountain Man, John Colter first came west with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When they head back to civilization, Colter instead chooses to stay behind. He’d live with the Crow tribe and go on to be the first American to cast eyes on the Teton Mountains, Colter’s Hell, and what’s now known as Yellowstone Nationa…

In the 1830s, Porter Rockwell and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – commonly known as the Mormons – battle locals and militias in Missouri. Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs is determined to push the Mormons out of his state, and he succeeds at a bloody cost. After the Mormons move to Illinois, Porter Rockwell returns to Mi…

Today, we’ll follow the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they return to civilization. We’ll also discuss the lives of a few key figures post-expedition. What ever happened to Sacagawea? What about her son, Pomp? How about George Drouillard? Finally, we’ll examine the mysterious death of Captain Meriwether Lewis. Check out the website for more true tal…

Orrin Porter Rockwell is born into an era of religious fervor in the eastern United States. His family soon becomes close with the Smith family, and Porter becomes the youngest convert to Joseph Smith’s new religious movement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Saints immediately meet resistance to their ideology and they move wes…

In July of 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis and three of his companions had a violent confrontation with the Blackfeet, resulting in at least one dead warrior. This encounter would lead to strained relations between the United States and the Blackfeet Confederacy and result in decades of bloodshed. But is the official story – as told by the Corps of …

Despite being a slave, York enjoyed unprecedented freedom during the Lewis and Clark expedition. Unfortunately, this would not last, and once back in Missouri, York returned to a life of bondage. Unlike the other men of the Corps of Discovery, York was not paid for his services, and William Clark refused to grant him his freedom. What was York’s ul…

In the spring of 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition departed from the Mandan and followed the Missouri River west into Montana. They would need to cross the Rocky Mountains before the snow began to fall, and to that, they would need to find the Shoshone. Also discussed are the hunting on the upper Missouri, the portage of the Great Falls, and a f…

One aspect of the Lewis and Clark expedition that’s often overlooked is that much of their success hinged largely on the good graces of the various Indigenous people on whose land they were crossing. Today, as we follow the expedition up Missouri, we’ll take a look at several such encounters, first with the Oto and Missouri tribes, then Arikara, th…

In November of 1892, the final showdown arrives. The U.S. Marshals assault Ned Christie’s cabin and end Ned’s resistance. The marshals and the general public believe a murderous outlaw has been brought to justice. But as the years pass, newspapers and historians revisit the saga known as “Ned Christie’s War” and begin to separate fact from fiction.…

In the Spring of 1803, the United States acquired the Territory of Louisiana, a largely uncharted tract of wilderness stretching from Canada all the way down to New Orleans, over 800,000 square miles that, as the maps were concerned, remained a mystery. President Thomas Jefferson ordered an expedition to explore Louisiana west to the Pacific Ocean …

After the raid by Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas, Ned Christie builds a fortified cabin that is designed to withstand future attacks. He maintains his innocence in the case of the murder of Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Maples, and he does not intend to surrender. He continues his defiance, but he also starts to believe that the end is near… Join Black …

When a deputy U.S. marshal is murdered in the Cherokee capital, a respected Cherokee statesman named Ned Christie becomes the prime suspect. Newspaper stories portray Ned as a ruthless outlaw who commits every crime in the book, but are the stories accurate? As the pressure mounts to bring Ned Christie to justice, legendary Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck…

From Airship, the studio behind American Scandal, American History Tellers, and History Daily, comes a new true crime history podcast that takes you inside the minds of some of our most notorious felons and outlaws, exploring the dark side to the American dream. The debut season tackles one of the country’s most sensational cases: The Menendez Murd…