Dr. History's Tales of the Old West

The City of Rocks was feared due to Indian attacks and was a favorite place for robbers to hide and bury their loot. Some never returned; is the treasure still there waiting to be discovered? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arizona, the Dakotas, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Idaho, California and Wyoming. How did they get their names? Some were Indian or Spanish names, others from the topography and others were named by Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bill Murdock and his gang agreed to guide ten heavily loaded wagons to San Antonio. It was discovered the wagons contained treasure. Murdock was the lone survivor after his gang robbed the wagons and were then killed by Indians. The treasure remains hidden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Billy Barker was one of dozens of English sailors who jumped ship in search of gold. At the bottom of a fifty foot hole they struck gold and Barkerville became a boom town. Billy lost his fortune and died a poor man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A lost wagon train in Oregon sparked a gold rush. Three young men picked up some unusual looking pebbles in a creek, they carried them in a blue bucket back to the wagon train. Only later was it discovered to be gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Mississippi River was the scene of many riverboat disasters including the worst maritime disaster in the United States. In 1865, the boilers exploded on the Sultana killing hundreds of recently released Civil War prisoners and passengers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The scourge of the West, it attacked whole tribes and left few survivors. As trade increased so did the disease, as trappers, immigrants and Indians traded goods that were often infected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Figure Four, he became a Deputy U.S. Marshall. He tracked outlaws, horse and cattle thieves, put many behind bars including a notorious "Quail Netter". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By age fifteen he could ride and rope with the best and survived his first cattle stampede. While working for the Figure Four he witnessed a deadly gun battle and had some fun with an Eastern greenhorn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The San Antonio to San Diego mail line was a true test for the passengers who didn't know if they would be in a stage or on a mule. Poor shelter and food and not knowing when or if they would arrive at their destination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Described as "a mass of muscle and sinew of wonderful courage and faithful", he mastered the skills of hunting, tracking and warfare. A Medal of Honor recipient, he advised President Grover Cleveland, Cochise and Geronimo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At 99, he was the last of the Lewis and Clark expedition. His journal was the first published account, seven years before Lewis and Clark’s journals. He served in the War of 1812, worked with Daniel Boone, married at age 58 and had seven children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A rodent, the largest in America, can weigh from forty to one hundred pounds. His chisel-like teeth can down huge trees and can build a dam as long as a thousand feet and fourteen feet high, big enough for John Colter to hide from Indians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a Texas Ranger, Gault helped stop Bonnie and Clyde's reign of terror. Loyal, modest and "unbreakable", he solved cases of murder, bank robbery and cattle rustling, one of the greatest Texas Rangers of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whiskey was used as a trade good by early explorers and immigrants. "Rectified" whiskey contained tobacco juice, kerosene or grain alcohol to water it down and sell more at $30 a gallon, $900 in today’s money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She got lost after robbing a stage and was arrested, while in prison she became one of the most famous women in Arizona. A petite lady or a dangerous outlaw? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Four hundred Brul'es Indians on war ponies demanded food at the Pine Ridge Reservation. With a force of a few troops and 100 Oglala Sioux Police, agent McGillicuddy stood with his watch in hand and gave the war party five minutes to leave. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Horror week along the Oregon Trail in August 1862. A narrow passage between the Snake River and lava hills provided a good place for Indian attacks on wagon trains, though most pioneers died from disease or accidents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The biggest outlaw gang, they robbed, stole thousands of cattle and killed at least thirty five men. Wyatt Earp and his six-shooter ended the career of some of those outlaws. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sacajawea helped Lewis and Clark, Elizabeth Custer was with her husband at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Natawista played an important role at Fort Union and Medora helped her husband run his businesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

140 years after Billy's death, an interview published in the Las Vegas Gazette was discovered. He was in a Santa Fe Jail at the time and appeared cheerful, possibly because he was digging a tunnel to escape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thirty five Chippewa Indians held off several hundred troopers in the last conflict between Indians and white settlers in North America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He fought in the Battle of the Little Big Horn and was accused of killing Custer, which he both denied and claimed. He bravely fought for his people and country, converted to Christianity but never lost his hatred for the whites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1790's there were thousands of wild horses in the Southwest. Nolan traded with Indians and drove herds to Eastern buyers. His final expedition ended with a bullet in his head from Spanish soldiers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When gambler A.J. Hunt shot Private Emit Miller, he faced the wrath of the entire 4th U.S. Cavalry. Under cover of darkness the troopers stormed the jail and escorted Hunt outside where his life came to a deadly end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He organized the first rodeo, set records in steer roping and joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. He traveled the world, met famous people, started his own wild west show and opened the Palace Grand Theatre in the Klondike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With a white mother and Comanche father, he was born to greatness and excelled in both cultures. He was a Comanche Chief and remained warrior to the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before guns and horses, Indians learned how to kill buffalo. The buffalo caller and tribe members lured, then stampeded the herd over a cliff. Buffalo provided food, clothes, tools, bowstrings and pemmican. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charlie Zabel hauled clothing, food, tools and machinery across treacherous rivers, Indian country and outlaws. A fast rising river nearly drowned his oxen and threatened to destroy his six wagons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Little is known of Travis at the Alamo and how he died, the best source is from Travis's slave, Joe. He said Travis climbed the rampart, was shot and killed. A Mexican solder said, "The chief they called Travis died like a brave man." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most lawmen did their job with long hours and low pay while guarding the citizens. Some lawmen rode both sides of the law, Henry Plummer, Johnny Behan, Frank Dyer, Tom Horn, Ben Thompson and Henry Brown. Their careers ended at the end of a rope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Although wolves ran across North America, ranchers in Montana faced the loss of their herds. They hired "Wolfers" to kill wolves, including the famous renegades "Custer Wolf" and "Livingston." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He lived up to his reputation as the "Black Sheep" of the family. Robbery was not successful, jail only made him more determined to continue robbing, until the posse caught up with him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nez Perce leader Yellow Wolf was a cousin of Chief Joseph. As a member of Joseph’s tribal band, Yellow Wolf fought and surrendered with Joseph in their tribe’s attempt to escape to Canada in the summer of 1877. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Droughts on the Great Plains caused the death of thousands of cattle and bankrupt ranchers. With the building of dams, windmills and range management, ranchers were able to raise huge herds of cattle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At age thirteen he fought along side his brother and father against Mexican soldiers until captured. Adopted by Santa Anna, sent to College, earned a Doctorate, held lofty positions and helped negotiate the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cody’s Wild West Show gave audiences real life experiences, Indian battles, horse races, buffalo hunts and rodeo events. In Europe he attracted huge crowds including royalty, Visitors could walk among Indians in their tipis, corrals of buffalo and horses and even visit with Cody and Annie Oakley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pierre LaFarge, an ex French Priest, together with twelve other Frenchman, robbed a gold cache in Mexico. They also killed and robbed Mexican miners. The treasure was buried near Flag Springs, LaFarge and the Frenchman died or were killed, the treasure remains, maybe? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The remoteness of the mine made it a huge challenge to deliver materials. Even with hard work and strong mules the mine was never very successful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Martin’s well provided water for the relay station and travelers. Stage driver Jacoby raced for the safety of Martins Well trying to outrun the Indians and save himself and his passengers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A handsome, brilliant well dressed gentleman, he had lots of friends and was very good at robbing Wells Fargo stagecoaches. Like most in his career, two well placed bullets ended his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He claimed to be friends with Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill, Pawnee Bill, Billy the Kid and others. A natural showman, he never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hundreds of stages were robbed from 1856 to 1916, most did not yield much treasure. Travelers suffered extreme heat or cold and dust over rough roads. As many as 21 people crowded inside and on top for long trips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Possibly the oldest tribe in California, with plenty of food, they had time for games, music, religious festivals, arts and crafts. They invented and built plank canoes which allowed them to travel and trade with other tribes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ad Toepperwein, probably the greatest marksman of all time, traveled the country putting on exhibitions with his wife, Plinky. His greatest achievement, shooting for ten days, 72,500 targets made of 2 1/4 inch wood blocks, 7 hours a day, 68 1/2 hours, missing only 9 targets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This isolated distinct tribe lived a peaceful happy life high in the Rocky Mountains. Expert arrow makers, they excelled at tanning hides and making clothes, they traded with other tribes and mountain men. Smallpox took it’s toll leaving few Sheepeaters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After riding with Quantill’s guerrillas and Bloody Bill Anderson, it was an easy step for the brothers to start a life of crime. Were they heroes or cold blooded murderers? Jesse was killed, Frank became an honest citizen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings took the Transcontinental Railroad to California to play the local teams. By the mid-1880s baseball teams spread over much of the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peter Slumach, a Salish Indian, found gold worth millions, but was hung for murder. The curse claimed the lives of some who found the gold and many more who didn’t. According to Indian legend, only one with Indian blood can claim the gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The once proud leader of the Apaches was reduced to selling his autograph and at 76, being "displayed" as dangerous. He died from pneumonia in 1909, not living long enough to see his people return to their homelands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices