The Wild West Extravaganza

Kentucky-born Confederate guerrilla Champ Ferguson used the chaos of the Civil War to settle personal grudges along the Tennessee border, racking up a body count that included his own neighbors and dozens of wounded soldiers. As one of only three people executed for war crimes, Ferguson went to the gallows unrepentant, calling himself a rebel to the last and asking to be buried in "good rebel soil.” Who was the REAL Champ Ferguson? True Southern patriot or just another homicidal maniac who used the war to satisfy his own blood lust? Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mason County War, also known as the Hoodoo War, was one of the bloodiest feuds in Texas history. In 1875, a conflict over cattle rustling in the Texas Hill Country escalated into a full-blown war between hill country ranchers and their German immigrant neighbors. Former Texas Ranger Scott Cooley launched a brutal campaign of revenge after the murder of his friend Tim Williamson, scalping a deputy sheriff and sparking a chain of killings that would claim at least a dozen lives in just twelve months. Even Johnny Ringo, who would later become infamous in Tombstone, got his start during the Mason County War. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, Josh here, with the Wild West Extravaganza. I just wanted to touch base and issue a very quick correction. On the most recent episode – The Insane Life of Billy Brooks – I misattributed many of the quotes. My main source for research was not Leon Metz; it was historian Robert K. DeArment and his excellent book, Deadly Dozen, Volume 3. In other words, every time you heard me say Leon Metz, it should have been Robert DeArment. This is totally my fault. I’ve got a lot of books by Leon Metz, and more often than not, I’m researching several different topics at the same time. Both Mr. DeArment and Mr. Metz are excellent Old West historians, and I simply got my names mixed up. The information’s still good, but it comes from Robert K. DeArment as opposed to Leon Metz. My apologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1872, the violent cattle town of Newton, Kansas, appointed a twenty-two-year-old buffalo hunter named Billy Brooks as its town marshal. It would prove to be one of the most eventful and short-lived law enforcement careers in the history of the Old West. Join me today as we trace the largely forgotten story of “Bully” Billy Brooks, from his short stint as marshal, to his arrival in Dodge City, and his eventual descent from respected lawman to wanted outlaw. Also discussed are the Red River War, the Newton Massacre, Bat Masterson, and Morgan Earp. UPDATE: I feel like a complete idiot, but I misattributed many of the quotes from this episode. My main source was historian Robert K. DeArment and his excellent book, Deadly Dozen Volume 3, NOT Leon Metz. I'm often researching several different topics at the same time, and I simply got their names mixed up. My apologies for any confusion. Both Mr. Metz and Mr. DeArment are excellent Old West historians. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Shootout at Hide Park - https://www.wildwestextra.com/the-shootout-at-hide-park/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 9th, 1892, one man stood alone against 50 hired killers in the wilds of Johnson County, Wyoming. His name was Nate Champion, and what he did over the next twelve hours would go down as one of the greatest last stands in the history of the Old West. Champion was a Texas cowboy who had worked his way north, earned a reputation as a top hand, and made the mistake of filing a claim on land that Wyoming's powerful cattle barons considered their own. When he dared to start a ranch and organize an independent roundup, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association put his name at the top of a kill list. The WSGA was one of the most powerful organizations in territorial Wyoming. Senators, judges, lawmen, and even the acting governor were members. They controlled the roundups, rigged the courts, and when that was not enough, they hired mercenaries to do their dirty work. And it was these mercenaries who surrounded Champion’s cabin on that April morning. What they failed to consider, however, was the mettle of the man inside. Pinned down and outnumbered, Champion fought back for twelve straight hours. And in the middle of the firefight, he picked up a pencil and started writing, documenting the attack in real time as bullets tore through the walls around him. Today, we not only celebrate the life (and death) of Nate Champion, but we take a look at what happens when ordinary people decide to stand up to concentrated wealth and political corruption. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Frank Canton & the Johnson County War - https://youtu.be/psestaX_qqY?si=uFzNouxA-lBkRzN9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Doc Holliday say, “I’m your huckleberry” or “I’m your huckle bearer?” Or is the whole debate built on nothing more than an internet myth? Join me today as we break down the famous line from Tombstone to hopefully separate fact from fiction. We’ll examine the original Tombstone script written by Kevin Jarre, Val Kilmer’s 2020 memoir I’m Your Huckleberry, and Tombstone: An Iliad of the Southwest by Walter Noble Burns. We also examine 19th-century newspaper evidence showing that “I’m your huckleberry” was indeed a real idiom. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Huckleberry or Hucklebearer? Mathew Kerns - https://matthewkerns.substack.com/p/huckleberry-or-hucklebearer Tombstone Script - https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/tombstone.pdf History For the Reckoning – https://www.historyforthereckoning.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should Billy the Kid’s body be exhumed? In today’s episode, we break down the evidence surrounding Billy’s death at Fort Sumner, as well as the two failed attempts to dig up the Kid: the 1961 court fight between Lincoln and Fort Sumner, and the 2003 official investigation led by Sheriff Tom Sullivan, Deputy Steve Sederwall, and Sheriff Gary Graves. Finally, we address the DNA question itself and what evidence actually justifies disturbing the dead. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra The Lunacy of Billy the Kid | True West - https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/the-lunacy-of-billy-the-kid/ Dreamscape Desperado | True West - https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/dreamscape-desperado-2/ David G. Thomas Website - https://doc45.com/ Dr. Robert Stahl Eyewitnesses - https://doc45.com/pleading/tenth-court-pleading-by-dr-robert-stahl-for-kid-death-certificate.pdf Forever West | James Townsend - https://www.youtube.com/@ForeverWestPodcast To Hell on a Fast Horse by Mark Lee Gardner - https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Fast-Horse-Untold-Garrett/dp/0061368296/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&sr=1-1 Chasing Billy the Kid by Kurt House & Roy B. Young - https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Chasing-Billy-Kid-Stewart-Manhunt/dp/0963894706 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late January 1882, Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo came within mere seconds of turning the streets of Tombstone into a slaughterhouse. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed, and both men were arrested before a shot was fired; a near catastrophe that historian Mark Lee Gardner described as “the greatest gunfight that never was.” Join me today as we take a closer look at this infamous standoff. We’ll examine Holliday’s role in the famous Earp vendetta ride, his last gunfight in Colorado, and his final days at Glenwood Springs. We’ll also discuss the Dodge City War, Luke Short, Bat Masterson, and the ultimate fate of Holliday’s gal pal, Big Nose Kate Elder. P.S. - The thumbnail does not actually depict the real Doc Holliday. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What really caused the gunfight at the OK Corral? Most people chalk it up to a simple showdown between good and evil, with Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday on one side and the Clantons and McLaury brothers on the other. Thirty seconds, roughly thirty shots fired at point-blank range, and three men left dead in the street. But contrary to popular belief, the violence in Tombstone didn't just materialize out of thin air. Months earlier, a botched stage robbery near Benson set off a chain reaction of rumors, arrests, and broken trust. Doc Holliday found himself accused of crimes he likely had nothing to do with. At the same time, Wyatt Earp quietly negotiated with Cochise County Cowboys who were willing to betray their own for reward money. When those secrets began to leak, threats followed. Today, we'll examine the long fuse behind the famous gunfight and how mounting tensions and fear finally erupted into the most legendary shootout in all of the American West. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Doc Holliday Part 1 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/doc-holliday-the-early-years-part-1/ Doc Holliday Part 2 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/doc-holliday-the-road-to-tombstone-part-2/ Shane Derden - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZEzUX8LOI00rhYMbQblOP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doc Holliday arrived in Dodge City in 1878, fresh from Texas and already tied to the hip to Big Nose Kate. He advertised as a dentist, gambled heavily, and quietly built a reputation in one of the most dangerous towns in the Old West before moving on, first to Colorado, then New Mexico, and finally, Tombstone, Arizona. Join me today as we examine Doc’s road to the O.K. Corral. Also discussed are Curly Bill Brocius, Johnny Tyler, Holliday’s volatile relationship with Kate Elder, and his unflinching devotion to Wyatt Earp. Doc Holliday Part 1 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/doc-holliday-the-early-years-part-1/ This is NOT Doc Holliday - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvIDvi5NdMo Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/ Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doc Holliday was a gambler, a consumptive, a deadly shootist, and an educated Southern gentleman. He was feared across the frontier, respected by some, hated by many, and remembered as one of the most complicated figures in all of the Old West history. Join me today as we explore Holliday’s early life. We’ll examine the pivotal experience that caused him to head West, his relationship with Big Nose Kate, the famous Ed Bailey stabbing, and his initial meeting with Wyatt Earp. Also discussed are Fort Griffin, Doc’s first gunfight, and Bat Masterson. Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/ Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Brothers of the Gun by Mark Lee Gardner - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/brothers-of-the-gun-wyatt-earp-doc-holliday-and-a-reckoning-in-tombstone/54865966/?resultid=c66674b8-5fa2-4725-a87f-a9a9d5b1db77 - edition=72796348&idiq=83903309 Wyatt Earp by Casey Tefertiller - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/wyatt-earp-the-life-behind-the-legend_casey-tefertiller/326182/?resultid=15195d83-4434-487b-a9bc-4b6d8389b6e1 - edition=4449348&idiq=417441 Doc Holliday by Gary L. Roberts - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/doc-holliday-the-life-and-legend_gary-l-roberts/386997/?resultid=7de0cf10-a07b-49d6-85ea-4c492ecc7f57 - edition=4234423&idiq=4416867 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did PTSD exist in the Old West, and if so, did it contribute to the violence of the frontier? Join me as we explore how trauma affected soldiers and civilians alike long before the condition had a name, from Civil War veterans suffering from what was once called soldiers’ heart or Da Costa’s syndrome to rising rates of alcoholism, domestic violence, and institutionalization across the United States. Using historical research, homicide statistics from frontier towns like Dodge City and San Francisco, and modern scholarship, we’ll examine whether PTSD was a driving force behind Old West violence or one factor among many. And stick around to the end for another listener Q&A! We’ll discuss Brushy Bill Roberts, Doc Scurlock, Henry Plummer, and the Montana vigilantes, along with reflections on notable Western films and books. National Center for PTSD - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/ Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all seen Tombstone, but how much do you really know about the origins of the Clantons? Or to be more specific, how much do you know about the family patriarch, Newman “Old Man” Clanton? Is it true he was really the meanest of the Cochise County Cowboys? Join me today as we trace Old Man Clanton from Tennessee to Arizona. We’ll discuss his association with other bandits like Curly Bill Brocius and John Kinney, his alleged atrocities on the Mexican border, and finally, his untimely demise in Skull Canyon. And yes, we’ll also take a look at whether or not the Cochise County Cowboys really wore those red sashes. Make sure you stick around to the end for a little bonus Wild West Q&A. We’ll talk about everything from Billy the Kid’s lost guns to the weird story behind the Oklahoma panhandle and even the missing intro music! Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/ Homicide Rates in the Old West | OHIO - https://cjrc.osu.edu/research/interdisciplinary/hvd/homicide-rates-american-west Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rube Burrow began as an honest cowboy and farmer with every intention of living a simple life. Born in Alabama in 1855, he built a family and worked the land until sickness, failed crops, and tragic loss pushed him past the breaking point. From his early train robberies in Texas to long months hiding in the Alabama backwoods, this is the complete story of Burrow’s rise and fall. His robberies, escapes, disguises, and shootouts, as well as the people who helped him, the lawmen who hunted him, and the choices that led to his violent demise. Was Rube Burrow a tragic figure crushed by hardship, the Robin Hood of Alabama, or simply a dangerous outlaw? Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/ Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When did the Old West truly begin, and when did it finally come to an end? Some trace the Wild West’s start to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, while others think it was much late,r as cowboys started trailing herds out of Texas. As for the end, many point to 1890, when the U.S. Census Bureau declared the frontier closed and Wounded Knee marked the last big clash between the Indigenous and the U.S. Army. But where does the true lie? Did the Old West really begin with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, or was it much earlier when the acquisition of the horse forever changed the landscape of the Great Plains? And if the Old West was over by 1890, then why did stagecoach robberies and gunfights continue well into the early 1900s? Also discussed are Apache raids from the 1930s, the Billy the Kid wannabe John Miller, Billy Dixon, Clay Allison, my favorite drink of choice, and much more! Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/ Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices