While Buffalo Roamed: The Wild West History of Colorado
History of Colorado’s (Old West) frontier days, western history, wild west, with the introduction to the remaining landmarks (while the buffalo and native Americans ruled the plains).
Once gold is discovered in west Kansas Territory, the western adventurers, settlers, miners, bandits, gamblers, farmers, ranchers, city builders and politicians stopped in Denver; from there these pioneers spread like ants into an unknown wilderness that would evolve into the state of Colorado.
Hero’s and villains, trials and hangings, escapes and adventure, fortunes made and lost - murder, poetry and even song - from the initial evidence left for us...
This podcast is produced locally, high in the Rocky Mountains where this history - and these stories originated.
The show is best enjoyed by listening to the episodes in order, and while not necessary, the full wild western experience is gained in this manner - full immersion - the history (stories) are in chronological order.
Our podcast will entertain and enlighten, the listener will notice much quotation from the mid to late 1800s; think of the quotations as the guests of the show. At first the language and vocabulary of the frontiersman and women will seem awkward, trust me: YOU WILL ABSORB the cadence and character and learn some new words - it will quicken your thought (I believe that - give it a solid try and see for yourself).
The episodes together form a rounded story of frontier life. The stages of civilization of the mid 1800s also translate to California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Mew Mexico, Wyoming and more. Starting from campers, gold miners, ranchers…
Colorado is wonderful example of western frontier settlement. Its relative youth helps the historian or enthusiast, as does the general gold excitement which attracted so many from all over the world. Those involved in Colorado’s settlement felt that is was quite a special event in American history, which it was, and thankfully many early arrivals wrote copious notes - there’s a mountain of first hand primary source evidence. We don’t want to lose these stories, and while Colorado history is easy to obtain and read, it’s shuffled so that the storytellers or historians who didn’t have the benefits of modern research techniques, naturally missed some details we can (and have) recover(ed) today. Combine this with the author who has first hand knowledge of the particular locations and you can't help but learn a little something along the way - we shoot for “total immersion” - or something like that!
Listen on:
Episodes
Sunday Mar 22, 2026
Sunday Mar 22, 2026
William Green Russell has a HUGE plan to bring water from the snowy peaks, the continental divide, to Russell Gulch and beyond. The first "utilities" planned in the mountains.
The Fall River Ditch Company, The Rocky Mountain Ditch Company, the first newspaper in MOUNTAIN CITY (edited by Thomas Gibson and "FRED").
Idaho Springs, Spanish Bar, Mountain City, Nevada, Fall River, Clear Creek, Denver, Golden, Russell Gulch and Central City 1859.
Description of the area...and I finally find some GOLD.
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
James Beckwourth, a freed slave (freed from his loving father) from Virginia, while part of a trapping expedition in the early 1820s, is captured by a band of Crow Tribal People while trapping in the wilds of modern Wyoming (within the boundaries the future Jefferson Territory).
James is mistaken for a long lost son of the tribe, he joins the Crow Nation as a result - going along with this mistaken identity.
As usual, a Beckwourth story always entertains, and his experiences add wonderful color to tribal life on the plains.
Enjoy!
And thank you for listening!
JB
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
First Pistol Duel in Denver, 1859 (Park McClure and Richard Whitsett fight for honor on the banks of Cherry Creek.
Achilles and Hector - David and Goliath - Park McClure and Dick Whitsett?
Today, two 58ers have a private dispute and duel it out on the banks of Cherry Creek with 8" Navy Revolvers, at ten paces.
How did we get here, where did the idea of an honorable and gentlemanly deadly duel come from?
Today the duel, a few famous duels, the rules of the Duel (Code Duello 1777), then, Denver's first gentlemanly gunfight.
Best wishes and thank you for tuning in!
Further Reading:
History of Colorado, Hall, 1889History of Denver, Smiley 1901The Holy Bible, Martin Luther Translation (family bible 1600s from Germany)The Iliad, Homer
Sunday Feb 08, 2026
Sunday Feb 08, 2026
Desperate, lost and starving, Daniel Blue of Illinois prolongs his life by eating the flesh of his decaying friend and two brothers while traveling the Smokey Hill route to the Pikes Peak gold region in February of 1859.
This story of disaster and privation is THE first hand account, written by the survivor - Daniel Blue.
Alfred Packer is credited as the original "Colorado Cannibal", but this story takes place in future Colorado (Kansas Territory "K.T." at the time) fifteen years before Packer's accounts supposedly occurred.
Listen carefully, for the story has some interesting...
Listener Discretion Advised
Monday Jan 26, 2026
Monday Jan 26, 2026
A horror story on the Smokey Hill Trail - Deadly fire blows through mountains - The Boulder County Marshal Fire 2021/2022 - How to make Apple Cider Vinegar according to 1859 - Obituaries - Mountain Tour
Listener Discretion Advised
While the miners mine in future Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties, a fire sweeps through the mountains killing 3 and their two animals. Two men freeze to death on the plains, leaving evidence that in the next to last stage of hypothermia, the suffers feel so hot they remove their clothing. A tornado rips through the plains killing one and sending loaded wagons skyward.
This episode, filled with primary information, is a collection of newspaper articles published between May and July of 1859 in the Rocky Mountain News. Thank you for listening.
Sunday Jan 18, 2026
Sunday Jan 18, 2026
The South Park Miner Ambush of 1859
LISTENER Discretion ADVISED
Topics of this show include: suicide, homicide, human decay, dismemberment and terrible suffering.
Bent's Fort - La Junta Colorado - J.B. Kennedy S.D. (L.J.) Shank (Schank) William Slaughter Christopher "Kit" Carson - Ute Tribal People - THE South Park of Colorado - Miners Ambushed - Mysterious Location - Murder/Suicide
Three miners embark on a prospecting tour of THE South Park. Ute tribesmen in the area appear friendly, until they prove otherwise. One man (William Slaughter) escapes, survives the trek back to the Gregory Diggings (Mountain City), and a party (of 100) is formed to bury the bodies and "chastise" the "Indians."
Hear the rest of the story, and if (the mysterious location) is found, please share it with me - I can be contacted through the link below.
Thank you!
http://dasarowin67.podbean.com
Rocky Mountain NewsWilliam Slaughter pictured in E23 cover art.
Sunday Jan 04, 2026
Sunday Jan 04, 2026
Gilligan's Island - Thank You - Spotify - Mail vs. Express - Henry Allen wins "Mr. Auraria" - Denver City "Post Office" - Real Mail Arrives - Backwards
Almost 700 miles and a month away from friends, family and business (the network connection) the frontiersmen men and women in western Kansas Territory just want a little "network" service (at a fair price...with regularity...like other Americans).
Postage was 3 cents to get a letter 3,000 miles - so why did it cost 28 cents (11 dollars today) to mail a letter back home? Find out by playing the episode...
Thank you,Happy New Year!
Sunday Dec 28, 2025
Sunday Dec 28, 2025
Big-time newsmen arrive to see the Pike's Peak gold fields for themselves. They are asked to publish their findings "as they were seen", which the editors do.
Horace Greeley (New York Tribune)Albert D. Richardson (Boston Journal)Henry Villard (Cincinatti Commercial Gazette)
I present...THE REPORT