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 Dec 21, 2025
Sunday Dec 21, 2025
Mark Twain, Horace Greeley and the Stage (intro)
Horace Greeley and the stage line come to town. Denver City gets a boost when the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Express Company land in the new West Kansas town.
Just after the first stage arrives, three important and trusted newspaper editors ride into town - to set the record straight. Horace Greeley (the most famous visitor yet - and publisher of the New York Tribune), Henry Villard of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette and Albert Richardson of the Boston Journal.
Does West Kansas impress or repulse?
Saturday Dec 06, 2025
Saturday Dec 06, 2025
Back to the Rocky Mountains and gold. The bonanza is on, riches for the quick, the latecomers want a fair chance.
Return of William Green Russell, the Russell diggings, fir$t $trikes, first laws of the Rocky Mountains, John Gregory, Dr. Casto, Defrees, routes to the mines, Horace Greeley
Thursday Dec 04, 2025
Thursday Dec 04, 2025
A James P. Beckwourth story for your entertainment, chosen at complete random to better your day. It is a rather tame Beckwourth tale!
Thank you
Sunday Nov 23, 2025
Sunday Nov 23, 2025
Walt Whitman - Henry David Thoreau - Horace Greeley - Arapahoe and Cheyenne - Man's Condition
It's never enough is it? Or, isn't it? For the tribal people "it was enough", life, the pursuit of happiness. For the white man, a different path perhaps.
Do we know what we want, or have we proven so already, by our actions?
Happy Thanksgiving - JB
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Duel - Thomas Jefferson - Constitutional Convention - First Politics and Government in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory - The Jefferson Territory
In this episode government and politics arrive at the center of the Pikes Peak Region - Denver and Auraria. County elections (March 28, 1859) and town elections (precincts) were held - all void and illegal, for the true authority was 600 miles away in Le Compton Kansas Territory.
After county and city elections, it is determined to create a new state (yes...that fast). The idea of the Jefferson Territory is created and examined.
Government and Politics: While Buffalo Roamed
Sunday Oct 26, 2025
Sunday Oct 26, 2025
Firearm (gun) Accidents 1859 - Frontier Weaponry - Mark Twain - Nevada Territory - Early Crime Scene Investigation by a 17 year old girl on the plains CSI - Sarah Herndon - Samuel Colt - Ethan Allan - The Pepper Box -
Why was it 3X more likely to die of accidental gun discharge in 1859 Kansas Territory (future Colorado) in the summer of 1859 than today? On this episode, we hear about some deaths caused by accidental weapon discharge (true events) and discover why it was so much more common a fate in frontier K.T. (Kansas Territory). Can it be blamed solely on the machinery , or simply human error...or all of the above?
Sunday Oct 12, 2025
Sunday Oct 12, 2025
Gold Rush 1959 Colorado (Kansas Territory) - Georgia - GOLD - John Gregory - Black Hawk, Colorado - Central City, Colorado - Gregory Road - Golden Gate Canyon Road
The Colorado Gold Rush begins (officially) with a huge gold discovery between modern Black Hawk and Central City, Colorado on May 10, 1859 when John Gregory returns to his hidden strike. John is accompanied by Wilkes DeFrees and William Zeigler, they ascend Enter mountain (near Golden Gate Canyon Road - present day Golden, Colorado) creating a new path to the "Gregory Diggins".
This not only launches the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, but expedites any thoughts or talks of making this region a new and distinct territory.
THE explosion occurs!
Sunday Oct 05, 2025
Sunday Oct 05, 2025
Introducing SEs (Special Episodes) - On off-Sundays I will release SEs when possible. These "Specials" will be shows that do not fit in the timeline, or shows dedicated to further detail on a subject. In other words, an episode labeled "SE" will not coincide (chronologically) with "Es" (regular episodes).
I won't throw in a story from Arizona or France, but I have a few interesting stories that predate the timeline and add value to the larger saga.
Thank you for listening,
JB