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!
Episodes
May 3, 2026
May 3, 2026
19 min
Boulder City and Boulder Diggings are revealed and cover a large area (you'd be surprised). From Gold Hill to Gregory's diggings encompass the norther portion of the mountain gold bonanza in 1859.
Deadwood, Greenhorn, Gamble Gulch / the Jefferson diggings, Lump Gulch, South Boulder Creek, the "Mountain House" (pie and coffee), first silver mine in Nebraska Territory?, and a toll road!
John Quincy Adams Rollins and Rollinsville? - NOT YET
Have fun, there's a lot of great bedrock in this show!
I love you,
JB
Apr 19, 2026
Apr 19, 2026
23 min
1859 Kansas Territory - Descriptions from three journalists of the same scenes - rare and interesting !
The Gregory Diggings were visited by three journalists (June '59) - one of which is known to all - the other two will be...
All had a hand in shaping our young country, albeit in different ways. When reading over these sections (while doing research) I thought it was so cool to read three versions of the same thing by great artists - which they indeed were! Each with a light on what they thought pertinent.
Henry Villard (image on cover art) - Albert Deane Richardson - Horace Greeley
Enjoy their genius, describing the cradle of future Colorado!
Thank you,
JB
Apr 5, 2026
Apr 5, 2026
28 min
Hi friends! Today, continuing through the gold regions in late summer of 1859, we first discover Georgetown (Griffith Brothers). Then, over the range to the South Park - bad news from the Arkansas, the Utes have murdered over a dozen in retaliation of the miners intrusion.
Description of the South Park and dawn of Georgetown, Colorado.
Bayou Salado, Georgetown, Guanella Pass, THE South Park, Hamilton, Jefferson, Tarryall, Idaho Springs, Chicago Creek, and more! 1859
Packed show,
Thank you for listening!
Mar 22, 2026
Mar 22, 2026
28 min
William Green Russell (image in cover art) 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.
Mar 8, 2026
Mar 8, 2026
25 min
James Beckwourth (cover art) , 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
Feb 22, 2026
Feb 22, 2026
37 min
First Pistol Duel in Denver, 1859 (Park McClure and Richard Whitsett (cover art) 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
Feb 8, 2026
Feb 8, 2026
43 min
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
Jan 26, 2026
Jan 26, 2026
50 min
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.