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
Jan 18, 2026
Jan 18, 2026
31 min
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 (cover art) 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.
Jan 4, 2026
Jan 4, 2026
22 min
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!
Dec 28, 2025
Dec 28, 2025
20 min
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) (cover art)Henry Villard (Cincinatti Commercial Gazette)
I present...THE REPORT
Dec 21, 2025
Dec 21, 2025
44 min
Mark Twain, Horace Greeley (cover art) 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?
Dec 6, 2025
Dec 6, 2025
56 min
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 (cover art), the Russell diggings, first strikes, first laws of the Rocky Mountains, John Gregory, Dr. Casto, Defrees, routes to the mines, Horace Greeley
Thank you for listening!
JB
Dec 4, 2025
Dec 4, 2025
28 min
A James P. Beckwourth (cover art) story for your entertainment, chosen at complete random to better your day. It is a rather tame Beckwourth tale!
This episode is a slice of life from the trappers who proceeded the gold hunters in western Kansas
Thank you
Nov 23, 2025
Nov 23, 2025
35 min
Walt Whitman - Henry David Thoreau (cover art) - 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
Nov 9, 2025
Nov 9, 2025
45 min
Alexander Hamilton (cover art) 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
Thank you for listening - JB