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 Jun 08, 2025
Sunday Jun 08, 2025
William Larimer Jr - Auraria - Denver City - Arapahoe City - Kansas Territory - Montana City - Colorado - William Greenberry Russell - Golden
The creation of Denver AND Colorado, three places to visit in Denver, the first towns of Montana City, Auraria, St. Charles and Arapahoe City - all in contention for the county seat (Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory). This is the dawn of Colorado, and now the story really begins!
Denver City, Colorado, Montana City, Arapahoe City, Auraria
Pike's Peak gold rush, Grant Frontier Park, Confluence Park, the saddest and loneliest historical marker ever!
Sunday May 25, 2025
Sunday May 25, 2025
Murder on the Plains - Julia Archibald Holmes - Lawrence Party - Georgia Party - Leavenworth Party - Russell Party - Gold - Garden of the Gods - Arapahoe County - Cherry Creek
1858 is a huge year for Colorado, this is the story of the early risk-takers, the fifty-Eighters, who arrived at future Denver in 1858 (lured by rumors of gold).
First significant gold discovery - First attempted murder and trial - First summits of Pike's Peak by Anglos (men and a woman) - The Bloomer Girl - The Wheelbarrow Man - Garden of the Gods - First county officers arrive
Thursday May 08, 2025
Thursday May 08, 2025
How Pioneers Found Gold - Gold Panning - Gold Falls From Heaven - Asteroids - Water is the Key
After an unknown teamster finds gold in Cherry creek (modern downtown Denver), gold will be a driving force to this series - time to learn a little about GOLD.
Basic gold prospecting (panning) and how the frontier miners found gold in the water and way up on mountainsides.
placer gold and lode gold
Special thanks to: primalhousemusic, nickogloire, free_sound community and moodmode
Sunday Apr 27, 2025
Sunday Apr 27, 2025
Captain Marcy's Disaster - Colonel Loring March - Frozen and Burned - Eating the Horses and Mules - Death of the Road
The lonely gravesite of Michael Fagan marks the location of the Marcy / Loring march, in which a snowstorm killed 3, one man burned to ...
Thanks to DELOSound
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Spite
Jacques La Ramee (Laramie)
William and Charles Bent
Oasis in the desert
A detail of two important forts, Fort Laramie and Bent's Fort(s). Both vital to westward expansion, worth the drive and visit - hit both in a day if you can!
Sunday Mar 30, 2025
Sunday Mar 30, 2025
Kit Carson - Captain Bonneville - James P. Beckwourth - Treaty 1851 - Arapahoe - Cheyenne - Ute - Trappers and Traders - Blood Meridian - Sioux - Snake - Wyoming - Montana - Kansas Territory
Today we talk about the wild westerners that were here before the cowboys and lawmen -
Tribal People and the American Fur Trappers"The Other Guys"
Cheyennes: Wah-ha-nis-satta, Voist-ti-toe-vetz, Nahk-ko-me-ien, Koh-kah-y-wh--est,
Arrapahoes: Bè-ah-té-a-qui-sah, Neb-ni-bah-seh-it, Beh-kah-jay-beth-sah-es,
Friday Mar 14, 2025
Friday Mar 14, 2025
Personal introduction and podcast intent
Setting the stage: America looks west, Napoleon and Jefferson, THE Free People, Oregon country, wars of the West, trappers, California and 49ers, camping for months, avoiding the mountains, terror in Utah (Mountain Medows Massacare).
1 of 2
There will be two episodes dedicated to a general background and history of the region before permanent settlement.