The Wild West Extravaganza

In the summer of 1881, Billy the Kid was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett. The lawman had been on the hunt ever since Billy broke out of jail in the town of Lincoln and finally caught up to the bandit at Old Fort Sumner. It was around midnight, and Pat was waiting inside Pete Maxwell’s darkened bedroom when the Kid stepped in. “Quien es?” Billy asked, noticing the large shape looming in the shadows. “Who is it?” Pat answered in the form of two shots from his 44-40 colt revolver and just like that Billy the Kid was over. At least in his mortal form. His body may have been stuck ground the next day but can’t no pine box contain the legend that soon emerged. And make no mistake about it, over the decades that followed Billy the Kid has taken on mythical proportions unrivaled by any other character of the old west.   But who was he REALLY?   In this episode we’ll take a look at the Kid’s origin story; what we know about his family and his early life. We’ll dive into Billy’s time in Silver City, his first brush(es) with the law, his time in the mining camps of Arizona, and – of course - his first time with Francis “Windy” Cahill.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   How The West Was Cast – https://westernpodcast.buzzsprout.com/   Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life | Robert Utley - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0803295588?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzjoshta02-20&creativeASIN=0803295588&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.YEHGNY7KFAU7&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin   Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride | Michael Wallis - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393060683?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzjoshta02-20&creativeASIN=0393060683&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.YEHGNY7KFAU7&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin

Just a short update. No new episode today but next week we’ll kick off the Billy the Kid series. In the meantime, check out some of these book recommendations and give a listen to a few of my friends! Topics include: Louis L’Amour, Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, William W. Johnstone, Terry C. Johnston, rebelliousness, awesome YouTubers, mushrooms, western cinema, and vampires. Yeah, vampires.   Fiction Books | Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/2H6WTE0CNW87P?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d   11 Bang Bang featuring The Wild West Extravaganza - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0UYgXf78SM   11 Bang Bang YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZW1XuaZrR92BhXE09AOd5Q   Duke Frazier Productions – https://www.youtube.com/user/dukefrazier   Snapper’s Antique Firearms - https://www.youtube.com/@snappers_antique_firearms   To Be A Rebel Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3MB010NPTevGamVDMF4kqW   Wrong Reel Podcast w/ David Lambert | Winchester ’73 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7H5Cy2rOAh25Oacag8h2D0   How The West Was Cast – https://open.spotify.com/show/2X2OXWe8P0czZOlJG3DyTj   Texas History Lessons - https://www.texashistorylessons.com/

Gold was discovered in Montana in 1862, ushering in a flood of prospectors straight through the heart of Lakota territory on a new road called the Bozeman trail, further straining tensions between settlers and Natives. Jim Bridger opened up his “Bridger’s Trail”, a much safer – and popular - alternative but the powers that be were dead set on erecting forts on the Bozeman. Violence erupted across the Great Plains as the Lakota, Arapaho, and Cheyenne took to the war path, vowing to drive the whites from their land forever. These new tensions saw Bridger return to military duty once again, first guiding the Army during the Powder River campaign and again as he led Colonel Carrington to the Bighorn country and establishing Fort Phil Kearny. Jim Bridger, now in his sixties, was still riding the prairie, rifle across the saddle, and still blazing new trails.   This is episode five and the last installment in this series on Jim Bridger. Links below for the previous four.  In this episode we’re going to explore the Powder River Campaign, the Fetterman Massacre, Jim’s eventual retirement and death, and a quick look at the massive change that occurred during Bridger’s lifetime.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Hundred Proof History – https://hundredproofhistory.com/   Jim Bridger Pt 1 | Ashley’s 100 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-ashleys-100/   Jim Bridger Pt 2 | Bugs Boys - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-bugs-boys/   Jim Bridger Pt 3 | Mormons - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-mormons/   Jim Bridger Pt 4 | The Guide - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-the-guide/   Jim Bridger Trailblazer of the American West | Jerry Enzler - https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bridger-Trailblazer-American-West/dp/080619197X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39712IOHTJVTB&keywords=jim+bridger+jerry+enzler&qid=1675001445&s=books&sprefix=jim+bridger+jerry%2Cstripbooks%2C120&sr=1-1   Listen to Texas History Lessons for Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/

In the 1850s, Jim Bridger put his extensive knowledge of the West to use by guiding wealthy adventurers, geological surveyors, and the U.S. military. Then, in 1862, the discovery of gold in Montana sparked yet another gold rush, leading thousands of prospectors to illegally trespass on Lakota and Cheyenne land via the Bozeman trail, resulting in violence. The Army intervened and hired Bridger once again as their guide. Additionally covered in this episode is the Mountain Meadows massacre, the Utah War, and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851.   This is part four in the Jim Bridger series. Links for the previous three installments below.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/     Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/     Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest     Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/     Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra     Jim Bridger Pt 1 | Ashley’s 100 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-ashleys-100/     Jim Bridger Pt 2 | Bugs Boys - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-bugs-boys/     Jim Bridger Pt 3 | Mormons - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-mormons/     Jim Bridger Trailblazer of the American West | Jerry Enzler - https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bridger-Trailblazer-American-West/dp/080619197X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39712IOHTJVTB&keywords=jim+bridger+jerry+enzler&qid=1675001445&s=books&sprefix=jim+bridger+jerry%2Cstripbooks%2C120&sr=1-1     To Be a Rebel | David Loos https://open.spotify.com/show/3MB010NPTevGamVDMF4kqW     Listen to Texas History Lessons for Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/

This is part 3 in the series on Jim Bridger. For the previous 2 installments see links below. Fur trading no longer lucrative, Jim Bridger and a business partner decide to open up a trading post of their own, dubbing it Fort Bridger. Wasn’t long before Jim began doing brisk business, both to travelers along the Oregon Trail and those brave enough to try their luck on the Hasting’s Cutoff; migrants like the ill-fated Donner Party. Bad luck aside, Bridger’s fort – and his Green River ferry – did so well financially that his new neighbors, the daggum Mormons, decided to take it from him. By force! Also discussed in this episode: Magic underwear, Sister wives, the Whitman Massacre, Joseph Meek, Henry Fraeb, and Louis Vasquez!     Jim Bridger Pt 1 | Ashley's 100 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-ashleys-100/     Jim Bridger Pt 2 | Bugs Boys - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-bugs-boys/     Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/     Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/     Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest     Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/     Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra     Jim Bridger Trailblazer of the American West | Jerry Enzler - https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bridger-Trailblazer-American-West/dp/080619197X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39712IOHTJVTB&keywords=jim+bridger+jerry+enzler&qid=1675001445&s=books&sprefix=jim+bridger+jerry%2Cstripbooks%2C120&sr=1-1     Whitman Massacre Pt 1 | How the West Was Fucked – https://open.spotify.com/episode/2avEWulV7wwe5LRnDaaoy5     Whitman Massacre Pt 2 | How the West Was Fucked – https://open.spotify.com/episode/29TFAPU6WBYF18VgiwFWyQ     Jim Bridger (Just kidding, please listen to this!) | How the West Was Fucked - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6c5v7MdIJemcr7Jir2hCYB     Jim Bridger & Brigham Young | Jerry Enzler Q&A - https://www.fromthedesk.org/jim-bridger-brigham-young/     Listen to Texas History Lessons for Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/

Some of the richest beaver country was in the heart of territory claimed by the Blackfeet Confederacy; a tribe known to the fur trappers as Bug’s Boys, or the Sons of Satan. Needless to say there was no love lost between the American trappers and the Blackfeet, and violence became a given any time the two groups would meet with mercy rarely extended by either side. Nevertheless, the mountain men – piloted by Jim Bridger - persisted season after season, staking their fortunes and lives on Blackfeet Beaver. This is part 2 in the Jim Bridger series. Link below for part 1.   Jim Bridger Pt 1 | Ashley's 100 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/jim-bridger-ashleys-100/   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Jim Bridger Trailblazer of the American West | Jerry Enzler - https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bridger-Trailblazer-American-West/dp/080619197X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39712IOHTJVTB&keywords=jim+bridger+jerry+enzler&qid=1675001445&s=books&sprefix=jim+bridger+jerry%2Cstripbooks%2C120&sr=1-1   Eagles Ribs - https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/peh-pe-kiss-eagles-ribs-piegan-chief-4044   Trapped in History Wyoming Beaver | MeatEater - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9c6Rwj_IgQ   Kit vs Goliath | The Wild West Extravaganza - https://open.spotify.com/episode/72FelJNKF8ETYNqm4F80vb     Listen to Texas History Lessons for Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/  

Jim Bridger would join the ranks of Ashley’s One Hundred while still a teenager and - alongside other future old west legends like Hugh Glass, Jedediah Smith, and James Beckwourth - head up the Missouri river in search of beaver. From present day northern Montana all the way down to the Gulf of California, from the Mississippi on west to the Pacific Ocean, the iconic Mountain Man Bridger saw it all; discovering and blazing trails that still bear his name to this day while at the same time facing off with some of the deadliest warriors who ever strung a bow. This is the first episode in a series of five, discussing Jim Bridger's childhood, his time as a fur trapper with Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Company, his possible involvment in the Hugh Glass affair (the Revenant) and his "discovery" of the Great Salt Lake.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Jim Bridger Trailblazer of the American West | Jerry Enzler - https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bridger-Trailblazer-American-West/dp/080619197X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39712IOHTJVTB&keywords=jim+bridger+jerry+enzler&qid=1675001445&s=books&sprefix=jim+bridger+jerry%2Cstripbooks%2C120&sr=1-1   Hugh Glass | The Wild West Extravaganza - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1bICSRkDkPkKVVF5KUpJmE   To Be A Rebel | David Loos - https://open.spotify.com/show/3MB010NPTevGamVDMF4kqW   Listen to Texas History Lessons for Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/

My Darling Clementine is considered the greatest Wyatt Earp film of all time. It also just so happens to be the least accurate, despite legendary director John Ford having known Wyatt personally. Contrary to popular belief – and Ford’s own claims - this film was NOT based on Earp’s own account of his days in Tombstone, but rather an earlier film whose director also knew the now famous lawman. I say now famous because Wyatt wasn’t exactly what you would call a household name prior to the 20th century. His time in Dodge City - as well as his actions in Tombstone - certainly garnered Earp a reputation in certain circles. However, his introduction to the nation at large wouldn’t be as a lawman at all, but rather as the corrupt boxing referee who threw the fight for heavyweight champion of the world; a fiasco that saw Wyatt turn to Hollywood in an effort to redeem his sullied reputation.   More true tales from the wild and woolly west! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   David Lambert Art Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/davidlambertart   David Lambert Original Thread on Wyatt & Hollywood - https://twitter.com/davidlambertart/status/1440606380860186629   David Lambert archives on the Wrong Reel Podcast - https://wrongreel.com/tag/david-lambert/   Wyatt on the Set by Allen Barra - https://truewestmagazine.com/article/wyatt-on-the-set/   The Fix by Garner A. Palenske - https://truewestmagazine.com/article/the-fix/   William S. Hart & Wyatt Earp Correspondence - https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/hart-earpletters.htm   Scurrilous LA Times article from 1922 - https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/hart-earpletters.htm   Alan Dwan & The Rise & Decline of the Hollywood Studios - https://www.amazon.com/Allan-Dwan-Decline-Hollywood-Studios-ebook/dp/B00C7C2EDK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28EADZ4B8LD93&keywords=allan+dwan+and+the+rise+and+decline+of+the+hollywood+studios&qid=1672673971&sprefix=allan+dwan+and+the+ris%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1   Helldorado – Bringing the Law to the Mesquite by William M. Breakenridge - https://www.amazon.com/Helldorado-Bringing-Mesquite-William-Breakenridge/dp/0803261004   Wyatt Earp Frontier Marshal by Stuart Lake - https://www.amazon.com/Wyatt-Earp-Frontier-Stuart-Lake/dp/0671885375   Law and Order (1932) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRFPBVG65LU   The Half Breed (1916) - https://www.cinematheque.fr/henri/film/32090-the-half-breed-allan-dwan-1916/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Listen to Texas History Lessons for Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/  

We all know the "scene", right? Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp are walking the streets of Tombstone when they’re confronted by a visibly inebriated Johnny Ringo. He informs the trio that he wants their blood and their souls, and he wants them now.  Wyatt refuses to fight, says there ain’t no money in it and tells Ringo to sober up, as he and his brothers turn and walk away. At this point Johnny really begins to rage. “Don’t any of you have the guts to play for blood?” And that’s when Doc steps out; fingers dancing close to the butt of his holstered revolver with another pistol concealed behind his back. He’d been watching the events unfold from a nearby barber’s chair and once Ringo blurts out his bold invitation, Holliday decides he wants to play. And you know what he says next. Or at least I should say you THINK you know. 1994’s Tombstone remains an iconic movie that produced many an iconic phrase, one in particular that people have been quoting nonstop for the past 3 decades. A simple idiom now emblazoned on t shirts, hoodies, whiskey tumblers, key chains, shot glasses, bottle openers, beanies, baseball caps, hell…even fuzzy socks. In my kitchen right now is a coffee mug with this famous expression printed on it in big bold letters. But are those letters wrong? Are we wrong? Is this some sort of Mandela effect, did our ears betray us? Or are there simply some among us pretending to be smarter than they really are? What the hell did Val Kilmer aka Doc Holliday really say? And what SHOULD he have said?   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   I’m Your Huckleberry by D.T. Christensen | Oldwest.org - https://www.oldwest.org/im-your-huckleberry-meaning/   David Lambert on the old west - https://twitter.com/DavidLambertArt/status/1526547092864258048?cxt=HHwWgMCiscafsa8qAAAA   David Lambert Art - https://www.patreon.com/davidlambertart   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Listen to Texas History Lessons! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/

This is the fifth and final installation in the Frank Canton series. Link below for the previous four. In the early morning hours of June 2nd, 1899, five masked men held up a Union Pacific Train near Wilcox, Wyoming. In what would become one of the more famous robberies of the old west, the bandits used dynamite to blast their way into a mail car and after another detonation took care of the safe, they’d ride away with an estimated 50,000 dollars. Nearly 2 million in today’s money. And if this sounds familiar well maybe you’ve seen a little film called Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Contrary to what’s portrayed in the movie, there’s a very good chance that Butch Cassidy himself had nothing to do with this particular hold up. Be that as it may, it’s next to certain that those who did were members of his gang – the Wild Bunch. Harry Longabaugh, aka the Sundance Kid, was likely one of the masked men. So was the deadly Harvey Logan and his brother Lonnie, the Tall Texan Ben Kilpatrick, and last but certainly not least was a land pirate by the name of George Flat Nose Curry. The banditti were headed for a remote pass in the Bighorn mountains they called the Hole-in-the-wall, a sort of outlaw stronghold they used as a headquarters of sorts. And the hole-in-the-wall was located in Johnson County; the same Johnson County we’ve been discussing dang near this whole series. Now the Wild Bunch did not exist when Frank Canton was Sheriff thereabouts and by the time the Wild Bunch came into being Frank had already moved on and when the Wild Bunch robbed that train at Wilcox, Canton was still up in Alaska. But he’d soon be returning. And, after a bit of comeuppance damn near a decade in the making – a little bit of Johnson County Justice if you will – Frank would saddle up and go on the hunt for the Wild Bunch. At least what was left of ‘em. Got a lot to cover on this episode. An averted assassination, an epic ass whoopin, Canton’s career as a bounty hunter, his return to Indian Territory – his debut on the silver screen - and finally his ascension to the highest ranks of power. Something the man had been in pursuit of – one way or another - his entire life.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Listen to Texas History Lessons for more Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/   Alias Frank Canton by Robert DeArment - https://www.amazon.com/Alias-Frank-Canton-Robert-DeArment/dp/080612900X   The Johnson County War by Bill O’Neal - https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-County-War-Bill-ONeal/dp/1571688765/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2K65FLR05BSV1&keywords=johnson+county+war&qid=1670763630&s=books&sprefix=johnson+county+war%2Cstripbooks%2C132&sr=1-2   The Bank Robbery (1908) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbX4ekoVBDg   Frank Canton Pt 1 – https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-1-the-outlaw-years/ Frank Canton Pt 2 – https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-2-sheriff/   Frank Canton Pt 3 – https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-3-johnson-county-war/   Frank Canton Pt 4 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-4-alaska/  

This is part 4 in the series on Frank Canton. Link to previous episodes below. When we left off, Frank was laying low in Nebraska following the aftermath of the Johnson County War. On this episode we’ll take a look at Canton’s next job – that of Undersheriff in a newly formed county down in Indian Territory. We’ll discuss his relationship with the famed Three Guardsmen – Heck Thomas, Bill Tilghman, & Chris Madsen, as well as Frank’s efforts to put an end to the notorious Doolin Gang as well as Cattle Annie & Little Britches. And we’ll also discuss Canton’s time in Alaska. Spoiler alert, he built Wyatt Earp’s cabin! All this PLUS Frank’s explosive return to Johnson County!   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Alias Frank Canton by Robert K. DeArment - Alias Frank Canton by Robert K. DeArment - https://www.amazon.com/Alias-Frank-Canton-Robert-Dearment/dp/0806128283/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3LOG09V4NKLP9&keywords=frank+canton&qid=1670421988&sprefix=frank+cannon%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-2   Frank Canton Pt 1 | Outlaw Years - https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-1-the-outlaw-years/   Frank Canton Pt 2 | Sheriff - https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-2-sheriff/   Frank Canton Pt 3 | Johnson County War - https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-3-johnson-county-war/

This is Part 3 in the Frank Canton series. See links below for Parts 1  2. https://open.spotify.com/episode/04X4DO7USW9EzqK0xFNhSJ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Nh2kWENOVK8xwZgy5SLf6   Things in Johnson County, Wyoming had finally come to a head. After the Wyoming Stock Growers Association allegedly lynched James Averell and Ella Watson, there was a series of repercussion killings. When respected cowboys Orly Jones and John A. Tisdale were also found brutally murdered, all eyes were cast on Frank Canton (Although many now suspect noted assassin, Tom Horn). Opting to not take his chances in a Johnson County courtroom, Canton fled temporarily to Chicago as his legal team worked on his behalf. But he would return and return with a vengeance. Frank came riding back into Johnson County with a small army of cattle barons and hired guns from Texas, a kill list in their hands. And their first target was a little someone known as Nate Champion.   How the West was Fucked | Granville Stuart - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O5I1gQpOPrBnzYNotc9VA   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Alias Frank Canton by Robert K. DeArment - https://www.amazon.com/Alias-Frank-Canton-Robert-DeArment/dp/080612900X   The Johnson County War by Bill O’Neil - https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-County-War-Bill-ONeal/dp/1571688765/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1ODICTBSEA038&keywords=johnson+county+war&qid=1668567269&s=books&sprefix=johnson+coun%2Cstripbooks%2C155&sr=1-2  

This is Part 2 in the Frank Canton series. See link below for Part 1. https://www.wildwestextra.com/frank-canton-part-1-the-outlaw-years/ During Canton’s time as Johnson County Sheriff, he sent over a dozen men to prison – mostly for horse theft – and even executed a murderer. He wasn’t very trigger happy, though. Frank was a tough, intimidating lawman who was happy to let his reputations speak for him. But why did he soon lose the support of the people? And what happened when Frank and his WSGA buddies decided to take the law into their own hands?   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Alias Frank Canton by Robert K. DeArment - https://www.amazon.com/Alias-Frank-Canton-Robert-DeArment/dp/080612900X   The Johnson County War by Bill O’Neil - https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-County-War-Bill-ONeal/dp/1571688765/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1ODICTBSEA038&keywords=johnson+county+war&qid=1668567269&s=books&sprefix=johnson+coun%2Cstripbooks%2C155&sr=1-2

Frank Canton was not born; he was created. The mental fabrication of a notorious outlaw and escaped convict by the name of Joe Horner. After possibly killing his first man at the tender age of 15, Horner would spend the next several years as a cowboy and ranch hand before forming the infamous Horner gang, that would terrorize north Texas during the mid-1870’s. After a full-on gun battle with the United States military in broad daylight, Horner is arrested but escapes. And, following the successful robbery of at least one bank, Horner was once more apprehended and jailed – this time in San Antonio – and once more escaped. Arrested again after yet another gunfight, Horner would be tried, found guilty and sentenced to 15 years hard labor in Huntsville State penitentiary. He would only do two of these years, escaping once more – this time never to be seen again. At least not as Josiah Horner. The escaped convict would travel north, to Wyoming, and reinvent himself. Becoming Frank Canton, the epitome of law and order and a relentless pursuer of neerdoells. First as an inspector and detective for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and then Sheriff of Johnson County, before being a key player in a little something called the Johnson County War. Canton would then mosey on down to Indian Territory, and once again pin on a badge, first as a sheriff and then as a deputy U.S. Marshal, chasing bad guys Rooster Cogburn style. This was at a time when the Territory was nearly overrun with outlaws and the area Canton was initially stationed in was so bad the county commissioners were asking for martial law. Turns out all they needed was Frank Canton. But then a new frontier beckoned. What some were taking to calling the last Frontier. Alaska. There was gold up there in the great white north and with gold comes crime. More than enough to keep a man such as Canton busy. But what about Frank’s past as an outlaw? The former life of Josiah Horner, the escaped convict? Would this ever catch up with him? And was he really Mr. Law and Order, humble public servant or was this just a façade? A way of him ensuring that he was always aligned with the powerful and influential. Believe me when I say, this story has it all. Cowboys, outlaws, moral quandaries, Buffalo soldiers, female rustlers, questionable morals, cattle drives, stampedes, a damn range war, a mercenary army, assassinations, murder, a whole lot of hangings, Tom Horn, the Pinkertons, Teddy Roosevelt, hell – even vampires! Yes vampires.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Alias Frank Canton by Robert K. DeArment - https://www.amazon.com/Alias-Frank-Canton-Robert-DeArment/dp/080612900X   The Johnson County War by Bill O’Neil - https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-County-War-Bill-ONeal/dp/1571688765/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1ODICTBSEA038&keywords=johnson+county+war&qid=1668567269&s=books&sprefix=johnson+coun%2Cstripbooks%2C155&sr=1-2   Wild Bill Hickok | Part 2 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/wild-bill-hickok-part-two/   Britt Johnson & the Searchers - https://www.wildwestextra.com/britt-johnson-the-searchers/  

It’s safe to say that a career as an outlaw doesn’t lend itself to a long life. Billy the Kid was only twenty-one years old when he was killed. Cherokee Bill a year younger. The notorious Bloody Bill Anderson not yet twenty-five. Jesse James, Joaquin Murrieta, Rube Burrow, Bill Longley, the list goes on. Not a one of them over the age of forty. But of course, there are exceptions. Not ALL of the west’s most dangerous men died young. Nor did they simply disappear at the turn of the 20th century. Some of ‘em stuck around and tried to adapt. This is one such story - someone you have most definitely heard of. A true legend of the old west; a killer. And yes, a shoe salesman.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Join FREE Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/

Happy Halloween! Clemente Apolinar was the last person publicly hanged in Texas. Not only did his execution go horribly wrong but you won’t BELIEVE what the location is currently being used as.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Join FREE Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Listen to Texas History Lessons for more Texas History! https://www.texashistorylessons.com/

Fifty Modoc warriors defied the U.S. Army for nearly a year; outwitting and outfighting them on more than one occasion, & killing a General in the process. This is Part 3 of the series on Captain Jack and the Modoc War.   Captain Jack & the Modoc War Pt 1 – https://open.spotify.com/episode/08Z5EY1dTdb9vTGRm1OoTb   Captain Jack & the Modoc War Pt 2 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4aveLbPW47jLSlqdeqvUkW   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/

This is part 2 in the series on the Modoc war. If you haven’t already listened to part 1, you may want to do so. Captain Jack & the Modoc War | Part 1 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/captain-jack-the-modoc-war/ We’ve already discussed the Modoc people, a bit of their history, and the unfortunate events leading up to the war. About how Captain Jack and his band weren’t content with the living conditions on the Klamath reservation, so they simply left and headed south, back to their homeland around Tule lake. And we ended that episode with the first shot of the war and the beginning of the Battle of Lost River. This episode we’ll cover the first Battle of the Stronghold, the Peace Commission, months of negotiations, and finally – a treachery.   Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Sign up for the free newsletter!!! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   The Story Out West | The Stronghold - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCJ35JYWecA   The Modocs and Their War by Keith A. Murray - https://www.amazon.com/Modocs-Their-Civilization-American-Indian/dp/0806113316/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2PZDA5FRSWSOS&keywords=modoc+war&qid=1664153682&s=books&sprefix=modoc+war%2Cstripbooks%2C130&sr=1-8   Remembering the Modoc War by Boyd Cothran - https://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Modoc-War-Redemptive-Directions/dp/1469633345/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2PZDA5FRSWSOS&keywords=modoc+war&qid=1664153623&s=books&sprefix=modoc+war%2Cstripbooks%2C130&sr=1-3   Chief Joseph & the Nez Perce War - https://www.wildwestextra.com/joseph/

In 1874 Kintpuash – better known as Captain Jack - led his small band of the Modoc people off of a reservation in southern Oregon and back to their homeland in Northern California. What occurred after would be one of the most expensive wars ever fought on U.S. soil; one which pitted just 50 to 60 Modoc warriors against nearly a thousand U.S. troops and volunteers.    Check out my website for more true tales from the wild and woolly west https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Become a YouTube Paid Member for bonus content! https://www.youtube.com/c/WildWestExtravaganza   Modoc Nation - https://modocnation.com/   The California Genocide - https://fullertonobserver.com/2020/07/07/the-california-native-american-genocide/   Bloody Point sources - https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/labe/endnotes.htm