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
A short story of lawlessness in Denver City between a baker and a blacksmith is yet another illustration of the lack of law and order in the west Kansas Territory.
The settlers of western Kansas (future Colorado) are without a true government, lawlessness rules the streets.
The pioneers des...
Today we cover three (1859) ghost towns all within 5 miles of Golden, Colorado and all invisible!
Baden, Golden Gate City and Mt. Vernon
All three towns existed at the foot of their respective mountain "gate" or "road" - nothing you might be interested in walking or driving today.
Just a short episode entered as a supplement to episode 32 (Disturbed: Golden City 1859.)
Three newspaper articles reporting on the summary hanging of Edgar Vanover (by the townspeople of Golden City - September, 5 1859).
First from the September 10, 1859 issue of the Rocky Mountain News
Second, from the September 17, 1859 issue of the Rocky Mountain News
Lastly, from the October 5, 1922 issue of the Colorado Transcript
Thes...
Today we add Golden City to the West Kansas Territory (future Colorado) - July of 1859.
The Boston Company arrives in Golden on June 12, after helping Thomas Gibson with that EXTRA (from episode 13) - a printing job for the Rocky Mountain News. The group land in Golden (nameless at the time) and finds the location perfect for a supply to...
Deadman’s Gulch, Gunnison / Almont Colorado Ute Massacre, Gunnison, Taylor Reservoir, Cement Creek, Spring Creek, East River, Continental Divide, Lost Dead are Found
This episode we revisit the Ute ambush and murder of 7 men, as well as their animals - in August of 1859 - But why?
New evidence suggests the location of the fateful battle AND the resting place of the miners.
The location was discovered immediately (in 18...
Redwoods in Colorado?
What if the pine trees and deep snow of the Colorado Rockies are sitting right on top of an ancient, tropical jungle?
35 million years ago, the heart of Colorado's South Park basin and the Florissant Valley looked more like Central America than the high altitude country we know today. Giant, 150 foot tall redwoods choked the humid valleys, while rhinoceros sized "thunder beasts" crashed through the underbrush.
...Buckskin Joe, Fair Play, Tarry All, Breckenridge, Mosquito Pass, South Park and Florissant (one time home to a redwood forest) -
Kansas and Utah Territories 1859; Fair Play begins, Joe Higgenbotham or Higgenboittom leads a group of prospectors up into high mountains above Fair Play - Thomas Breckenridge gets a town named for him (...and...
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 Roll...
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 di...
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, ...
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").
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 ...
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 o...
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.
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 evi...
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 mine...
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...
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
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...
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
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