Dr. History's Tales Of The Old West

In 1856 six year old Minnie and her mother Mary with her husband Captain Sam Lawrence boarded the whaling ship Addison. They spent the next four years in the Alaskan waters returning to Massachusetts with a full load of oil and baleen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mossy horn steers were wild and dangerous. The cowboys wore heavy leather chaps, gauntlets and jackets to protect themselves as they crashed through mesquite trees, prickly pears, and other thorny shrubs chasing these wild cattle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oliver Loving and his partner Charles Goodnight pioneered cattle drives. Loving and Bill Wilson escaped an Indian attack by swimming the Pecos River. Loving was wounded but made it to Fort Sumner where he died. Goodnight carried his body back to Texas for burial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Which gun won the West? The Hawken, Samuel Colt's pistols, the Springfield "needle gun," Winchester, Smith and Wesson, Sharps? All played their role in taming the west. The double barrel shotgun was versatile, economical, good for hunting, defense, the true workhorse of the Old West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marshall Alvord and his gang successfully robbed a train, his next train robbery failed landing him in jail. He escaped and headed to Mexico. He helped capture outlaw Augustine Chacon. Jailed after another robbery, he spent two years in prison. He died from yellow fever in Barbados. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Partners Arnold and Slack showed investors a sack of diamonds they "claimed" they found. They led a group to Wyoming where they had "salted" a small area with uncut diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Geologist Clarence King, a government surveyor exposed the hoax as "utterly valueless" and "unparalleled fraud." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For twenty years he skied 90 miles over 50 foot snowdrifts through blizzards to haul the mail over the Sierras. He saved the lives of miners, hauled clothing, books, emergency supplies, tools, pots and pans never thinking of himself. He helped anyone in need and left his mark in California's history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Stetson created the "Boss of the Plains." It kept the sun off your eyes and neck, could be a bucket, was customized by the owner and may cost two months wages. The "coonskin cap" was never worn by Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett or Lewis and Clark except on TV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women proved to be the best teachers as new towns sprang up in the west. Despite limited supplies, school houses and poor pay, they helped with the westward expansion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sacred rituals before during and after childbirth was essential for the family. Some foods were taboo, they used herbs and teas to relieve pain and had their own version of disposable diapers. At least half their babies didn’t survive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pocahontas of Georgia, she helped General Oglethorpe establish the Colony of Georgia. As an interpreter she helped prevent war, supplied meat, bread and food for the colonists. Considered the most important figure in Georgia's colonial history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She saved her Coeur d'Alene tribe from attacking enemies. Called "the spiritual directress, guardian angel of her tribe." She helped convert many of her tribe to Christianity and helped build the Citaldo Mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He invented the technique of bulldogging a steer by biting it's lip. He got the idea by watching bulldogs bite the lips of steers. He traveled the world with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show and amazed thousands. Will Rogers said, "Bill Pickett never had an enemy, even the steers wouldn’t hurt old Bill."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1872 thousands of shooters killed thousands of buffalo. Shooters could be killed by range fires, gored or trampled by the buffalo, even freezing to death. By 1872 the vast herds were reduced to a few thousand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They used buffalo jumps, fire, deep snow and frozen rivers. With horses they were able to ride into the herd. Buffalo meant meat, robes, clothes, furniture, jewelry, artwork, cookware and bedding, nothing was wasted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buffalo hunters killed for their hides, but thousands died from lightening strikes, wild fires, disease and tornados. They got mired in mud bogs, quick sand, river bottoms and tar pits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sitting Bull and the Ghost Dance gave hope for a return to the old ways and eliminating the white man. Warriors and cavalry from the Little Big Horn were to meet again with tragic consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 1863 gold rush brought thousands to Virginia City, Montana. Winter of 1865, food was scarce, early snow blocked supplies. Flour went from $25 to $100 a sack. Mobs of hungry miners stormed the stores searching for flour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After riding "Glass Eye" he became famous. He invented "hoolihanding" and could ride a bucking bronco facing backwards while carrying a suitcase. An exceptional athlete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He confronted Pancho Villa and Geronimo, rustlers and outlaws and only killed when necessary. He was a lawman, cattleman, gambler, gunman, businessman and empire builder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices