Dr. History's Tales Of The Old West

Columbus, Cortes and other explorers brought sheep to the Americas. The California gold rush miners needed food; sheep was the answer. "Uncle Dick" Wootton bought 9,000 sheep, after a fight with a Ute Chief and crossing the Sierra Nevadas he made a $50,000 profit.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He was leader of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He stared down a grizzly bear, recovered stolen horses from Shoshone Indians, escaped from some Gros Ventre warriors, escaped from Blackfeet warriors. Later he guided wagon trains and was an agent for the several Indian tribes and died at the age of fifty-five.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He made a lot of money with his Wild West Shows, but always seemed to be short on money. He thought mines would be easy money, it wasn't. He poured a lot of money into several mines, none of which ever produced a profit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1852 the first attempts to transport goods up the Colorado River to Fort Yuma failed. Capt. George Johnson succeeded with the General Jesup, then added a second stern-wheeler. He discovered the Colorado River could be navigated 400 miles upriver from Fort Yuma. He retired a wealthy man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He taught himself to walk the high wire and hired on with a circus. His career took him around the world riding hot air balloons, walking tightropes, parachute jumps and high diving into nets. He was shot down in a hot air balloon serving in the Spanish-American War. He was the star attraction for thousands with his daring high wire acts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A cry for help caused Harry Penol to find Frank Fosterson, trapped under a ton of rock. Penol carried him to Salmon Idaho, but it was too late. Before Fosterson died he told Penol there were five sacks of gold in the cave which had a very rich vein of gold. Penol returned the next year but was never able to find the lost gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once the richest mining town, the boom didn’t last. The citizens decided to build an ice palace to make money. Under one roof, an ice-skating rink, two ballrooms, a band, a restaurant, food concessions, paintings, sculptures, curling contests, speed skating, dance contests and ice hockey tournaments. It was a financial failure and with an early warm weather left it a pile of watery mush. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The blizzard of 1888 struck in the afternoon while children were still in school. Some miracles occurred that saved lives. Unfortunately, over 200 people perished. Seven year old Martha tells her story of survival and the tragedy of the death of a baby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1866, the 136 foot long, 300 ton stern wheeler steamboat, the Shoshone, was built near Fort Boise. The owners wanted to supply men and goods to the gold fields. Hells Canyon proved hazardous, but she made it to Lewiston and down the Columbia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Virgil joined a posse in Prescott, Arizona. He helped take down two outlaws with sharpshooting from his Winchester rifle. That was the beginning of his experience in law enforcement. A year later he rose to fame with his brothers in a gunfight at the OK corral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Muliti-Millionaire and Mayor of Leadville, H. W. Tabor, only hired Marshals who lived by his rules until he hired Marty Duggan. He arrested one of the Mayor's cronies and threatened Tabor to put him in jail for attempted bribery. Duggan brought peace and respectability to Leadville. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story behind the songs, "God Bless America," "My Country Tis of Thee," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Hail Columbia" and "The National Anthem." As we sing our National Anthem we can picture Francis Scott Key on board the British ship sending bomb after bomb at our flag and how he described to the prisoners on the ship that "the flag was still there." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kidnapped at age four, he lived among the Shoshone Tribe and was a favorite of Chief Washakie. He learned how to hunt with bow and arrow and took part in their rituals. At age nine he was reunited with his family at Fort Bridger. He stayed out west, married and had thirteen children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 1806 the Corps headed up the Columbia River. The Skillets, Shahaptian Tribes, Walla Wallas and Nez Perce all helped until they crossed the Bitteroots and Rockies. The expedition continued to explore on their way arriving in St. Louis September 23, 1806 to great celebrations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They just missed a trading ship for the return trip. Fort Clatsop was a fifty by fifty foot stockade with seven cabins. They had shelter and plenty of game to hunt. They learned how to make moccasins, buckskin clothes and storing food from the nearby Clatsop Indians. On March 18, 1806 they prepared for the return journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pacific Plateau System of trade among tribes was effective for tribes from the Rockies to the Pacific coast. It was the end of the trail, but Lewis and Clark found the Pacific coast to be a cold, wet place. Thirty-three individuals would spend a wet, isolated winter together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 3714 miles they reached the Columbia River. The faced miles of dangerous rapids and had to portage around some while riding through others in their dugout canoes. They met different tribes that were harvesting salmon that could be processed and preserved for several years. They still had challenges to reach the Pacific. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wetxuiis lived among the whites, so when Lewis and Clark stumbled upon some Nez Perce, she convinced Chief Twisted Hair that they were good people and should not be killed. The near starved and exhausted expedition was fed camas and meat by the Nez Perce and were able to continue their journey. The journey may have ended there were it not for the intervention of Wetxuiis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ezra and wife Eliza were part of the 1852 emigration to Oregon Territory. In 1906, 76 year old Ezra retraced his Oregon Trail journey with oxen and a covered wagon. He placed historical markers on his route. In 1910 he did it again, both times took 2 1/2 years. A self appointed spokesman for the thousands who traveled the Oregon Trail, he wanted to keep the history alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They tried to be humane in legal hangings. The rope had to be 1 and 1/2 inches thick, soaked, dried, and softened. There was a formula with the weight of the victim to show how far he was to be dropped. The “hangman's knot" would only slip one way and could not be loosened. Mistakes were made. Blackjack Ketchum’s head came off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices