This Week in the West

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Broadcasting from The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, This Week in the West brings you the stories of the people and events that shaped the history of the American West.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    This Week in the West: The Miller Brothers and the Rise of the 101 Ranch

    This Week in the West

    6 min

  2. 2 MAR

    This Week in the West: How Jesse Chisholm Talked His Way Into Western History

    This Week in the West

    6 min

  3. 23 FEB

    This Week in the West: Quanah Parker

    This Week in the West

    6 min

  4. 16 FEB

    This Week in the West: Albert Bierstadt's Larger Than Life Artistic Journey

    🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 68: Albert Bierstadt's Larger-Than-Life Artistic Journey 📢 Episode Summary: This episode of This Week in The West explores the life and legacy of artist Albert Bierstadt through one of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s most breathtaking works, Emigrants Crossing the Plains. Known for his massive, dramatic landscapes, Bierstadt didn’t simply document the American West — he transformed it into a vision of hope, grandeur, and destiny that captured the imagination of a nation eager for expansion and opportunity. From his immigrant beginnings in Massachusetts to his groundbreaking journeys west with government surveys, Bierstadt used sketches, photography, and bold artistic license to create scenes that felt larger than life. His famous wagon train paintings, inspired by real emigrants he encountered near Fort Kearny, blended reality with romantic storytelling, shaping how generations would envision the pioneer experience. At the height of his career, his paintings sold for astonishing sums and drew crowds eager to be transported into the West’s sublime beauty. But tastes eventually changed, personal tragedy struck, and Bierstadt’s once-celebrated style fell out of favor before being rediscovered decades later. Today, his work is recognized not just for its technical mastery but for its powerful role in shaping America’s myth and memory of the frontier — a legacy that still stops visitors in their tracks at The Cowboy.   🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Albert Bierstadt used photography, travel, and artistic embellishment to create the iconic Western landscapes Americans fell in love with The real-life wagon train encounter that inspired Emigrants Crossing the Plains and how the painting blends history with imagination Why Bierstadt’s career soared, collapsed, and ultimately experienced a major revival in the 20th century 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: Albert Bierstadt and the American Land, a lecture by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Watch on YouTube 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org 📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ 📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org 📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum ❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum   🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/   💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/   🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U 🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN 🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

    7 min

  5. 9 FEB

    This Week in the West: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House Author’s Version of Pioneer Life

    🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 67: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House Author’s Version of Pioneer Life 📢 Episode Summary: This episode of This Week in The West explores the life and legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose Little House books shaped how generations of Americans imagine frontier life. Born in 1867, Wilder grew up in a constantly moving pioneer family that faced illegal settlement on Native land, brutal winters, crop failures, disease and near-constant financial instability. Far from a romantic adventure, her childhood was marked by hardship, early labor and survival on the margins of the American frontier.   After marrying Almanzo Wilder and enduring years of personal loss and economic struggle, Laura eventually settled in Missouri, where she began writing seriously in her 60s, encouraged by her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. Although her first autobiographical manuscript was rejected as too bleak, she reworked her memories into books for young readers, beginning with Little House in the Big Woods in 1932. The series became a cultural phenomenon, later adapted into the beloved TV show Little House on the Prairie.   🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Laura Ingalls Wilder’s real childhood hardships differed from the gentler tone of the Little House books. The late-in-life writing journey that turned pioneer memories into one of America’s most influential book series. Why Wilder’s legacy is both beloved and critically reexamined in modern times. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler   🔗 Further research: Features, timeline and more from PBS, based on their American Masters documentary of Wilder: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/masters/laura-ingalls-wilder/ Laura Ingalls Wilder historic home: https://lauraingallswilderhome.com/ Laura Ingalls Wilder park and museum: https://www.lauraingallswilder.us/ 📬 Connect With Us 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org 📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ 📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org 📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum ❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum   🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map   🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/   💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/   🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U 🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN 🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

    6 min

  6. 2 FEB

    This Week in the West: Belle Starr, Queen of the Outlaws

    🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 66: Belle Starr, Queen of the Outlaws 📢 Episode Summary: Belle Starr’s life sits at the uneasy intersection of fact and legend, shaped as much by mythmaking as by crime. Born in Missouri in 1848 and educated in refinement, the Civil War upended her world and drew her into outlaw circles that included Confederate guerrillas and future members of the James-Younger Gang. In Indian Territory, Starr reinvented herself not as a gunslinger, but as a savvy organizer who harbored fugitives, moved stolen goods and cultivated a dramatic public image that captured national attention. Her unsolved murder in 1889 and the flood of dime novels that followed transformed Belle Starr into one of the most enduring—and controversial—figures in Wild West lore. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org 📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ 📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org 📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum ❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ 💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U 🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN 🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

    6 min

  7. 26 JAN

    This Week in the West: Casey Tibbs, Rodeo's Golden Boy

    🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 65: Casey Tibbs, Rodeo’s Golden Boy 📢 Episode Summary: This episode of This Week in The West explores the extraordinary life and legacy of Casey Tibbs, one of the most influential figures in rodeo history. Born into a hard-scrabble homesteading family in South Dakota, Tibbs ignored his father’s doubts about rodeo and launched a career that would redefine the sport. By age 19, he was already a world champion, and between 1949 and 1955, he dominated rodeo with multiple world titles, all-around championships and a level of charisma that made him a national sensation. Tibbs wasn’t just a champion rider—he was rodeo’s first true superstar. His distinctive style, fearless riding and larger-than-life personality helped elevate rodeo into mainstream American culture, earning him a Life magazine cover and widespread fame. Even as injuries mounted, Tibbs continued to compete and win, famously shrugging off broken bones and hospital stays. His impact was so profound that he was inducted into the inaugural class of the National Rodeo Hall of Fame while still actively competing. After stepping away from full-time competition at just 26, Tibbs carried the spirit of rodeo into Hollywood and beyond. He appeared on television, advised film productions, worked with legends like John Wayne, produced his own movies and took American rodeo worldwide through international tours and Wild West shows. In his later years, Tibbs fulfilled his dream of ranch life in California, remaining connected to the sport he helped shape until his death in 1990. The episode honors Tibbs not just as a champion, but as a cultural ambassador who forever changed how the world saw rodeo. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Casey Tibbs rose from a South Dakota homestead to become one of the most dominant and recognizable figures in rodeo history Why Tibbs’ style, personality and media presence helped transform rodeo into a national and international spectacle How Tibbs extended his influence beyond the arena through film, television and global rodeo exhibitions 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: Casey Tibbs on the TV game show “To Tell the Truth”: https://youtu.be/Pr5ABRvw-Yg?si=tk7mh7bySQ_kVqrN The Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center: https://www.caseytibbs.com/ South Dakota Public Broadcasting - “The Remarkable Life of Casey Tibbs”: https://www.sdpb.org/rural-life-and-history/the-remarkable-life-of-casey-tibbs 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org 📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ 📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org 📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum ❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ 💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U 🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN 🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

    6 min

  8. 19 JAN

    This Week in the West: The Hollywood Drama of Broncho Billy Anderson

    🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 64: The Hollywood Drama of Broncho Billy Anderson  📢 Episode Summary: In this episode of This Week in The West, we remember Broncho Billy Anderson, one of the very first cowboy movie stars and a true pioneer of American cinema. Born Maxwell Henry Aronson in 1880 to Jewish immigrant parents, Anderson found his way from stage performances and odd acting jobs into film at a moment when movies themselves were still being invented. His early appearance in The Great Train Robbery helped launch both his career and the Western genre itself. As co-founder of the Essanay studio, Anderson didn’t just act—he helped shape how films were made. When early Westerns struggled to connect with audiences, he created Broncho Billy, a cowboy character with depth, emotion, and humanity. Through innovative techniques like close-ups and structured storytelling, Anderson turned simple short films into powerful narratives, producing nearly 150 Broncho Billy movies and helping establish the visual language of cinema that’s still used today. After stepping away from filmmaking, Anderson faded from public memory until a rediscovery in the 1950s led to a long-overdue Honorary Academy Award. Accepting the Oscar at age 78 with humor and humility, Anderson was finally recognized for the enormous impact he had on motion pictures and Western storytelling. Today, his legacy lives on as one of the foundational figures who defined both the movie Western and the art of filmmaking itself. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Broncho Billy Anderson helped invent the Western movie and the grammar of modern film Why creating a relatable, emotionally complex cowboy changed cinema forever How one of Hollywood’s earliest pioneers was forgotten—and then finally honored late in life 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: A 1958 Interview with Broncho Billy: https://youtu.be/8Y8S9lI1LtQ?si=IaO0Q8U1Z0MXqSdh A playlist of Broncho Billy silent films and clips: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0ep7L_jT6YOaUxqn0YnUG2JIpDgy08vE The Hollywood Walk of Fame’s blog on Broncho Billy: https://walkoffame.com/broncho-billy-anderson/ 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org 📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ 📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org 📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum ❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ 💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U 🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN 🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

    6 min
See All (72)

Trailer

About

Broadcasting from The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, This Week in the West brings you the stories of the people and events that shaped the history of the American West.

Information

  • Creator
    The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    This Week in the West

You Might Also Like