The Wild West Extravaganza

The Wild West Extravaganza
  • 4.8 (787)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

The Wild West Extravaganza is a weekly history podcast that explores the real-life people and events from the Old West. Each episode brings to life the legendary outlaws, gunfighters, lawmen, cowboys, and Native Americans who shaped the frontier. From iconic figures like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Doc Holliday to overlooked tales of shootouts, cattle drives, and rowdy towns like Deadwood, there's no shortage of stories to tell. So saddle up, dust off your boots, and let's hit the trail!

  1. Billy Brooks CORRECTION

    4D AGO · BONUS

    Billy Brooks CORRECTION

    Hey, Josh here, with the Wild West Extravaganza. I just wanted to touch base and issue a very quick correction. On the most recent episode – The Insane Life of Billy Brooks – I misattributed many of the quotes. My main source for research was not Leon Metz; it was historian Robert K. DeArment and his excellent book, Deadly Dozen, Volume 3. In other words, every time you heard me say Leon Metz, it should have been Robert DeArment. This is totally my fault. I’ve got a lot of books by Leon Metz, and more often than not, I’m researching several different topics at the same time. Both Mr. DeArment and Mr. Metz are excellent Old West historians, and I simply got my names mixed up. The information’s still good, but it comes from Robert K. DeArment as opposed to Leon Metz. My apologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 min
  2. You Might Also Like: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

    4D AGO · BONUS

    You Might Also Like: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

    Introducing "Shivery Delicious" (w/ Nicole Kidman) from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Follow the show: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang Readers, Kayteighs, Publicists, Finalists, and Kyles — what better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CULTURE with the one and only Nicole Kidman! From penguins in Antarctica to “Heartbreak feels good in a place like this” — the three get into IT. Matt and Bowen chat with Nicole on yearning, her favorite collaborators like Baz Luhrmann, the MET Gala, cruise love, her most iconic roles, including her iconic Chanel No. 5 ad. Get into it HONEY on this episode of Las Culturistas! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. The Insane Life of Billy Brooks

    4D AGO

    The Insane Life of Billy Brooks

    In 1872, the violent cattle town of Newton, Kansas, appointed a twenty-two-year-old buffalo hunter named Billy Brooks as its town marshal. It would prove to be one of the most eventful and short-lived law enforcement careers in the history of the Old West. Join me today as we trace the largely forgotten story of “Bully” Billy Brooks, from his short stint as marshal, to his arrival in Dodge City, and his eventual descent from respected lawman to wanted outlaw. Also discussed are the Red River War, the Newton Massacre, Bat Masterson, and Morgan Earp. UPDATE: I feel like a complete idiot, but I misattributed many of the quotes from this episode. My main source was historian Robert K. DeArment and his excellent book, Deadly Dozen Volume 3, NOT Leon Metz. I'm often researching several different topics at the same time, and I simply got their names mixed up. My apologies for any confusion. Both Mr. Metz and Mr. DeArment are excellent Old West historians.   Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/   Buy Me A Coffee!  https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Shootout at Hide Park - https://www.wildwestextra.com/the-shootout-at-hide-park/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min
  4. Nate Champion's Last Stand

    MAR 12

    Nate Champion's Last Stand

    On April 9th, 1892, one man stood alone against 50 hired killers in the wilds of Johnson County, Wyoming. His name was Nate Champion, and what he did over the next twelve hours would go down as one of the greatest last stands in the history of the Old West. Champion was a Texas cowboy who had worked his way north, earned a reputation as a top hand, and made the mistake of filing a claim on land that Wyoming's powerful cattle barons considered their own. When he dared to start a ranch and organize an independent roundup, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association put his name at the top of a kill list. The WSGA was one of the most powerful organizations in territorial Wyoming. Senators, judges, lawmen, and even the acting governor were members. They controlled the roundups, rigged the courts, and when that was not enough, they hired mercenaries to do their dirty work. And it was these mercenaries who surrounded Champion’s cabin on that April morning. What they failed to consider, however, was the mettle of the man inside. Pinned down and outnumbered, Champion fought back for twelve straight hours. And in the middle of the firefight, he picked up a pencil and started writing, documenting the attack in real time as bullets tore through the walls around him. Today, we not only celebrate the life (and death) of Nate Champion, but we take a look at what happens when ordinary people decide to stand up to concentrated wealth and political corruption. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/   Buy Me A Coffee!  https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Frank Canton & the Johnson County War - https://youtu.be/psestaX_qqY?si=uFzNouxA-lBkRzN9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min
  5. Huckleberry or Huckle Bearer?

    FEB 25

    Huckleberry or Huckle Bearer?

    Did Doc Holliday say, “I’m your huckleberry” or “I’m your huckle bearer?” Or is the whole debate built on nothing more than an internet myth? Join me today as we break down the famous line from Tombstone to hopefully separate fact from fiction. We’ll examine the original Tombstone script written by Kevin Jarre, Val Kilmer’s 2020 memoir I’m Your Huckleberry, and Tombstone: An Iliad of the Southwest by Walter Noble Burns. We also examine 19th-century newspaper evidence showing that “I’m your huckleberry” was indeed a real idiom. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/   Buy Me A Coffee!  https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Huckleberry or Hucklebearer? Mathew Kerns - https://matthewkerns.substack.com/p/huckleberry-or-hucklebearer Tombstone Script - https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/tombstone.pdf   History For the Reckoning – https://www.historyforthereckoning.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 min
  6. Digging Up Billy the Kid: Exhuming the Dead

    FEB 18

    Digging Up Billy the Kid: Exhuming the Dead

    Should Billy the Kid’s body be exhumed? In today’s episode, we break down the evidence surrounding Billy’s death at Fort Sumner, as well as the two failed attempts to dig up the Kid: the 1961 court fight between Lincoln and Fort Sumner, and the 2003 official investigation led by Sheriff Tom Sullivan, Deputy Steve Sederwall, and Sheriff Gary Graves. Finally, we address the DNA question itself and what evidence actually justifies disturbing the dead. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/   Buy Me A Coffee!  https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   The Lunacy of Billy the Kid | True West - https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/the-lunacy-of-billy-the-kid/   Dreamscape Desperado | True West - https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/dreamscape-desperado-2/ David G. Thomas Website - https://doc45.com/   Dr. Robert Stahl Eyewitnesses - https://doc45.com/pleading/tenth-court-pleading-by-dr-robert-stahl-for-kid-death-certificate.pdf   Forever West | James Townsend - https://www.youtube.com/@ForeverWestPodcast   To Hell on a Fast Horse by Mark Lee Gardner - https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Fast-Horse-Untold-Garrett/dp/0061368296/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&sr=1-1   Chasing Billy the Kid by Kurt House & Roy B. Young - https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Chasing-Billy-Kid-Stewart-Manhunt/dp/0963894706 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    52 min
  7. Doc Holliday | End of the Trail

    FEB 11

    Doc Holliday | End of the Trail

    In late January 1882, Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo came within mere seconds of turning the streets of Tombstone into a slaughterhouse. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed, and both men were arrested before a shot was fired; a near catastrophe that historian Mark Lee Gardner described as “the greatest gunfight that never was.” Join me today as we take a closer look at this infamous standoff. We’ll examine Holliday’s role in the famous Earp vendetta ride, his last gunfight in Colorado, and his final days at Glenwood Springs. We’ll also discuss the Dodge City War, Luke Short, Bat Masterson, and the ultimate fate of Holliday’s gal pal, Big Nose Kate Elder. P.S. - The thumbnail does not actually depict the real Doc Holliday.   Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/   Buy Me A Coffee!  https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min
  8. Doc Holliday | Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

    FEB 4

    Doc Holliday | Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

    What really caused the gunfight at the OK Corral? Most people chalk it up to a simple showdown between good and evil, with Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday on one side and the Clantons and McLaury brothers on the other. Thirty seconds, roughly thirty shots fired at point-blank range, and three men left dead in the street. But contrary to popular belief, the violence in Tombstone didn't just materialize out of thin air. Months earlier, a botched stage robbery near Benson set off a chain reaction of rumors, arrests, and broken trust. Doc Holliday found himself accused of crimes he likely had nothing to do with. At the same time, Wyatt Earp quietly negotiated with Cochise County Cowboys who were willing to betray their own for reward money. When those secrets began to leak, threats followed. Today, we'll examine the long fuse behind the famous gunfight and how mounting tensions and fear finally erupted into the most legendary shootout in all of the American West.   Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/   Buy Me A Coffee!  https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Doc Holliday Part 1 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/doc-holliday-the-early-years-part-1/   Doc Holliday Part 2 - https://www.wildwestextra.com/doc-holliday-the-road-to-tombstone-part-2/   Shane Derden - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZEzUX8LOI00rhYMbQblOP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 min
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4.8
out of 5
787 Ratings

About

The Wild West Extravaganza is a weekly history podcast that explores the real-life people and events from the Old West. Each episode brings to life the legendary outlaws, gunfighters, lawmen, cowboys, and Native Americans who shaped the frontier. From iconic figures like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Doc Holliday to overlooked tales of shootouts, cattle drives, and rowdy towns like Deadwood, there's no shortage of stories to tell. So saddle up, dust off your boots, and let's hit the trail!

Information

  • Creator
    The Wild West Extravaganza
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    217
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    ©2026
  • Show Website
    The Wild West Extravaganza

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