1001 Stories From the Old West

Jon Hagadorn

Welcome to the new 1001 Stories From the Old West.. Here we offer hand-picked accounts from diaries, historical documents, autobiographies, books of the time period, and historians to bring you the American frontier story directly from the people who lived it, as well as a great mix of old radio show westerns like Gunsmoke and Tales of The Texas Rangers. You'll hear actual accounts of Indian battles, pioneer struggles, outlaws, cowboys and Indians, lawmen, and the men and women who took the chance and moved west, many by wagon train, to a largely uncharted and wild territory. Go west, young man, are the words often attributed to Horace Greeley, American author and newspaper editor, but there was more to that quote. He wrote "Washington is not a place to live in- the rents are high, the food is bad, and the morals are deplorable. Go west, young man, go west, and grow up with the country. We invite you to go west with us to another world, another time, another place- and see if you have what it takes to survive and thrive in a world that was much simpler than today's- yet demanded much more of you. Time to mount up-1001 Stories From the Old West is waiting for you. We publish new episodes every other Sunday night at 6pm Eastern Standard Time and you're invited to join us where ever you go for podcasts

  1. 41m ago

    THE SECOND CHOICE and THE PREACHER GUNSMOKE

    THE SECOND CHOICE Andy Hill has been given a second chance in Dodge and appears to have left his outlaw past behind. But that new life is threatened when a lawman arrives from Oklahoma with a warrant accusing Andy of murder. Andy insists he's innocent, leaving Marshal Matt Dillon caught between his duty to the law and his belief that the young man really has changed. Before turning Andy over, Matt begins to wonder whether everything about the warrant and the man carrying it is what it seems. [goldie.fm], [Old Time R...ond Choice] Originally broadcast November 6, 1955, The Second Choice stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, with Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Sam Edwards, Vic Perrin and Joseph Kearns. It was written by John Meston and produced by Norman Macdonnell. [otrwesterns.com] THE PREACHER When Matt Dillon encounters Seth Tandy, he finds a preacher who has lost something far more important than a fight. Tandy has lost his faith and seems almost indifferent to what happens to him. That makes him an easy target for Sam Keeler, a vicious bully who continues tormenting the defenseless man even after Matt intervenes. When Keeler's hatred carries the situation beyond Dodge, Matt must risk himself to protect a man who seems to have given up on protecting himself. [oldtimerad...rchive.com], [oldtime.radio] Originally broadcast November 13, 1955, The Preacher stars William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis and Howard McNear, with Lawrence Dobkin, Joe Cranston and John Dehner. Written by John Meston and produced by Norman Macdonnell. [otrwesterns.com] Two powerful stories about second chances, courage and redemption from one of radio's greatest Westerns, Gunsmoke, today on 1001 Stories From the Old West.

  2. 2d ago

    BRUSH AT ELKADER and THE CHOICE GUNSMOKE

    BRUSH AT ELKADER Marshal Matt Dillon returns to Dodge after an unusually quiet week, only to discover that trouble has arrived ahead of him. A well-liked rancher named Ben Williams has been gunned down in the street, and the man responsible, Lou Shippen, has fled. Matt and Chester follow his trail to the rough little town of Elkader, where fear runs deep and nobody seems eager to help a U.S. Marshal. Matt soon discovers that bringing a killer to justice isn't easy when an entire town is afraid to speak up. [goldie.fm] Originally broadcast October 23, 1955, this is another hard-edged Gunsmoke story of frontier justice starring William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon. [goldie.fm] THE CHOICE A young outlaw named Andy Hill comes to Dodge determined to put his past behind him and earn an honest living. After demonstrating just how fast he is with a gun, Andy gets Matt Dillon's attention and eventually finds work riding shotgun on a stagecoach. But when trouble strikes, Andy makes a decision that leaves people questioning what kind of man he really is. For Matt, the question becomes whether a man with a criminal past deserves the opportunity to choose a different future. [goldie.fm] Originally broadcast October 30, 1955, The Choice was written by John Meston and produced by Norman Macdonnell, with William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis and Howard McNear in their familiar roles. [otrwesterns.com] Enjoy two more outstanding episodes from the golden age of radio Westerns, right here on 1001 Stories From the Old West.

  3. Nov 6

    BARTON BOY and GOOD GIRL, BAD COMPANY GUNSMOKE

    GUNSMOKE: "BARTON BOY" Originally broadcast October 1, 1955, "Barton Boy" begins with a train robbery near Walnut Creek. A baggage clerk is murdered, young Billy Barton is wounded, and the robber escapes with the strongbox. Billy survives, but his memories of the attack are incomplete. [stupidpotato.com], [goldie.fm] That leaves Marshal Matt Dillon with very little to work with. But Billy remembers something important: the killer's distinctive weak voice. That fragment of memory may be the clue Matt needs to identify the man responsible. [stupidpotato.com] It's a classic Gunsmoke mystery, with Matt trying to turn the recollections of a frightened young witness into enough evidence to find a dangerous killer. GUNSMOKE: "GOOD GIRL, BAD COMPANY" Originally broadcast October 8, 1955, "Good Girl, Bad Company" raises the stakes considerably. A United States Army payroll is stolen and two soldiers are murdered while it is being transported from Fort Dodge to Dodge City. Major Harris demands that Matt Dillon solve the crime, threatening military intervention if he fails. [stupidpotato.com], [youtube.com] Then another soldier is found dead, increasing the tension between the Army and the citizens of Dodge. Matt finds himself confronting more than a murder investigation. He is trying to preserve civilian law and order before an angry military commander takes matters into his own hands. [stupidpotato.com], [youtube.com] At the center of the mystery is Jenny Lane, whose connections to the people involved begin raising questions about what she knows and where her loyalties lie. Matt has limited time to uncover the truth and prevent the confrontation between the Army and Dodge City from spiraling out of control. [stupidpotato.com], [youtube.com] Together,"Barton Boy" and "Good Girl, Bad Company" show two sides of Gunsmoke: first, Matt Dillon painstakingly following a slender clue left by a young witness, and then facing a case in which solving the crime may be the only thing standing between Dodge City and military rule. [stupidpotato.com], [stupidpotato.com] A great double helping of classic radio Western drama for 1001 Stories From the Old West.

  4. Nov 4

    THOROUGHBREDS and INDIAN WHITE GUNSMOKE

    [vintagerad...ovault.com], [goldie.fm] GUNSMOKE: "THOROUGHBREDS" A stranger named Jack Portas rides into Dodge with two magnificent thoroughbred horses, plenty of money, and a personality calculated to attract attention. But Marshal Matt Dillon has learned that flashy newcomers sometimes bring trouble with them, and before long he begins to suspect that Portas isn't simply a wealthy horseman looking for a good time. [goldie.fm] As Portas's past begins catching up with him, the atmosphere in Dodge turns increasingly dangerous. Another man arrives with information that casts a much darker light on the newcomer, and Kitty Russell becomes a witness to the confrontation that follows. Matt Dillon must finally uncover the truth behind Portas and those beautiful horses. [goldie.fm] It's vintage Gunsmoke: a mysterious stranger, secrets from the past, and the uneasy realization that appearances can be dangerously deceiving. GUNSMOKE: "INDIAN WHITE" Then comes a very different and unusually thoughtful episode. A white boy who has been raised among the Cheyenne finds himself caught between two worlds. By birth he is white, but the Cheyenne people and their way of life are the only family and identity he truly knows. When trouble brings him into contact with Marshal Matt Dillon, the question becomes much larger than simply which side of the law he's on. Who has the right to decide who this young man really is? [youtube.com] The episode puts Matt Dillon in the middle of a painful conflict involving the boy's loyalties and the white society attempting to reclaim him. It's one of those Gunsmoke stories that reaches beyond the traditional Western and explores identity, prejudice, family, and belonging. [youtube.com] Together,"Thoroughbreds" and "Indian White" demonstrate exactly why radio's Gunsmoke remains so compelling: one story delivers mystery and danger in Dodge City, while the other asks a much more difficult question about what it really means to belong. Starring William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Parley Baer as Chester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty. The radio series centers on Dillon and these characters in post-Civil War Dodge City.

  5. Nov 1

    VANISHED AT WHITE SANDS from FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST

    VANISHED AT WHITE SANDS FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST True Stories the history books left behind. Welcome to the very first installment of FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST, a new regular feature from 1001 Stories From The Old West. There are some stories of the American West that everybody knows. Billy the Kid. Wyatt Earp. Jesse James. Custer and the Little Bighorn. But scattered across old newspapers, forgotten records, family accounts, and the fading memories of the frontier are hundreds of other stories. Mysteries. Disappearances. Crimes. Strange encounters. Remarkable men and women whose names never quite made it into the history books. Those are the stories we're going after. And we're beginning with a mystery called... VANISHED AT WHITE SANDS The vast, haunting landscape of New Mexico's White Sands is the setting for a disappearance that has left behind questions, theories, and a mystery that refuses to go quietly into history. What happened out there? What do we actually know? And when the evidence ends, where does legend begin? Join us as we reopen the story and travel back into the American Southwest for a true mystery that deserves to be remembered. It's the first of many FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST coming your way from 1001 Stories From The Old West, as we search for the fascinating true stories the history books left behind. Subscribe or follow 1001 Stories From The Old West so you don't miss the next Forgotten Tale! FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST True Stories the history books left behind.

    VANISHED AT WHITE SANDS from FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST
  6. Oct 30

    CHANGE OF HEART and ALARM AT PLEASANT VALLEY GUNSMOKE

    GUNSMOKE DOUBLE‑FEATURE CHANGE OF HEART Original Airdate: September 3, 1955 (CBS Radio) Writer: John Meston Produced and Directed by: Norman Macdonnell Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester Proudfoot), Georgia Ellis (Miss Kitty Russell), Howard McNear (Doc Adams) Episode Summary (Spoiler‑Safe): When a wounded outlaw collapses outside Dodge, Marshal Dillon faces a moral dilemma that tests the limits of frontier justice. The man's young wife pleads for mercy, forcing Matt to weigh compassion against the law he's sworn to uphold. As Doc Adams fights to save the outlaw's life, Chester and Kitty witness the quiet struggle between duty and conscience that defines the West. This story captures Gunsmoke's trademark realism — a world where redemption and punishment ride side by side, and even a hardened lawman can have a change of heart. Themes: Mercy versus justice on the frontier The human cost of law enforcement Redemption through compassion   ALARM AT PLEASANT VALLEY Original Airdate: September 10, 1955 (CBS Radio) Writer: John Dunkel Produced and Directed by: Norman Macdonnell Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester Proudfoot), Georgia Ellis (Miss Kitty Russell), Howard McNear (Doc Adams) Episode Summary (Spoiler‑Safe): After an attack leaves the Clayburn homestead in ruins, Matt Dillon and Chester ride to Pleasant Valley to investigate. Fear spreads among the settlers, and rancher Sam Fraser considers abandoning the territory. Dillon must uncover the truth behind the violence before panic tears the valley apart. It's a tense, atmospheric episode that shows Gunsmoke at its best — a tale of courage and uncertainty in a land where danger can strike from the shadows. Themes: Frontier fear and resilience Leadership under pressure The fragility of peace in unsettled lands   ⭐ CREDITS Written and narrated by Jon Hagadorn Produced by 1001 Stories Network LLC Website: www.bestof1001stories.com   Both episodes aired back‑to‑back in September 1955, marking a high point in Gunsmoke's radio run — the same month the television version premiered. Together they showcase the series' balance of action, introspection, and moral depth that continues to resonate today.

4.7
out of 5
202 Ratings

About

Welcome to the new 1001 Stories From the Old West.. Here we offer hand-picked accounts from diaries, historical documents, autobiographies, books of the time period, and historians to bring you the American frontier story directly from the people who lived it, as well as a great mix of old radio show westerns like Gunsmoke and Tales of The Texas Rangers. You'll hear actual accounts of Indian battles, pioneer struggles, outlaws, cowboys and Indians, lawmen, and the men and women who took the chance and moved west, many by wagon train, to a largely uncharted and wild territory. Go west, young man, are the words often attributed to Horace Greeley, American author and newspaper editor, but there was more to that quote. He wrote "Washington is not a place to live in- the rents are high, the food is bad, and the morals are deplorable. Go west, young man, go west, and grow up with the country. We invite you to go west with us to another world, another time, another place- and see if you have what it takes to survive and thrive in a world that was much simpler than today's- yet demanded much more of you. Time to mount up-1001 Stories From the Old West is waiting for you. We publish new episodes every other Sunday night at 6pm Eastern Standard Time and you're invited to join us where ever you go for podcasts

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