This Week in the West

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
  • 4.7 (19)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

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. 4d ago

    This Week in the West: William Boyd and The Cowboy Brand of Hopalong Cassidy

    This Week in the West

  2. Aug 31

    This Week in the West: The Unmatched Rodeo Excellence of the Beutler Family

    This Week in the West

  3. Aug 24

    This Week in the West: Trick Riding Rodeo Star Pauline Nesbitt

    This Week in the West

  4. Aug 17

    This Week in the West: Connie Douglas Reeves, Texas' Cowgirl Mentor

    This Week in the West

  5. Aug 10

    This Week in the West: The Life and Death of Doc Holliday

    This Week in the West

  6. Aug 3

    This Week in the West: Cotton Rosser's Rise from Injured Star to Rodeo's P.T. Barnum

    This Week in the West

  7. Jul 27

    This Week in the West: Was Texas Jack the Original Cowboy Star?

    🤠This Week in the West 🎙️Episode 91: Was Texas Jack the Original Cowboy Star? 📢 Episode Summary: Long before Buffalo Bill's Wild West became an international phenomenon, another frontier legend helped define how America imagined the West. This episode explores the life of Texas Jack Omohundro, a cowboy, scout, performer and member of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's Hall of Great Western Performers. Born on July 27, 1846, Texas Jack served as a Confederate cavalry scout during the Civil War before heading west to become a cowboy on the cattle trails and eventually one of the frontier's most recognizable personalities. The podcast traces Texas Jack's remarkable rise to fame through his friendship with Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok. In 1872, he joined Cody and actress Giuseppina Morlacchi in Scouts of the Prairie, a groundbreaking theatrical production that featured real frontier scouts instead of actors. The show captivated audiences, helped lay the foundation for the Wild West entertainment genre and introduced many eastern Americans to their first authentic image of the cowboy. Texas Jack also pioneered rope demonstrations on stage and became one of the nation's first celebrity cowboys. Despite his enormous popularity, Texas Jack's career was cut tragically short when he died of pneumonia in 1880 at just 33 years old. While Buffalo Bill went on to build an entertainment empire, Texas Jack's legacy gradually faded from public memory. Yet his influence on Western culture remains profound, shaping the world's image of the American cowboy and helping establish many of the myths and traditions that continue to define the West today. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Texas Jack Omohundro helped create the public image of the American cowboy decades before Western movies and television. Why Scouts of the Prairie became one of the first true Wild West shows, launching frontier heroes from real life onto the American stage. How Texas Jack's friendship with Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok—and his untimely death—shaped the legacy of Western entertainment and popular culture. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: The Texas Jack Association: https://www.texasjack.org/ Tales of the Old West: Texas Jack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeWzI6gyUYA Visiting Texas Jack’s grave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INwXg-vHu7I 📬 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!

  8. Jul 20

    This Week in the West: Wild Bill Hickok and the Original Wild West Gunfight

    🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 90: Wild Bill Hickok and the Original Wild West Shootout 📢 Episode Summary: The classic image of two gunfighters facing each other in the middle of a dusty Western street has become one of the defining symbols of the American West—but it was far less common in real life than Hollywood would have us believe. This episode explores the rare real-life confrontation that inspired generations of Western stories: the Hickok-Tutt shootout of July 21, 1865. The conflict between Wild Bill Hickok and former Confederate soldier Dave Tutt grew from a gambling dispute and a public insult involving Hickok's prized gold pocket watch, setting the stage for one of the most famous gunfights in American history. Listeners will follow the dramatic showdown in Springfield, Missouri, where the two men faced each other across the town square before exchanging shots from an astonishing distance of about 75 yards. The episode examines Hickok's subsequent manslaughter trial, why a jury acquitted him under the frontier's evolving ideas of self-defense and honor, and how the event transformed him from a local gambler into a national celebrity. It also reveals the irony that Hickok's own death eleven years later bore little resemblance to the legendary duel that made him famous, reminding us that the reality of the Old West was often far messier—and far less romantic—than its enduring myths. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: How the Hickok-Tutt shootout became the real-life inspiration for the classic Hollywood Western gunfight. Why a gambling debt and a stolen pocket watch escalated into one of the most famous confrontations in frontier history. How Wild Bill Hickok's legend was shaped by both a sensational magazine article and the enduring myths of the American West. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: Springfield (Mo.) Library’s deeper look at Hickok’s time in the city: https://www.thelibrary.org/post/the-shootout-on-the-square An Interview with Hickok expert Jeff Morey: https://www.americanheritage.com/content/wild-bill-hickok-man-myth-interview-jeff-morey More about the Shootout: https://missourilife.com/death-in-the-evening/ 📬 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!

See All (98)

Trailer

4.7
out of 5
19 Ratings

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
    98
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    This Week in the West

You Might Also Like