While Buffalo Roamed: The Wild Western History of Colorado cover art

While Buffalo Roamed: The Wild Western History of Colorado

While Buffalo Roamed: The Wild Western History of Colorado

By: Jonathan Summer Publishing
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About this listen

History of Colorado’s (Old West) frontier days, western history, wild west, with the introduction to the remaining landmarks (while the buffalo and native Americans ruled the plains).

Once gold is discovered in west Kansas Territory, the western adventurers, settlers, miners, bandits, gamblers, farmers, ranchers, city builders and politicians stopped in Denver; from there these pioneers spread like ants into an unknown wilderness that would evolve into the state of Colorado.

Hero’s and villains, trials and hangings, escapes and adventure, fortunes made and lost - murder, poetry and even song - from the initial evidence left for us...

This podcast is produced locally, high in the Rocky Mountains where this history - and these stories originated.

The show is best enjoyed by listening to the episodes in order, and while not necessary, the full wild western experience is gained in this manner - full immersion - the history (stories) are in chronological order.

Our podcast will entertain and enlighten, the listener will notice much quotation from the mid to late 1800s; think of the quotations as the guests of the show. At first the language and vocabulary of the frontiersman and women will seem awkward, trust me: YOU WILL ABSORB the cadence and character and learn some new words - it will quicken your thought (I believe that - give it a solid try and see for yourself).

The episodes together form a rounded story of frontier life. The stages of civilization of the mid 1800s also translate to California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Mew Mexico, Wyoming and more. Starting from campers, gold miners, ranchers…

Colorado is wonderful example of western frontier settlement. Its relative youth helps the historian or enthusiast, as does the general gold excitement which attracted so many from all over the world. Those involved in Colorado’s settlement felt that is was quite a special event in American history, which it was, and thankfully many early arrivals wrote copious notes - there’s a mountain of first hand primary source evidence. We don’t want to lose these stories, and while Colorado history is easy to obtain and read, it’s shuffled so that the storytellers or historians who didn’t have the benefits of modern research techniques, naturally missed some details we can (and have) recover(ed) today. Combine this with the author who has first hand knowledge of the particular locations and you can't help but learn a little something along the way - we shoot for “total immersion” - or something like that!

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Social Sciences True Crime World
Episodes
  • E24 - Walk On The Wild Side: Horror and Apple Cider Vinegar
    Jan 26 2026

    *Listener Discretion Advised* Topics include: cannibalism, suicide, disfigurement, disease and suffocation resulting in death, hypothermia resulting in death, animal deaths due to suffocation from fire and general accidental poisoning, heart disease, etc...

    A horror story on the Smokey Hill Trail - Deadly fire blows through mountains - The Boulder County Marshal Fire 2021/2022 - How to make Apple Cider Vinegar according to 1859 - Obituaries - Mountain Tour

    While the miners mine in future Gilpin and Caesar Creek Counties, a fire sweeps through the mountains killing 3, and their two animals. Two men freeze to death on the plains, leaving evidence that in the next to last stage of hypothermia, the suffers feel so hot they remove their clothing.

    This episode, filled with primary information, is a collection of newspaper articles published between May and July of 1859 in the Rocky Mountain News. Thank you for listening.

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    51 mins
  • E23 - Ambushed Two Death: Murder in THE South Park
    Jan 19 2026

    The South Park Miner Ambush of 1859

    LISTENER Discretion ADVISED

    Topics of this show include: suicide, homicide, human decay, dismemberment and terrible suffering.

    Bent's Fort - La Junta Colorado - J.B. Kennedy S.D. (L.J.) Shank (Schank) William Slaughter Christopher "Kit" Carson - Ute Tribal People - THE South Park of Colorado - Miners Ambushed - Mysterious Location - Murder/Suicide

    Three miners embark on a prospecting tour of THE South Park. Ute tribesmen in the area appear friendly, until they prove otherwise. One man (William Slaughter) escapes, survives the trek back to the Gregory Diggings (Mountain City), and a party (of 100) is formed to bury the bodies and "chastise" the "Indians."

    Hear the rest of the story, and if (the mysterious location) is found, please share it with me - I can be contacted through the link below.

    Thank you!

    http://dasarowin67.podbean.com

    Rocky Mountain News William Slaughter pictured in E23 cover art.

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    32 mins
  • E22 - Auraria Had Mail: Colorado's Network Connection in 1859
    Jan 5 2026

    Gilligan's Island - Thank You - Spotify - Mail vs. Express - Henry Allen wins "Mr. Auraria" - Denver City "Post Office" - Real Mail Arrives - Backwards

    Almost 700 miles and a month away from friends, family and business (the network connection) the frontiersmen men and women in western Kansas Territory just want a little "network" service (at a fair price...with regularity...like other Americans).

    Postage was 3 cents to get a letter 3,000 miles - so why did it cost 28 cents (11 dollars today) to mail a letter back home? Find out by playing the episode...

    Thank you, Happy New Year!

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    23 mins
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