This Week in the West: A German Duke Explores the Frontier

This Week in the West: A German Duke Explores the Frontier

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 86: A German Duke Explores the Frontier  📢 Episode Summary: Born into European royalty in 1797, Duke Paul Wilhelm of Württemberg chose a life of exploration rather than courtly comfort. Inspired by the scientific curiosity of the age and the work of naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, he traveled to North America in 1822 and spent years exploring the Mississippi and Missouri River valleys. At a time when much of the American West remained unfamiliar to Europeans, Wilhelm collected plants, animals and artifacts while documenting the landscapes and cultures he encountered. Traveling from New Orleans to St. Louis and deep into the fur-trade country of the Missouri River, Wilhelm followed in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark. Along the way, he met legendary explorer William Clark and became acquainted with Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, who later accompanied him back to Europe. His journeys took him among numerous Indigenous nations, including the Sioux, Blackfoot and Mandan peoples, and ultimately to the Three Forks region of present-day Montana, where he helped expand scientific knowledge of the Missouri River watershed. What makes Wilhelm especially significant today is the detailed record he left behind. Unlike many travelers of his era, he approached Indigenous cultures with genuine curiosity and carefully documented languages, customs, clothing and daily life. His journals, sketches and collections preserved a snapshot of the American frontier during a brief period before railroads and large-scale settlement transformed the West. Though much of his work was later lost during World War II, his surviving writings remain an important resource for historians studying the early American frontier. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: * How a German duke became one of the earliest scientific explorers of the American West and why he left Europe to study the frontier. * The remarkable connections between Duke Paul Wilhelm, William Clark, and Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the son of Sacagawea. * How Wilhelm's journals and collections preserved valuable information about Indigenous nations, frontier settlements and the Missouri River country before the West was transformed by expansion and development. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: * The Duke’s book: Travels in North America, 1822-1824: https://archive.org/details/travelsinnortham0000paul/page/n7/mode/2up [https://archive.org/details/travelsinnortham0000paul/page/n7/mode/2up] * The story of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau: https://lewis-clark.org/members/jean-baptiste-charbonneau/ [https://lewis-clark.org/members/jean-baptiste-charbonneau/] 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org [http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org]📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/]📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org [podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ [https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/]📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum [https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum]❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm [https://x.com/ncwhm]💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum [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 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1DruqCuukCzUerwQ6] 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/]💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/] 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ [https://persimmonhillstore.com/] 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708]🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U [https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U]🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN]🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  [https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/] ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

This Week in the West: Dispelling the Myths Surrounding Geronimo

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 85: Dispelling the Myths Surrounding Geronimo 📢 Episode Summary: Geronimo, born Goyahkla—or "One Who Yawns"—in 1829, grew up among the Chiricahua Apache in what is now Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. His life changed forever in 1851 when Mexican soldiers attacked his camp and killed his mother, wife and children while he was away. The tragedy fueled a lifelong determination to defend his people and their way of life. Over time, he earned the name Geronimo, likely derived from Mexican soldiers calling upon Saint Jerome during battle, and became one of the most recognizable figures in the history of the American West. Although not a chief, Geronimo emerged as an influential Apache spiritual leader, warrior and strategist during the Apache Wars. As American expansion accelerated following the Mexican-American War, the Apache faced increasing pressure from settlers, soldiers and government policies that confined Indigenous peoples to reservations. Refusing to accept life on the San Carlos Reservation, Geronimo repeatedly led small groups of Apache followers into the mountains of the Southwest, evading capture and conducting raids for years. His ability to escape much larger military forces made him both feared and legendary throughout the region. Geronimo finally surrendered in 1886, marking the end of major Apache resistance campaigns in the Southwest. He and the Chiricahua Apache spent the rest of their lives as prisoners of war, eventually being relocated to Fort Sill in Oklahoma Territory. In later years, Geronimo became a national celebrity, appearing at fairs, expositions and even President Theodore Roosevelt's inaugural parade. Yet he never stopped seeking permission to return to his homeland. His 1905 autobiography remains one of the most important firsthand accounts by an Indigenous leader of the American West. He died at Fort Sill in 1909, still a prisoner of war, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape conversations about resistance, survival and the history of the American West. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: * How Geronimo became a symbol of Apache resistance and the personal tragedy that shaped his determination to defend his people, homeland and traditions. * The story of the Apache Wars and the growing conflicts between Indigenous peoples, settlers, soldiers and governments as the American Southwest underwent dramatic change during the 19th century. * What happened after Geronimo's surrender, including his years as a prisoner of war, his unexpected rise to national celebrity and the lasting legacy he left through his autobiography and his role in Western history. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: * Oklahoma PBS Documentary on Geronimo: https://www.pbs.org/video/geronimo-vvnasx/ [https://www.pbs.org/video/geronimo-vvnasx/] * National Archive article on Geronimo: https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2022/11/22/geronimo-apache-chief/ [https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2022/11/22/geronimo-apache-chief/] * The Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway: https://geronimotrail.com/ [https://geronimotrail.com/] 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org [http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org]📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/]📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org [podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ [https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/]📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum [https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum]❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm [https://x.com/ncwhm]💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum [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 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1DruqCuukCzUerwQ6] 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/]💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/] 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ [https://persimmonhillstore.com/] 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708]🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U [https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U]🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN]🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  [https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/] ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

This Week in the West: Louis L'Amour, the West's Great Storyteller

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 84: Louis L’Amour, The West’s Great Storyteller 📢 Episode Summary: Louis L’Amour became one of the most influential Western writers in history not because he imagined the West from afar, but because he lived much of it himself. Born in North Dakota in 1908, he spent his early adulthood traveling the American West, working as a ranch hand, miner, lumber camp laborer, merchant seaman and boxer. Those experiences gave him firsthand knowledge of the landscapes, people and hardships that would later become the foundation of his fiction. After years of writing short stories for pulp magazines, L’Amour achieved national success with Hondo in 1953. The novel's popularity launched a remarkable career that produced nearly 100 novels, more than 250 short stories and hundreds of millions of books sold worldwide. His stories of ranchers, settlers, prospectors and wanderers helped define how generations of readers understood the American West, while his dedication to historical research gave his work a reputation for authenticity. This episode explores L’Amour's relentless work ethic, his love of reading and learning, and the legacy he left behind when he died on June 10, 1988. While some aspects of his work have been reassessed by modern audiences, his influence on Western literature, film and popular culture remains enormous. More than three decades after his death, his books continue to introduce new readers to the history, adventure and mythology of the American West. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: * How Louis L’Amour's real-life adventures as a laborer, sailor, boxer and traveler shaped the characters and settings that made his Western novels famous. * Why Hondo became the turning point that transformed L’Amour from a pulp magazine writer into one of the world's bestselling authors. * How L’Amour's commitment to research, history and ordinary people helped him create stories that continue to resonate with readers around the globe. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: * 1976 “60 Minutes” Profile of Louis L’Amour: https://youtu.be/0da3C2BLCro?si=Ce2RSCLNJJRdrwE_ [https://youtu.be/0da3C2BLCro?si=Ce2RSCLNJJRdrwE_] * Short film “A Man Called Louis L’Amour:” https://youtu.be/vUqPR49_44s?si=-CKOsB42oYj9AzUx [https://youtu.be/vUqPR49_44s?si=-CKOsB42oYj9AzUx] * The Official Louis L’Amour website: https://www.louislamour.com/ [https://www.louislamour.com/] 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org [http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org]📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/]📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org [podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ [https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/]📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum [https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum]❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm [https://x.com/ncwhm]💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum [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 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1DruqCuukCzUerwQ6] 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/]💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/] 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ [https://persimmonhillstore.com/] 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708]🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U [https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U]🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN]🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  [https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/] ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

This Week in the West: Andy Payne and the Brutal Craziness of the Bunion Derby

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 82: Andy Payne and the Brutal Craziness of the Bunion Derby 📢 Episode Summary: In this episode of This Week in The West, listeners travel back to 1928 for one of the strangest and toughest athletic events in American history: the Transcontinental Footrace, better known as the “Bunion Derby.” Created by sports promoter Charles C. Pyle, the race challenged nearly 300 runners to travel more than 3,400 miles from Los Angeles to New York City for a massive cash prize. Following much of what would later become Route 66, the race became a national spectacle filled with carnivals, crowds and daily hardship. At the center of the story is Andy Payne, a 20-year-old Cherokee runner from Foyil, Oklahoma. Payne entered the race hoping to save his family’s farm from financial trouble. Unlike many competitors who pushed too hard early, Payne relied on patience, discipline and endurance. He survived brutal weather, illness, dangerous traffic and exhaustion while steadily climbing through the ranks as other runners dropped out. Along the way, he became a folk hero across Oklahoma, greeted by cheering crowds, politicians and even humorist Will Rogers. The episode concludes with Payne’s dramatic finish at Madison Square Garden on May 26, 1928. After 84 grueling days on the road, Payne won the race by more than 15 hours, earning enough money to pay off his family’s mortgage and invest in land back home. The podcast reflects on how Payne’s victory transformed his life and secured his place in Oklahoma and Route 66 history. Today, a statue in Foyil honors the humble runner who crossed America on foot. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: * How the 1928 “Bunion Derby” became one of the most extreme endurance races in American history * Why Cherokee runner Andy Payne became an Oklahoma hero during the race * How Route 66 played a major role in the race and helped turn the event into a national spectacle 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: * Runner’s World article on Bunion Derby: https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20787316/the-great-bunion-derby/ [https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20787316/the-great-bunion-derby/] * A look at the African-American runners of the Bunion Derby: https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/1928-bunion-derby-america-s-brush-integrated-sports/ [https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/1928-bunion-derby-america-s-brush-integrated-sports/] * Rare footage of the Bunion Derby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s-kS_Ye4mw [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s-kS_Ye4mw] 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org [http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org]📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/]📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org [podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ [https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/]📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum [https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum]❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm [https://x.com/ncwhm]💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum [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 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1DruqCuukCzUerwQ6] 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/]💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/] 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ [https://persimmonhillstore.com/] 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708]🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U [https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U]🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN]🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  [https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/] ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

This Week in the West: Edward Borein and the Authentic West

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 81: Edward Borein and the Authentic West  📢 Episode Summary: This episode of This Week in The West explores the life and legacy of Western artist and cowboy Edward Borein, whose work helped preserve an authentic visual record of the American West. The episode opens with Borein’s early years in California, where he watched cattle drives as a child and quickly developed both artistic talent and cowboy skills. By the age of eighteen, he was working ranches across California and Mexico, sketching the people, horses and landscapes he encountered along the way. The podcast highlights Borein’s insistence on authenticity in his art, a quality that distinguished him from many artists who romanticized the West from afar. Listeners learn how Borein’s firsthand experiences shaped his illustrations for major publications like Harper’s, Collier’s Weekly and The Saturday Evening Post. The episode also covers his friendships with influential Western figures, including Will Rogers, Buffalo Bill Cody and fellow artist Charles Marion Russell, who encouraged Borein’s development as a painter. The final portion of the episode follows Borein’s return to California in the 1920s, where he refined the etching style that would make him famous. His studio in Santa Barbara became a gathering place for artists and storytellers, while his work documented cowboy life, stagecoaches, missions and Indigenous communities with remarkable detail. The episode concludes by examining Borein’s lasting legacy, including his inclusion in the permanent collection of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and his posthumous induction into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1971. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: * How artist and cowboy Edward Borein used firsthand experience on ranches in California and Mexico to create some of the most authentic visual records of the American West. * Why Borein’s dedication to accuracy set him apart from many early Western artists and earned him comparisons to fellow Western art legend Charles Marion Russell. * How Borein’s work evolved from cowboy sketches and magazine illustrations into internationally recognized etchings, watercolors and paintings that are now preserved in museums, including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: * Santa Monica Historical Museum’s Edward Borein Gallery: https://www.sbhistorical.org/borein-2/ [https://www.sbhistorical.org/borein-2/] * Video lecture: Etched by the West, the Life and Art of Edward Borein by Byron Price: https://youtu.be/6lz3ZrhAup8?si=9BWQWvOUxs6WC0Iu [https://youtu.be/6lz3ZrhAup8?si=9BWQWvOUxs6WC0Iu] * Antiques Roadshow appraises Edward Borein etchings: https://www.pbs.org/video/antiques-roadshow-appraisal-edward-borein-etchings-ca-1930/ [https://www.pbs.org/video/antiques-roadshow-appraisal-edward-borein-etchings-ca-1930/] 📬 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org [http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org]📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/]📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org [podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/ [https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/]📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum [https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum]❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm [https://x.com/ncwhm]💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum [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 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1DruqCuukCzUerwQ6] 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/]💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ [https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/] 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ [https://persimmonhillstore.com/] 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: 🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708]🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U [https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U]🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN]🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  [https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/] ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!