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

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!

This Week in the West: Jim Shoulders, The Babe Ruth of Rodeo

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 80: Jim Shoulders, the Babe Ruth of Rodeo 📢 Episode Summary: This episode of This Week in The West explores the life and legacy of rodeo legend Jim Shoulders, often called the “Babe Ruth of Rodeo.” Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 13, 1928, Shoulders grew from a city kid with dreams of cowboy life into one of the most dominant athletes in rodeo history. The episode follows his humble beginnings, including his first rodeo win at age 14 in Oilton, Oklahoma, and the determination that launched a championship career. Listeners will hear how Shoulders transformed professional rodeo through toughness, consistency and unmatched competitive success. Over his career, he earned 16 world championships, including titles in bull riding, bareback bronc riding and all-around competition. The podcast also examines the dangerous nature of rodeo in the mid-20th century, when competitors endured serious injuries with little medical support or safety equipment. Through quotes from friends, family and Shoulders himself, the episode paints a vivid picture of a cowboy whose grit helped define an entire era of the sport. The episode also highlights Shoulders’ lasting influence beyond competition. After retiring from riding, he became a respected stock contractor and helped develop legendary bucking bulls like Tornado. His fame also carried into Western fashion and advertising, including work with Wrangler and helping design the iconic Cowboy Cut jeans. The podcast closes by reflecting on Shoulders’ enduring legacy through honors at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, the National Rodeo Hall of Fame and the PBR Ring of Honor. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: * How Jim Shoulders rose from a teenage rodeo competitor in Oklahoma to become one of the greatest champions in rodeo history * What professional rodeo was like during the rough-and-tumble 1940s and 1950s, before modern safety standards and training methods * How Shoulders influenced Western culture beyond rodeo through livestock breeding, advertising partnerships and the development of Wrangler Cowboy Cut jeans 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: * Oklahoma Historical Society Interview with Jim Shoulders, 1970: https://youtu.be/WRRPRuMqRZ4?si=o7pvP6MDhweBKCXG [https://youtu.be/WRRPRuMqRZ4?si=o7pvP6MDhweBKCXG] * Oklahoma Hall of Fame entry on Jim Shoulders: https://www.oklahomahof.com/hof/inductees/shoulders-jim-1976 [https://www.oklahomahof.com/hof/inductees/shoulders-jim-1976] * New York Times Obituary of Jim Shoulders: https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/sports/22shoulders.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/sports/22shoulders.html] 📬 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: The Monumental Effort to Create the Transcontinental Railroad

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 79: The Monumental Effort to Create the Transcontinental Railroad  📢 Episode Summary: This episode of This Week in The West commemorates the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The story opens at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory, where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met in a historic moment symbolized by the driving of the golden spike. What had once seemed impossible—a rail connection spanning the continent—became a reality, marking a turning point in American history. The episode explores the immense challenges behind the railroad’s construction. From the granite walls of the Sierra Nevada to the vast and unforgiving Great Plains, thousands of laborers—many of them Chinese immigrants, Irish workers, Civil War veterans and formerly enslaved men—endured brutal conditions to complete the line. The project was driven forward by the Pacific Railway Act signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, but it came at a cost, including the disruption of Native American lands and the near destruction of the American bison. Finally, the episode examines the profound impact of the railroad on the nation. Travel time across the country shrank from months to about a week, transforming commerce, communication and daily life. The railroad helped establish time zones, fueled economic growth and shaped settlement patterns across the West. Its influence reached into industries like cattle ranching and inspired artists such as Albert Bierstadt, whose work captured a landscape in transition. The legacy of the transcontinental railroad remains deeply woven into the story of the American West and the themes explored at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: * How the transcontinental railroad was planned, funded and ultimately completed at Promontory Summit in 1869 * The human story behind the railroad, including the diverse workforce and the कठिन and dangerous conditions they endured * The lasting impact of the railroad on American life, from economic growth and time zones to Western expansion and cultural change 👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: * PBS’ American Experience documentary on the Transcontinental Railroad: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/tcrr/ [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/tcrr/] * The Transcontinental Railroad and the Asian-American Experience: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/the-transcontinental-railroad-and-the-asian-american-story [https://postalmuseum.si.edu/the-transcontinental-railroad-and-the-asian-american-story] * How the Transcontinental Railroad changed America forever: https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0n4kjvh/watch [https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0n4kjvh/watch] 📬 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!