In August of 1857, a wagon train of travelers from Missouri and Arkansas rolls into Utah Territory. It’s called the Baker-Fancher party and it’s headed for California. The group camps in a high mountain valley called Mountain Meadows in southern Utah Territory, but Mormon settlers in the area believe the emigrants are more than just travelers. The Mormons be ... Show More
May 2024
ORRIN PORTER ROCKWELL Ep. 6 | “Sinner and Saint”
An investigation into the Mountain Meadows Massacre takes years, and in meantime, Porter Rockwell continues his roles as lawman and mail carrier. He builds a hotel and becomes a successful businessman, but he remains a figure of controversy. Acts of violence throughout Utah Terri ... Show More
35m 3s
Jun 2024
TEXAS RANGERS Ep. 1 | “Civil War”
In the spring of 1861, it becomes clear America is headed for civil war. Texas Rangers Ben McCulloch, Henry McCulloch, John S. “Rip” Ford, and Lawrence Sullivan Ross join the Confederate army. They have four vastly different experiences, highlighted by the second major battle of ... Show More
42m 52s
Jan 2022
S2 – 1: The World was on Fire
Virginia City was Nevada’s largest boomtown with a rise and fall in a span of 20 years. Historically dark, and now reported to be haunted by miners, historical figures and women of ill repute - to this day, the bourbon still flows and the ghost stories are a’plenty. Join us at a ... Show More
59m 40s
Feb 2024
The Silver Rush Kings and the "Big Bonanza"
On this episode of Our American Stories, straight out of a Horatio Alger novel, the Silver Kings (John Mackay, James Fair, William O'Brien, and James Flood) epitomized the rags-to-riches American dream story. Roger McGrath tells the story of the richest mineral discovery in Ameri ... Show More
17m 58s
Mar 2022
EP240: The Silver Kings and the "Big Bonanza" and The Man Who Brought Couponing to the Digital Age
On this episode of Our American Stories, Roger McGrath, author of Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes is here to tell us the story of the richest mineral discovery in American history, the Comstock Lode. Jason Wolfe created the first coupon site on the internet back when you ... Show More
38m 13s
Aug 2023
EP 90 - The Ghosts of the Washoe Club | Virginia City, NV
The Washoe Club in Virginia City, Nevada, serves as a vivid reminder of the town's rich mining heritage and its role in shaping the American West. Its ornate Victorian architecture, legendary spiral staircase, and haunting tales have made it an enduring symbol of Nevada's fascina ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2024
Westward Hoax: The Secret History of Palisade, Nevada
<p>In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wild<em> </em>in the “Wild West.”</p> <p>But there was a lot more to the story that didn’t make the paper ... Show More
34m 5s
Dec 2023
Great American Authors | Mark Twain: Voice of a Nation | 3
In the late 1850s, a young man named Samuel Clemens started out piloting steamboats on the Mississippi River. Within a few years, he embarked on a writing career, adopting the pen name that became famous: Mark Twain. Armed with a wry sense of humor and a natural flair for storyte ... Show More
41m 54s