Pioneers of Outlaw Country: Wyoming History

Jackie Dorothy

Pioneers of Outlaw Country: Wyoming History dives deep into the rugged, untamed spirit of Wyoming's rich history.

Many of these stories have been forgotten and the pioneers are relatively unknown. Join us for a journey back into time that is fun for the entire family and students of any age!

This podcast series has been supported by our partners; the Hot Springs County Pioneer Association, the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, the Wyoming Humanities, and the Wyoming Office of Transportation.

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Episodes

History Tour of the Yellowstone Highway
Oct 1 2024
History Tour of the Yellowstone Highway
Send us a textJourney with us through the rich and adventurous history of the Yellowstone Highway through the Wind River Canyon, now a scenic by-way. From its rugged landscapes to the tales etched into its cliffs, this byway has seen it all.We kick off with the Gold Rush era, exploring how the promise of fortune drew eager prospectors into the canyon, igniting a frenzy that transformed the region. As gold seekers braved the treacherous terrain, we share stories of their triumphs and tragedies, revealing the dangerous stakes involved in the quest for riches.Next, we delve into the role of stagecoaches, the lifelines of communication and commerce during the 19th century. Listen in as we recount thrilling tales of daring robberies, where bandits lurked in the shadows, waiting for their moment to strike. These heists not only added to the canyon's lore but also shaped the lives of those who traveled its path.But it's not all peril and robbery! We also uncover the lighter side of history, featuring mischievous pranks played by local residents on unsuspecting travelers. These stories add a layer of humanity and humor to the canyon’s rugged narrative.Join us as we weave together these threads of danger, adventure, and a touch of whimsy, painting a vivid picture of the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway’s storied past. Tune in to discover how this breathtaking landscape has shaped both history and the people who have called it home.“Supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.”Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
Sheriff Rice: Wyoming Justice
Sep 19 2024
Sheriff Rice: Wyoming Justice
Send us a textSheriff Virgil Rice was tough-as-nails and respected throughout Wyoming. He was known to "get his man" and tracked down horse thieves across the Cowboy State in the 1890's.  It is believed by residents and historians that he was one of many cowboys that helped inspire America's most beloved cowboy heroes, the Virginian. When You Call Me That – Smile! It was now the Virginian's turn to bet, or leave the game, and he did not speak at once. Therefore, Trampas spoke. “Your bet, you son-of-a—.” The Virginian's pistol came out, and his hand lay on the table, holding it unaimed. And with a voice as gentle as ever, the voice that sounded almost like a caress, but drawling a very little more than usual, so that there was almost a space between each word, he issued his orders to the man Trampas: “When you call me that, SMILE.” And he looked at Trampas across the table. The infamous words were spoken low and found their mark. That day, there was no gunplay as Trampas backed now. In some versions, he laughed and said, “With a gun against my belly, I always smile.”Over the years, this incident was written many times over in western movies and made it into Wyoming lore. It was first penned by Owen Wister who frequented the Owl Creek region in the late 1880’s and kept a journal of his adventures. The young tourist based this scene in his best-selling novel, The Virginian, on a story circulating around cowboy fires on the range. Wister claimed that he did not know the origin of this story, however, the people of old Thermopolis said they knew the man who uttered those words. They said it was none other than Virgil Rule Rice, a young cowboy and the first Sheriff of the Big Horn Basin. Recommended reading would be Tim McCoy Remembers the West by Tim McCoy. He interviewed Sheriff Rice's outlaw friend, Walt Punteney. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by our partners, Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  Descendants of Thermopolis, Wyoming can learn how to join their organization by sending us a text! Also send us a text if you have a story you would like featured on the podcast!  This episode would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
1885 Cattle Round Up: Wyoming Cowboy
Mar 7 2024
1885 Cattle Round Up: Wyoming Cowboy
Send us a textThe strike of a rattlesnake, the danger of stampede, the whistling of cowboys, the swish of a lasso and the sting of the hot sun.  The cowboys on round-up are a true pioneer of Wyoming. Welcome to another episode of "Pioneers of Outlaw Country," where we delve into fascinating stories from Wyoming’s past that often go unnoticed. I am your host, Jackie Dorothy, and today we are traveling on a round-up with one of our favorite tourists, Owen Wister. His observations led him to write "The Viriginian" which became the most famous western romances in the world. He introduced an entire generation to the noble cowboy and a strange new world on the western frontier. It is the year 1885 and Owen Wister, the young tourist – and future novelist – has been invited to join a round-up with the Wolcott cowboys. He had been on the ranch for a month and was more comfortable in a saddle but still very much a greenhorn.  His journals capture the adventure he experienced on his very first cattle round-up. This episode has been brought to you in partnership with the Hot Springs County Pioneer Association and would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
Fact to Fiction: The Real Inspiration for The Virginian
Feb 29 2024
Fact to Fiction: The Real Inspiration for The Virginian
Send us a textThe Harvard student of law bent over his journal, writing in camp light and by kerosene. He was capturing the words that he would one day use to write the most popular Western fiction in the world.  In 1885, a young tourist arrived in Wyoming and went by stage to Medicine Bow. He was a 24 year old Owen Wister who faithfully recorded in his journal all that he saw - and he wasn't very impressed!  Years later, these jottings were the experiences of the Tenderfoot and the opening scene to his most famous book, The Virginian, Horseman of the Plains. In this episode, we compare two scenes Wister observed in his journal of the small town of Medicine Bow with the fiction scenes he wrote nearly 20 years later in his western romance. Step back into time and hear the distant train as a young Owen Wister explores a dusty western town on the edge of civilization!The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by our partners, Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  Descendants of Thermopolis, Wyoming can learn how to join their organization by sending us a text! Also send us a text if you have a story you would like featured on the podcast!  This episode would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
The 1880's Tourist to Wyoming
Feb 22 2024
The 1880's Tourist to Wyoming
Send us a textWhen we think of the early visitors of Wyoming, we think of the cowboys, homesteaders, miners and others coming to the West to make their fortune. There was another group of young men who came west on the trains and stagecoaches. These were young, rich men looking for an adventure and relaxation. They were not in Wyoming to find their fortune but here to vacation.Among these young tourists was a Harvard student of law, Owen Wister. His journals kept a record of his first arrival to Wyoming. As a world traveler, he was not easily awed but Wyoming caught his imagination and pulled him back for visits over the next 15 years. Join Wister on his first weeks in Wyoming, a broken young man who had traveled to Wyoming as part of his 'camp cure' and left with the beginnings of the great American novel, The Virginian. Thank you for listening to Outlaws of Pioneer Country. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by our partners, Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  Descendants of Thermopolis, Wyoming can learn how to join their organization by sending us a text! Also send us a text if you have a story you would like featured on the podcast!  This episode would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org  Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
David Picard: Cowboy Prankster
Feb 8 2024
David Picard: Cowboy Prankster
Send us a textThe most famous cowboy prank in Wyoming... may never have happened. Or did it? In his novel, The Virginian, Owen Wister tells of a baby swapping prank that happened at a rural dance. It was common practice in those days to pile the babies under chairs and tables to sleep while the parents danced the night away.   According to Wister, two cowboys took advantage of this situation to pull a legendary stunt! After his novel was published, residents of Thermopolis and other western towns claimed that the incident was real. According to homesteaders of Owl Creek, Bridger Creek, Lost Cabin and Thermopolis - that person was a young French cowboy named David Picard. Follow along on this adventure that made its way even to Hollywood and determine for yourself.... Is it a tall tale or did a mischievous cowboy really pull the ultimate joke on unsuspecting parents? The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by our partners, Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  Descendants of Thermopolis, Wyoming can learn how to join their organization by sending us a text! Also send us a text if you have a story you would like featured on the podcast!  This episode would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org s. David Picard, Cowboy Prankster was a production of Legend Rock Media with your host, Jackie Dorothy.Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
Peeshee: Wyoming's Waltzing Mouse
Feb 2 2024
Peeshee: Wyoming's Waltzing Mouse
Send us a textWhen Owen Wister brought his family to Wyoming in 1912, they brought along a special friend: Peeshee, the waltzing mouse. The inclusion of this tiny tourist in their family gives us insight into the Wister family dynamics and their love of nature in all forms.The Waltzing Mouse, once as common as goldfish as pets for children, was a puzzle to the scientists who studied them. These tiny creatures would whirl in circles rather than walk in straight lines and were more docile than their cousins. Peeshee spent the summer waltzing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming to the delight of the four Wister children.The next year, tragedy struck when their mother died in childbirth and, unknown to them, this was the last summer they would spend in their beloved Wyoming. Peeshee the Waltzing Mouse was a delight to all and a fun memory of their time in Wyoming.The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by our partners, Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  Descendants of Thermopolis, Wyoming can learn how to join their organization by sending us a text! Also send us a text if you have a story you would like featured on the podcast!  This episode would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains
Jan 18 2024
The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains
Send us a textIn 1902, the most popular book in America was The Virginian by Owen Wister.  This book changed America's perspective on the cowboy and turned the once maligned cowhand into a romantic hero.Told at times through the eyes of the Tenderfoot, this is a story of a courageous but mysterious cowboy known only as “the Virginian”. He works as foreman of a cattle ranch in the Wyoming territory during the1880s and is admired by his friends and enemies alike. The gunplay and violence of his frontier code threaten his romance with Molly, the pretty schoolteacher from the East. The novel’s climactic gun duel is the first “showdown” in fiction. It also introduced the now-classic phrase that the Virginian utters when confronting Trampas, the villian of the story: “When you call me that, smile!”The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by our partners, Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  Descendants of Thermopolis, Wyoming can learn how to join their organization by sending us a text! Also send us a text if you have a story you would like featured on the podcast!  This episode would not be possible without the support of the Wyoming Humanities. www.thinkwy.org Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
Hello 1884! New Year's Predictions, Superstitions & more
Jan 4 2024
Hello 1884! New Year's Predictions, Superstitions & more
Send us a textHappy New Year! What better way to celebrate than to travel back in time to 1884 in the Wyoming Territory.  Warning... Sprinkled in with the 1884 New Years predictions are superstitions and even an old-fashioned romance. We are celebrating the 1884 New Year just as residents did that same year and reading through the Cheyenne Daily Sun after staying up to bring in the New Year! 1883 had been a time of prosperity for many in Wyoming and the fledging city of Cheyenne. The cattle were thriving, and the railroad was bringing in opportunities to the young territory. The Wyoming and cowboys of the 1880's would soon be immortalized by author Owen Wister in his famous book, The Virginian, but today, as 1884 dawned, the territorial citizens were still living in the world Wister would depict less than 20 years into the future.   As the citizens welcomed in 1884, little did they know that the future, for some, was going to be dire. For, in just two years, a severe winter would kill thousands of cattle.  It would became known as “The Great Die-Up" and help bring on the war between the wealthy cattlemen association and the small-time homesteaders they saw as a threat to their vast empire.In 1884, the thoughts were on New Years celebrations and superstitious from the old world. The modern world of electric lights made it easier to enjoy love stories from their homes back east and to look forward to a bright future.Hello 1884! Be sure to join the conversation on Facebook and to join our growing community. (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | FacebookThe stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association and was a production of Legend Rock Media Production. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy & Dean King. Season two will be exploring the Wyoming of Owen Wister, the author of The Virginian This program has been made possible through a grant from Wyoming Humanities. Home - thinkWYSupport the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
The Lost Owl Creek Colony
Apr 18 2023
The Lost Owl Creek Colony
Send us a textThey were daring adventurers, forgers of a new life, homesteaders …. and forgotten to history. These vanished people were true pioneers of Hot Springs County, Wyoming. The Pioneers of Outlaw Country. Cowboys, Lawmen and Outlaws… to the businessmen and women who all helped shape Thermopolis and Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Here are their stories.  The Lost Owl Creek Colony           Many, many years ago, strangers came from the south and began to build homes in the solitudes of Wyoming. To the tribes who roamed this area, it was a prized hunting ground known for mild winters. They had fought bloody wars for their right to hunt the plentiful game and were jealous of any who also tried to claim the valley beneath the Owl Creek Mountains. The Indians say in their own language: “Beautifully the Great Spirit looks at the other countries in the summer, but he lives here all the year.”These newcomers were seen as a threat by the tribes. The strange people worked among the rocks in the mountains, the country yielding them rich treasures, not only furs, but gold and other precious metals taken from the ground. According to their oral traditions, the Indians attacked and destroyed the outsiders in their new homes. They took as their prize the strange animals belonging to these interlopers. This was how the tribes in the Big Horn Basin first came to own horses.Some dismiss this story as mere legend… a tale told to General George Sliney in the late 1800’s that he wrote down in his memoirs. But was it really only a myth? Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
Ben Hanson, The Outlaw Who Founded a Town
Apr 5 2023
Ben Hanson, The Outlaw Who Founded a Town
Send us a textHe was the founder of Thermopolis, well-respected businessman and cattleman, a dashing bachelor, expert horseman and a murderer.  This cattleman and businessman was a true pioneer of Hot Springs County, Wyoming.  The Pioneers of Outlaw Country. Cowboys, Lawmen and Outlaws… to the businessmen and women who all helped shape Thermopolis and Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Here are their stories.  Ben Hanson, The Murder of Tom Bird A rumor of an unfaithful wife and friend, three gunshots, in rapid succession, a man on the run…. This is the story of Ben Hanson and Tom Bird. Ben Hanson, a young cattleman and expert horseman, homesteaded land bordering on the Wind River Indian Reservation in the early 1890’s. He had spent years in the saddle as a cowboy for other men and was now ready to make his own fortune.He knew this land well. It was untamed and lawless – and full of promise. Both cowboys from the Embar Ranch and outlaws from the Hole-in-the-Wall country, flush with spending money, were roaming the area. They were visiting the hog ranch at Andersonville and the campground at Rocky Row, which was then an illegal settlement on the hot springs belonging to the Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. However... his life was to take a dark turn... Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
Major Forsyth; March to Custer's Battlefield
Mar 1 2023
Major Forsyth; March to Custer's Battlefield
Send us a textMajor George “Sandy” Forsyth: His Forgotten Diary  He was a Civil War veteran, Cavalry Officer, Indian Fighter, General Sheridan’s aide de camp, avid fisherman, author, husband and Brigadier General. This courageous soldier was a true explorer of Hot Springs County, Wyoming. The Pioneers of Outlaw Country. Cowboys, Lawmen and Outlaws… to the businessmen and women who all helped shape Thermopolis and Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Here are their stories. Major George “Sandy” Forsyth: The Forgotten Diary In the Hot Springs County Museum in Thermopolis, Wyoming, a nondescript brown journal was displayed without acknowledgement of its historical importance. This journal was on display in the military exhibit with a small photo of its author, Major George “Sandy” Forsyth. Someone had stamped the cover with the old address of the County Museum before that museum was burned and moved to its present location on 700 Broadway in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Somehow, the journal survived the devasting fire although its outer edges are tinged with old soot. This journal was on its way to the Smithsonian when instead, the owner chose, through a series of twists and turns, to send the journal to Thermopolis. That is because this journal was written in 1877 about a journey through the future Hot Springs County.Major George “Sandy” Forsyth was General Sheridan’s aide de camp and, along with many notable officers of the time, was on a journey through the Big Horn Mountains to Camp Custer. It had been one year since General Custer had been killed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The company of soldiers, who had all known him and his regiment, were on their way to the new posts being built along the Rose Bud and Tongue River. The Indian Wars were coming to an end and the company was accompanied by Sioux Scouts. They had left Chicago on the train and arrived in Cheyenne within one day. From there, they took the train and stagecoach to Camp Brown, a fort near the future town of Lander. This trip was unlike any from the previous years when danger lurked on the countryside from hostile Indians. The Indian Wars were over and now the soldiers hunted and fished their way across the beautiful landscape.Sandy Forsyth was a skilled writer and his words describe a world as beautiful as any park. He describes the bright blue of the larkspur and forget-me-nots, the string of trout they caught and the mosquitoes that plagued them. In 1877, buffalo still roamed Hot Springs County in large herds and the area was still being mapped.  Support the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.
Joe Meek, The Mountain Man
Jan 18 2023
Joe Meek, The Mountain Man
Send us a textJoe Meek: The Mountain Man He was the tall Virginian. A trapper, Indian fighter, pioneer, peace officer, frontier politician, and lover of practical jokes and Jacksonian democracy.  This friend and companion of Kit Carson and Jim Bridger was a true pioneer of Wyoming and Hot Springs County.  The Pioneers of Outlaw Country. Cowboys, Lawmen and Outlaws… to the businessmen and women who all helped shape Thermopolis and Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Here are their stories. Be sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. The stories of our pioneers were brought to you by Hot Springs County Pioneer Association.  This podcast was supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. This is a production of Legend Rock Media. Copyright 2023 Legend Rock Media  With a special thank you to Tony Messerly and the Many Strings Band. For more of their lively music, visit them at www.ManyStrings.net. Big Horn River Pilot, Volume 02, Number 09, May 11, 1898Joe Meek: The Merry Mountain Man, A Biography by Stanley VestalSupport the showBe sure to subscribe to “Pioneers of Outlaw Country” so you don’t miss a single episode of this historic series. Your hosts are Jackie Dorothy and Dean King and you can find us at (20+) Pioneers of Outlaw Country | Facebook This is a production of Legend Rock Media Productions.