1001 Stories From the Old West

Jon Hagadorn takes a source-first approach that sets 1001 Stories From the Old West apart. Instead of modern retellings filtered through contemporary sensibilities, Jon works directly from diaries, autobiographies, historical documents, and even vintage radio dramas to present frontier accounts as close to the original voices as possible. He's built up 270 episodes doing this, released every other Sunday evening, creating a reliable rhythm for regular listeners. One of the show's standout choices is incorporating classic radio productions -- the 1956 CBS series Fort Laramie starring Raymond Burr gets featured alongside readings from Francis Parkman's The Oregon Trail and Emerson Hough's historical writings. That mix of primary documents and dramatized history gives each episode a different texture. The content spans the full range of frontier experience: Indian battles, pioneer struggles, outlaw raids, cattle drives, and the daily grind of westward settlement. With a 4.7-star rating from 192 reviews, the audience clearly appreciates Jon's dedication to getting these stories out of dusty archives and into people's earbuds. The clean content rating makes it accessible for all ages. If you're the kind of person who gets excited about reading actual historical accounts rather than fictionalized versions, this is your podcast.