Way Out West Turns 50 with 50 Fun Facts from the American West

There’s a special kind of magic in the American West—a place where the stories are as big as the sky, and the spirit of freedom rides right alongside you on the trail. 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to those tales of grit, determination, and wide-open spaces. Whether it was the sound of boots on a wooden porch, the smell of coffee brewing over a campfire, or the simple joy of a well-told cowboy yarn, the West has always felt like home. And for the past 50 episodes, I’ve had the privilege of sharing that feeling with you.

[INTRO MUSIC]

Howdy. Chip Schweiger, here. Welcome to another edition of Way Out West. The podcast that takes you on a journey through the stories of the American West, brings you the very best cowboy wisdom, and celebrates the cowboys and cowgirls—who are feeding a nation. 

Today marks a milestone for the Way Out West podcast—our 50th episode! And as luck would have it, we’re celebrating right in the heart of Independence Day celebrations in the US. So, I figured there’s no better way to honor both than by rounding up “50 Fun Facts About the American West.” Sort of an expanded “did you know”

Some of these you might remember from past episodes, and others are just plain wild. So saddle up and get ready for a journey through the legends, the lore, and the little-known tidbits that make the West—and our freedom—so darn special.

After the episode, check out the show notes at WayOutWestPod.com/fifty

[Short Music Break]

Welcome back.

Before we dive into today’s list, I want to take a quick moment to talk about what this project has meant to me personally. When I started Way Out West, it was just an idea—a way to share the stories, history, and heart of the cowboy way of life with folks who love the West as much as I do. 

Fifty episodes later, I’m still blown away by the support, encouragement, and downright good company I’ve found in all of you.

I couldn’t have made it this far without a few special folks cheering me on. A big thank you to my family and particularly to the trail boss of our family. She’s put up with the late night recordings, and the spur of the moment detours to some little-known historical spot, and with my constant pestering, “What would you change about that episode?” and “Is that transition music too long?”

Thanks to my friends and my cowboy brothers for believing in this wild idea, and for dropping me a text now again to tell how much they’ve enjoyed a particular episode. To the organizations who’ve supported the show, including my friends at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and the Former Texas Rangers Foundation, I appreciate you. 

And—most of all—I’m thankful to you. Whether you’ve been riding with me since that first, awkward, scrappy episode recorded on an iPhone, or you just joined up with us on the trail, I appreciate you very much. And a few of you have sent special messages, so I’m going to talk about those throughout the episode. 

All right, enough of the mushy stuff. Let’s get to the good part—50 stars of our flag, 50 fun facts about the American West for the 50th episode of Way Out West.

Here we go!

1.    The Chisholm Trail helped drive over 5 million cattle from Texas to Kansas railheads.

2.    Annie Oakley could split a playing card at 30 paces with her trusty rifle.

3.    The Pony Express only lasted 18 months but became legendary for its speed and daring riders. And I just talked about this in our last episode.

4.    Wild Bill Hickok was both a lawman and a showman and he died holding aces and eights, the “dead man’s hand.”

5.    The first formalized rodeo with cash prizes is generally recognized as the one held in Prescott, Arizona on July 4, 1888.

6.    California’s Gold Rush in 1849 brought over 300,000 people westward.

7.    Bill Pickett invented “bulldogging” (steer wrestling) by biting the animal’s lip—a move inspired by watching ranch dogs work cattle. He would later become the first Black cowboy inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. And I talked about him in Episodes 27 and 30.

8.    The word “maverick” comes from Samuel Maverick, a rancher and lawyer who refused to brand his cattle. Now he claimed it’s because he didn’t want to inflict pain, but it’s been said that other ranchers suspected his true motivation was that it allowed him to collect any unbranded cattle and claim them as his own. Interesting.

9.    Speaking of cattle branding, the first recorded cattle brand in North America was the “Three Latin Crosses” brand, registered by Hernán Cortés in Mexico in 1521. Branding quickly became the cowboy’s way of marking and protecting their herds across the American West!

10. The lasso, or “riata,” was borrowed from Mexican vaquero traditions, much like so many items of the cowboy class.

11. Charlie Russell, “the Cowboy Artist,” created over 2,000 paintings and sculptures depicting the Old West, and often included a buffalo skull as his signature in his artwork. He also once paid a bar tab with a painting—which later sold for thousands of dollars.

12. Speaking of buffalo, the largest land animal in North America is the American bison—once nearly extinct, now making a comeback. And if you ever get a chance to see one of these magnificent animals in real life, you’ll never forget it

13. Dodge City, Kansas, was once known as “the wickedest little city in America.”

14. Billy the Kid claimed to have killed 21 men—one for each year of his life.

15. As I discussed in episode 36, the term “buckaroo” is an Anglicized version of “vaquero,” the Spanish word for cowboy.

16. The first female sheriff in the U.S. was Esther Hobart Morris, appointed in Wyoming in 1872.

17. Known as the “Father of Texas,” Stephen F. Austin brought the first 300 families—called the “Old Three Hundred”—to settle in Texas. Now He originally wanted to be a lawyer, but took over his father’s land grant after his father’s death. Listener shoutout

18. Cowboys used songs, known as “cowboy lullabies,” to calm cattle at night.

19. The American Quarter Horse is prized for its speed in short-distance races, generally a quarter of a mile.

20. The “wild west” era is generally considered to have lasted from 1865 to 1895.

21. Tombstone, Arizona, home to the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that I talked about in episode 33, had one of the strictest gun laws in the old west.

22. Barbed wire, invented in 1874, changed ranching forever by ending the open range.

23. The phrase “riding shotgun” comes from the armed guard who sat next to stagecoach drivers.

24. The largest rodeo in the world is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. And I’m proudly a life member and spent 14 years doing committee work there.

25. Western swing music blends cowboy tunes with jazz and blues.

26. Sacajawea, a Lemhi Shoshone woman who guided Lewis and Clark across the Rocky Mountains while carrying her infant son, is honored with more statues in the U.S. than any other American woman.

27. Saloons often served coffee with whiskey—known as “cowboy coffee.”

28. The “cowboy code” that I talked about in Episode 19 emphasized honesty, loyalty, and self-reliance.

29. Buffalo Bill Cody’s, and I talked about him in Episode 15, his Wild West Show toured Europe, introducing the world to cowboy culture.

30. The U.S. Marshals were among the first lawmen in the west, chasing outlaws across territories.

31. The mustang, a symbol of freedom, is descended from Spanish horses brought in the 1500s.

32. The six-shooter revolver, popularized by Samuel Colt, revolutionized frontier self-defense.

33. The iconic cowboy hat was popularized by John B. Stetson in 1865, and I talked about him all the way back in Episode 8. What I didn’t talk about was the fact that a “ten-gallon hat” actually only holds about three quarts.

34. The Lone Ranger was inspired by real-life lawman Bass Reeves. And check out Episode 44, where I talk about this fascinating law man.

35. The saguaro cactus, found only in the Sonoran Desert, can live over 150 years.

36. “Cowpoke” is another word for cowboy, first used in the early 1900s.

37. The phrase “get the heck out of Dodge” refers to Dodge City’s wild reputation. Listener shoutout

38. “Ol’ Blue” was Charlie Goodnight’s legendary lead steer, guiding cattle on long drives along the Goodnight-Loving Trail. And Ol’ Blue was so trusted that cowboys used him as a bell steer—the one other cattle would follow wherever he went.

39. The chuckwagon, invented by Charlie Goodnight, was the original food truck, serving meals on cattle drives.

40. Cathy Williams disguised herself as a man and enlisted as “William Cathay,” becoming the first and only known female Buffalo Soldier. She served for nearly two years before her true identity was discovered.

41. Stagecoaches could travel up to 120 miles in a single day—if the weather was good.

42. The American West inspired countless Hollywood films and TV shows and is the only geographic region in the world to have created its own movie genre.

43. The “boot hill” cemetery in Arizona was so named because many buried there died with their boots on, most often because of sudden and violent deaths.

44. The “longhorn” cattle breed is uniquely American, known for its massive horns. The Fort Worth Herd of longhorn cattle is the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive in a major city, held in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

45. The phrase “circle the wagons” comes from pioneers defending themselves on the trail.

46. The Grand Canyon, carved by the Colorado River, is over 270 miles long. 

47. Native American tribes like the Comanche and Apache were skilled horsemen of the plains.

48. The first U.S. national park, Yellowstone, was established in 1872.

49. The phrase “Howdy” that I start every episode with is actually a contraction of “How do you do?”

50. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the “frontier” officially closed in 1890. But, the cowboy spirit lives on. Today, more than 9 million cattle are raised annually in Texas alone.

Well, that’s a wrap on our special 50th episode—and what a ride it’s been! I hope you enjoyed this roundup of fun facts as much as I enjoyed putting it together. The American West is full of big stories, bold characters, and a spirit of freedom that’s as alive today as it ever was.

I want to thank you again for joining me on this journey. Whether you’re tuning in from the ranch, the city, or somewhere in between, you’re the reason this podcast keeps going. Your support, your stories, and your love for the Western way of life mean the world to me.

If you liked today’s episode, I’d be mighty grateful if you’d share it with a friend, or leave a review. Here’s to the next 50 episodes—and to keeping the spirit of the West alive, one story at a time.

This is Chip Schweiger reminding you to brew your coffee strong, keep your stories true, and embrace the wild spirit of the American West.

We’ll see y’all down the road.