Episodes

GUNSMOKE: "BARTON BOY" Originally broadcast October 1, 1955, "Barton Boy" begins with a train robbery near Walnut Creek. A baggage clerk is murdered, young Billy Barton is wounded, and the robber escapes with the strongbox. Billy survives, but his memories of the attack are incomplete. [stupidpotato.com], [goldie.fm] That leaves Marshal Matt Dillon with very little to work with. But Billy remembers something important: the killer's distinctive weak voice. That fragment of memory may be the clue...

[vintagerad...ovault.com], [goldie.fm] GUNSMOKE: "THOROUGHBREDS" A stranger named Jack Portas rides into Dodge with two magnificent thoroughbred horses, plenty of money, and a personality calculated to attract attention. But Marshal Matt Dillon has learned that flashy newcomers sometimes bring trouble with them, and before long he begins to suspect that Portas isn't simply a wealthy horseman looking for a good time. [goldie.fm] As Portas's past begins catching up with him, the atmosphere in Dod...

VANISHED AT WHITE SANDS FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST True Stories the history books left behind. Welcome to the very first installment of FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE OLD WEST, a new regular feature from 1001 Stories From The Old West. There are some stories of the American West that everybody knows. Billy the Kid. Wyatt Earp. Jesse James. Custer and the Little Bighorn. But scattered across old newspapers, forgotten records, family accounts, and the fading memories of the frontier are hund...

GUNSMOKE DOUBLE‑FEATURE CHANGE OF HEART Original Airdate: September 3, 1955 (CBS Radio) Writer: John Meston Produced and Directed by: Norman Macdonnell Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester Proudfoot), Georgia Ellis (Miss Kitty Russell), Howard McNear (Doc Adams) Episode Summary (Spoiler‑Safe): When a wounded outlaw collapses outside Dodge, Marshal Dillon faces a moral dilemma that tests the limits of frontier justice. The man's young wife pleads for mercy, forcing Matt to ...

⭐ INDIAN SCOUT Air Date: March 31, 1956 An aging Army scout named Amos Cartwright becomes the center of suspicion after a deadly ambush wipes out a troop he was guiding. When a soldier's grieving brother vows revenge, Matt Dillon steps in — but the truth is far more complicated. As Cartwright flees into Comanche territory, Matt must weigh justice, loyalty, and the harsh realities of frontier life. This tense, character‑driven episode explores guilt, honor, and the burden carried by men who've li...

INNOCENT BROAD Air Date: April 26, 1958 A young woman named Linda Bell arrives in Dodge to meet her fiancé, Lou Paxton, but trouble follows close behind. A jealous and volatile man named Joe Bassett rides in on the same stagecoach, and although Lou insists he doesn't know him, Matt Dillon senses something isn't right. When Lou steers his 17‑year‑old bride‑to‑be toward a job at the Long Branch, Matt's suspicions deepen. Hidden connections, jealousy, and deception collide as Matt works to uncov...

GUNSMOKE (RADIO): "BEN TOLLIVER'S STUD" Original Air Date: January 24, 1953 Cast: Matt Dillon – William Conrad Chester Proudfoot – Parley Baer Doc Adams – Howard McNear Kitty Russell – Georgia Ellis Ben Tolliver – Harry Bartell Summary Horse trader Ben Tolliver rides into Dodge with a magnificent stud horse he claims is the finest in the territory. But when a dispute over ownership erupts, the situation turns violent — and Matt Dillon finds himself sorting thr...

🤠 GUNSMOKE: "UNCLE OLIVER" Original Air Date: January 10, 1954 Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester Proudfoot), Georgia Ellis (Kitty Russell), Howard McNear (Doc Adams), and guest star John Dehner as Uncle Oliver. Summary: When a kindly old man named Uncle Oliver arrives in Dodge City claiming to be a harmless traveler, Marshal Dillon quickly senses there's more to him than meets the eye. Beneath his gentle manner lies a dangerous secret that threatens the town's peace. As...

⭐ GUNSMOKE: THE ARMY TRIAL Show Notes – Duty, Desertion & Frontier Justice Episode Background: Originally aired June 25, 1955, The Army Trial is one of Gunsmoke's most emotionally charged stories — a collision between military discipline, young love, and the unforgiving realities of the frontier. Summary (Spoiler‑Safe): Jed Cook, a weary Army sergeant stationed at Fort Dodge, deserts his post to start a new life with his fiancée, Della Masters. Their dream ends abruptly when Matt Dillon re...

⭐ GUNSMOKE RADIO EPISODE DATA & SUMMARIES For 1001 Stories From the Old West ⭐ TRUST Broadcast Date: January 24, 1953 (Season 2) Cast: William Conrad – Matt Dillon Parley Baer – Chester Howard McNear – Doc Adams Georgia Ellis – Kitty John Dehner – Ed Blake (guest) Harry Bartell – Tom (guest) Additional supporting cast typical of early‑season Gunsmoke ⭐ Summary (Podcast‑Ready) A young cowboy named Ed Blake rides into Dodge City with a probl...

⭐ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST SHOW NOTES — GUNSMOKE DOUBLE FEATURE "COW DOCTOR" & "JEALOUSY" This week, we're bringing you a Gunsmoke double feature — two standout episodes that showcase the grit, humor, and human drama that made the series a legend of radio's golden age. Each story stands on its own, but together they paint a vivid picture of frontier life in Dodge City, where pride, rumor, and desperation can turn an ordinary day into a powder keg. ⭐ COW DOCTOR When a frightened boy nam...

🎙️ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST ⭐ SHOW NOTES — THE RAID ON ROBBERS ROOST (TEXAS) Episode Summary In this episode, we explore one of the most daring and disciplined law‑enforcement actions in frontier Texas: Sheriff John R. Hughes’s raid on the outlaw fortress known as Robbers Roost. Hidden deep in the cedar breaks of Brown County, the Roost was a fortified den used by horse thieves, cattle rustlers, and killers who believed they were untouchable. Hughes — quiet, methodical, and driven by a pro...

⭐ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST SHOW NOTES ⭐ POTATO ROAD A simple freight run turns into a dangerous ordeal when Matt Dillon and Chester travel a remote stretch of trail known as Potato Road—a place with a reputation for ambushes and trouble. When they come across a wagon wreck and a badly injured driver, Matt realizes they’ve stumbled into the aftermath of a violent robbery. As they push deeper along the lonely road, the clues point to a pair of ruthless thieves who are willing to kill any...

⭐ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST SHOW NOTES ⭐ BORN TO HANG In Dodge City, a young outlaw named Tad seems determined to follow the same doomed path as his father—a man Matt Dillon once had to bring to justice. When Tad becomes mixed up with a dangerous gang, Matt tries to steer him toward a better life, but the boy’s pride and anger push him deeper into trouble. As a robbery turns violent, Tad must choose between loyalty to the men leading him astray and the chance to break free from a legacy...

⭐ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST SHOW NOTES A COWBOY DETECTIVE – CHAPTER 15 (PART 1) Charlie Siringo’s 1,000‑Mile Ride Into the Wild Bunch’s Shadow ⭐ BEFORE WE BEGIN — A FEW WILD WEST MYSTERIES TO SET THE STAGE ⭐ Who was “Peg‑Leg”? Peg‑Leg was a real outlaw operating in the Indian Creek and Blue Mountains region of Utah — a tough, suspicious, gun‑packing rider who knew every hidden trail, every canyon, and every outlaw camp. He wasn’t a nickname borrowed from folklore; he was a flesh‑and‑blood ...

⭐ SHOW NOTES — The Dalton Gang’s Last Raid 1001 Stories From the Old West On the morning of October 5th, 1892, the Dalton Gang rode into Coffeyville, Kansas with a plan no outlaw had ever dared attempt: rob two banks at the same time. Bob Dalton wanted to outdo Jesse James, to make history, and to prove that the Daltons were the most daring gang in the West. Instead, Coffeyville became the place where the Dalton Gang met its end. The gang — Bob Dalton, Grat Dalton, Emmett Dalton, Dick Broadwe...

⭐ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST GUNSMOKE: “THE MISTAKE” Show Notes – Classic CBS Radio Drama Original Air Date: January 23, 1954 Writer: John Meston Starring: William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon Parley Baer as Chester Howard McNear as Doc Adams Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell Episode Summary: A simple misunderstanding turns deadly in Dodge City when a frightened young cowboy makes a tragic mistake — one that sends shockwaves through the town and lands squarely on M...

Charlie is sent on a long mission to track down horse theves and train robbers and ends up getting a lot of information as well as serious injuries from a runaway team of horses overturning a wagon.

⭐ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST 🎙️ GUNSMOKE DOUBLE‑PLAY CHESTER’S HANGING POOR PEARL 🎙️ CHESTER’S HANGING Gunsmoke (CBS Radio) Original Airdate: August 8, 1953 Writer: John Meston Starring: William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon Parley Baer as Chester Proudfoot Howard McNear as Doc Adams Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell 📘 Episode Summary (Spoiler‑Safe) “Chester’s Hanging” is one of the most gripping and emotionally charged episodes of the early Gunsmoke run — a story ...

⭐ 1001 STORIES FROM THE OLD WEST 🎙️ GUNSMOKE DOUBLE‑PLAY YOUNG LOVE CHEYENNES 🎙️ YOUNG LOVE Gunsmoke (CBS Radio) Original Airdate: July 19, 1954 Writer: John Meston Starring: William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon Parley Baer as Chester Proudfoot Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell Howard McNear as Doc Adams 📘 Episode Summary (Spoiler‑Safe) “Young Love” is one of Gunsmoke’s most heartfelt and human stories — a tale of two young people whose affection for each other runs h...

🎙️ 1001 Stories From the Old West SHOW NOTES – A COWBOY DETECTIVE Chapter 14(Part 1) On the Trail of the Union Pacific Train Robbers In this first installment, Charlie Siringo launches one of the most sweeping manhunts of his detective career — a pursuit that will eventually stretch across Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, the Indian Territory, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Montana, and even into Mexico. Charlie remembering back as a young cowboy, goes up against Bat Masterson in a bar fig...

⭐ 1001 Stories From the Old West SHOW NOTES — A Cowboy Detective, Chapter 13 “The Murderer Who Smiled” Episode Summary Chapter 13 of Charlie Siringo’s A Cowboy Detective is one of the most unsettling and revealing chapters in the entire book — a story that strips away every romantic notion of the Old West and shows us the frontier as it truly was: too much land, too few lawmen, and far too many places for evil to hide. In this chapter, Siringo moves from a tense undercover job in Colorado straig...

⭐ 1001 Stories From the Old West SHOW NOTES — GUNSMOKE Episodes: “Chester’s Murder” & “Sons of the Father” ⭐ GUNSMOKE: “CHESTER’S MURDER” In the Gunsmoke radio episode "Chester's Murder," Deputy Chester Wesley Proudfoot is accused of killing a drunken gambler after a saloon fight, forcing Marshal Matt Dillon to risk everything to uncover the real killer. [ 1 , 2 ] Plot Overview The Dispute: Chester gets into a heated argument with a drunken gambler at the Long Branch Saloon. [ 1 ...

⭐ 1001 Stories From the Old West SHOW NOTES — A Cowboy Detective, Chapter 12 Mine‑Salting, Ore‑Stealing, Hobos, Blizzards & Outlaws — Siringo’s Wildest Chapter Yet ⭐ EPISODE SUMMARY Chapter 12 of A Cowboy Detective is one of Charlie Siringo’s most action‑packed and wide‑ranging chapters — a whirlwind tour through mine‑salting scandals, undercover hobo work, dangerous railroad operations, and outlaw impersonations across the American West. It’s Siringo at his best: sharp‑eyed, fearless, humorous...