Stories that Won the West with Jim Dunham (01-27-2026)

·Stories that Won the West· looks at the events, characters and stories that took place this week in American Western History. It's our chance to put a weekly focus on stories from the Old West with host Jim Dunham and brought to us by the Booth Western Art Museum.

On this week·s episode of ·Stories that Won the West·, we open with the birth of Charles Curtis, a Native American who will become a U.S. senator and then a VP. The Pinkertons firebomb the home of Billy the Kid, hurting his mom and killing his 8-year-old step brother. Congress approves Indian Territory leading to Trail of Tears. John C. Freemont reaches Monterey California. Bat Masterson captures outlaw Dave Rudabough. The Compromise of 1850 is established, deciding as states come into the Union, how do they determine if they will be a free state or a slave state. 15 Texas Rangers attack an Apache village in the ·Battle of Sierra Diablo.· Yorba Bueno renames itself to the city of San Francisco. Interior Secretary Henry Tiller decides that the Indian Territory, known as Oklahoma, can be opened to settlers who want the land for little more than just a filing fee. Pearl Zane Gray was born. He changed his name to just Zane Grey after becoming an author of popular Western tales. Also, this week in history, the James Gang robs the Little Rock Express train in Missouri, stealing $22,000 dollars. The deadline is established for all Sioux Indians to be moved to the Reservation. And, finally, Billy Breckinridge dies, the deputy of Sheriff Johnny Behan in the town of Tombstone.