Part 1: The Shifting Plains: Buffalo and the Frontier Economy
About this episode
This episode explores the historical significance of buffalo herds in the Seline River Valley and their impact on the frontier economy.
Send us Fan Mail The Seline River Valley in Kansas was once home to immense migrating herds of shaggy buffalo that darkened the plains as far as the eye could see. These animals grazed on succulent buffalo and grama grass, drank from the local creeks and rivers, and wallowed in the hard-packed alkaline soil to lick salt from the ground. While Native Americans historically relied on these massive herds for food and clothing, they were not the only ones who hunted them. By the 1840s, the Americ...
People in this episode
Hosts: Michael King, Brad Smalley
Topics covered
- buffalo
- frontier economy
- Native American history
- migration
- plains ecology
Keywords
- buffalo
- frontier
- economy
- Native Americans
- migration
- Kansas
- plains
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Seline River Valley, Kansas
More episodes of Wild West Podcast
- Part 6: Blood, Mud, and Wasted Hides
- Part 5: The Sharpshooter's Stand
- Part 4: Echoes of the Saline: Buffalo Soldiers, Indian Fight and Jim White's Confession
- Part 3: The Buffalo Rig Deal: A Bargain at Fort Hays
- Part 2: A New Enterprise on the Western Frontier
- The Masher’s Mockery: How Luke McGlue Framed the Dodge City Lady-Killer
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Wild West Podcast podcast page.