Outlaws, Cattle Rustling and Bootlegging: The Life of Josie Bassett

Outlaws, Cattle Rustling and Bootlegging: The Life of Josie Bassett

Josie Bassett Morris' life epitomised the Wild West. She grew up on a homestead in the late 18th century, in Northern Utah, USA. Their home was situated on the Outlaw Trail and gun-slingers like Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid would stay as they passed through. Her mother was a forbidding cattle rancher and Josie quickly learnt the trade. As an adult, she was known for her quick wit, hardy lifestyle on the land and the many husbands she got through- she was smart, self-reliant and kind; a force they struggled to reckon with. As an older woman, she set up her home in the wilderness of Cub Creek where she lived completely off the land, stealing nearby cattle when she needed meat. When the depression hit, she brewed her own corn whiskey to sell. In the mid-20th century, she became a living legend - a movie starring Doris Day was even made about her- and she remains a legend of the old west to this day.


While in the USA, Dan took a visit to the Uintah Heritage Museum in Vernal, where he spoke with curator LeeAnn Denzer about life on the frontier and Josie Bassett Morris' extraordinary life.


You can find out more about the museum and the history of the frontier at the UINTAH COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM website.


It was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe to History Hit today!


To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.


Complete the survey and you'll be entered into a prize draw to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books- including a signed copy of Dan Snow's 'On This Day in History'.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(1500)

The Real Peaky Blinders

The Real Peaky Blinders

Today, we step beyond the slow-motion swagger and into the gritty, complex reality of the Peaky Blinders. Who were the gangsters behind the myths? And what was life actually like in the backstreets of...

26 Mar 38min

The Commanders: Yamamoto

The Commanders: Yamamoto

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the mastermind of the “sneak attack” on Pearl Harbour that dragged the United States into the Second World War. His strategy stunned the Allies and allowed the Japanese mi...

23 Mar 58min

The Rise of Putin and the 1999 Apartment Bombs

The Rise of Putin and the 1999 Apartment Bombs

In September 1999, just weeks after 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Russia’s prime minister, a series of apartment bombings ripped through Russian cities, killing hundreds as they slept and plunging...

19 Mar 34min

The Commanders: Eisenhower

The Commanders: Eisenhower

As Supreme Commander, Eisenhower spearheaded the successful Allied invasions of North Africa, Italy and Western Europe. He's consequently one of the most celebrated leaders of the Second World War - b...

16 Mar 59min

The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg

In July 1863, the quiet town of Gettysburg became the site of one of the most decisive clashes of the American Civil War. Over three intense days, Union and Confederate forces fought across fields, hi...

12 Mar 1h 5min

Can Air Power Alone Topple Governments?

Can Air Power Alone Topple Governments?

With the Iran war still unfolding, we ask the question: Can air power alone topple a government?From the First World War onward, military strategists have argued that bombing from the air could break ...

10 Mar 45min

The Commanders: Montgomery

The Commanders: Montgomery

Celebrated for his victories in North Africa and Europe, Bernard Montgomery built a reputation for meticulous planning and caution that many soldiers admired. But his record was not without controvers...

9 Mar 1h 19min

Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson: A Royal Scandal

Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson: A Royal Scandal

In this episode, we explore the dramatic love story between King Edward VIII and the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson - a romance that shook the British monarchy to its core. Set again...

5 Mar 38min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-katastrofe
historier-som-endret-norge
henrettelsespodden
aftenposten-historie
sektledere
historier-som-endret-verden
med-egne-oyne
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
rss-benadet
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
historiepodden-ww2
rss-gamle-greier
rss-frontkjemperne
historiepodden
rss-politisk-preik
liberal-halvtime
rss-historiepodden-ww2
vare-historier
rss-historiske-romanser-svik-drap-og-kjarlighet