Video Review - Travel Channel - Expedition Unknown - The Legend of Jesse James

Josh Gates hosts this interesting series, Expedition Unknown, where he travels to places around the world and investigates significant historical and/or archaeological finds. Today, I'm reviewing Episode #4 from Season #1, "The Legend of Jesse James".

Expedition Unknown - The Legend of Jesse James

Season 1 - Episode 4

Description:

Jesse James and his gang came into possession a Mexican gold train but it's gone missing and ever since treasure hunters have been trying to locate it.

Highlights:
Jesse James was born at a farm house in Kearney, Missouri. His father went to California to do some gold mining and got sick. He died when Jesse was 3 years old.

When Jesse was 14 years old, his older brother, Frank, went to fight in the Civil War.

Oklahoma, 1875 - Jesse James ambushes a train of pack mules carrying tons of gold buillon coming out of the Mexican territory.

That winter was a bad one so they decide to bury the gold and mark the spot with a Burro's shoe nailed to a tree and shooting 6 rounds of ammo into another tree.

Seven years later, Jesse is assassinated by a member of his own gang.

1907 - Frank James dug up a portion of the trasure ($6000).

1932 - a copper map was found.

1933 - a brass bucket containing coins was found near the Wichita Mountains. On the side of the bucket a contract was hammered/carved into the material.

People have found symbols like "JJ", turkey tracks, a cross, a hook, and an arrow shown on maps and carved into things in the general area of Robber's Cave, OK. But so far nothing has been uncovered. Were they red herrings?

Western Word of the Week - The Whole 9 Yards - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

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Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

The Whole 9 Yards - everything; a whole lot; all the way

Origin of the term: Hellcat fighters had trays nine yards long that held 400 rounds of 50-caliber ammunition; when they used all the ammunition they "gave them the whole 9 yards"

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Basket Case - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

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Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Basket Case - soemone who was emotionally or mentally unstable

Origin of the term: Soldiers with post traumatic syndrom would weave baskets as therapy

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - No Man's Land - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

No Man's Land - land that is unoccupied or disputed

Origin of the term: During World War 1, soldiers would dig trenches on either side of a battlefield. For anyone to jump up out of the trench and move forward would be risking their life. Therefore, that space between the trenches became a deadzone or a no man's land.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Ironclad - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Ironclad - impenetrable; unbreakable

Origin of the term: War ships in the 1860's were covered with iron plating and considered rock-solid or undestructable

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Going on a Bender - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Going on a Bender - to drink too much alcohol; binge drinking; drinking for a long period

Origin of the term: To bend the elbow to drink whiskey in more frequent drinking

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Pass the Buck - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Pass the Buck - to hand something off onto someone else (usually something unpleasant)

Origin of the term: During poker game, a buck knife would be pssed before a player on his turn

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Showboating - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Showboating - flashy; showing off

Origin of the term: A new class of steamboats were created that were super-fancy and even had theatres.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Hogwash - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

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Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Hogwash - nonsense; dirty food or water

Origin of the term: Before pigs or hogs were allowed onto a ship, they had to be scrubbed. The dirty water was called "hog wash".

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Let Off Steam - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Let Off Steam - to vent or complain to relieve some anger or frustration

Origin of the term: Robert Fulton's steamboat allowed boats to go upriver easily, but they're engines were prone to explosions. So there was a safety valve installed on them to release some steam and prevent an explosion.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Barge into Someone - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Barge into Someone - run forcefully into someone

Origin of the term: River barges could only go downstream and had little manueverability so they would bang into other boats and barges on their journey

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Bark up the Wrong Tree - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Bark up the Wrong Tree - to follow the wrong course; bothering someone; to pursue a fruitless activity

Origin of the term: Hunting dogs something got distracted by a scent and barked at empty trees

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang Labels: Scotland, Ireland, america, american, cowboy, historic, history, old west, reference, research, west, western, words, writer, writing, vocabulary