In the rugged high valley where Idaho meets Wyoming, Joseph Wolcott Cook—known simply as “Wook” to some—carves a life from snow, timber, cattle, and grit. But what begins as a season of new beginnings quickly turns tragic.
From a hand-built log home on the frontier to the heartbreak of losing his young wife and newborn son, Joseph’s story is a testament to faith, resilience, and the haunting cost of pioneering. Narrated in his own words and drawn from firsthand family accounts, this dramatized episode blends rich soundscapes, historical narration, and emotional performance to bring the American West to life.
Family History Drama. True Ancestry, told like legend.
CHARACTERS
Alonzo Cook
William Cook
Henry Cook
Joseph Wolcott Cook
Wook
Phinehas Wolcott Cook
Catherine McCleve
Elizabeth “Libby” Neibaur
Old Man Harris
Old Doll (horse)
William Neibaur
Isaac Neibaur
Brother Mardrets
Brother Gallings
Mrs. John Sutton
Phoebe Cook
Quentin L. Cook
Mr. Dolman
John Bryson
Charlie Smith
Chauncey Dustin
Jenny Cook Dustin
Old Nick
Old Iniquity
Beelzebub
Satan the tempter
Davis S. Cook
John W. Taylor
William Spry
Viggo Mortensen
Grandpa Penn Smith
LOCATIONS
Idaho
Wyoming
Raymond Ranch
Border, Idaho
Geneva, Idaho
Bear River
Paris, Idaho
St. Charles, Idaho
Union Pacific Railroad
Salt Lake City, Utah
Eagle Gate
Gashen, Litchfield County, Connecticut
Crawfordsburn, County Down, Ireland
The Ship Falcon
Utah
Cook Canal, Idaho/Wyoming border
Brother Laker’s Ranch
Raymond Canyon
Cook Brother’s Canal
Dingle, Idaho
Butte, Montana
Necolia Mining Camp
Market Lake, Idaho
Evanston, Wyoming
Garden City, Idaho
Indian Creek, Idaho
Fish Haven, Idaho
Thomas Fork
Denver Rio Grande Railroad
Kansas City, Missouri
Fort Scott Gulf Railroad
Mississippi River
Memphis, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Carter County, North Carolina
Mitchell County, North Carolina
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INSTAGRAM:
@FYO.Podcast
@TravisM.Heaton
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Hay Press:
http://www.leonisadobemuseum.org/facts-haypress.asp
https://youtu.be/IeUaC9PycB4
https://youtu.be/JmYIK0ZSF2g
Horse Drawn Hay Mower:
https://youtu.be/mVBV4n37TOY
🕵️♂️ Find me at https://www.FamilyHistoryDrama.com
📧 Email me at FamilyHistoryDrama@gmail.com
🐦 Tweet the Podcast @FamilyHistoryFM
Generational Healing Through Family History
Memories Are Passed Through DNA From Your Grandparents, Say Scientists
https://www.buzzworthy.com/memories-dna-grandparents/
Sound Credits: https://freesound.org
INSTAGRAM:
@FamilyHistoryDrama
@TravisM.Heaton
