Wise About Texas
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Wise About Texas
The Texas History Podcast
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158 episodi
EP. 139: An English Earl in Texas…
The 7th Earl of Aylesford was quite the character. His exploits in England were "of note." In fact, they were of such note that he had to leave the...
EP. 138: A Volcanic Trail Marker
Northeastern New Mexico was a hotbed (pun intended) of volcanic activity. Over time, those volcanoes became extinct. But one still served a very imp...
EP. 137: The First Chief Justice (sort of)
The Republic of Texas Congress formed the first state Supreme Court in 1836. However, the Court really didn't meet in any significant way until 1840...
EP. 136: A Word for the Hill Country
A brief episode marking the 2025 tragedy in the Texas Hill Country
EP. 135: Texans You Should Know– Lottie Deno
What's an upper-crust lady from Kentucky society doing in one of the worst and most dangerous areas of Texas? Dealing cards, of course. Not only tha...
Ep. 134: The Fence Cutting Wars
Barbed wire revolutionized livestock fencing. What a great invention...or so it was thought. The real effect was the gradual elimination of the open...
EP. 133: The Van Horn Wells
For centuries, Indians knew where to get water on the desolate terrain of what would become West Texas. One of those spots came to be known as the Va...
EP. 132: The Coming of the Wire
You can't go anywhere in Texas without running into "the devil's rope"--barbed wire. It keeps livestock in AND out. It protects property and discour...
EP. 131: A Presidential Election, 1841
You think our elections are divisive today? Well, Texas is just continuing a long tradition of candidates running hard and stirring the pot. In the...
Ep. 130: The Sisterdale Revolver
In the early part of the Civil War, a group of German Freethinkers got together to design and manufacture a revolver for use by the Confederate forces...
EP. 129: Making Texas History: An Interview with Governor Rick Perry (Part 2)
Governor Rick Perry is the longest serving Governor in Texas history. From his humble beginnings in Paint Creek, to the cockpit of an Air Force C-130,...
Making Texas History: An Interview with Governor Rick Perry (Part 1)
Governor Rick Perry is the longest serving Governor in Texas history. From his humble beginnings in Paint Creek, to the cockpit of an Air Force C-130...
EP. 127: Clash of the Titans
The American Buffalo, or Bison, is an iconic image of America. At one point, millions of these huge animals roamed the continent. But settlement and...
EP. 126: An Accidental Victory
As the winter of 1835 approached, the Texian army lay siege to San Antonio de Bexar. When rumors started that a pack train was approaching the town...
The Texas Rangers: Milton H. West- from Ranger to Congressman
Milton H. West had a most interesting career. While investigating the assault of his brother on the Mexican border, he decided to sign up with the Te...
EP. 124: Texans You Should Know- Sally Skull
Sarah Jane Newman grew up tough in a family that came with Austin's Old 300. She watched her mother fight off Indians and became an expert judge of h...
EP. 123: The Texas Rangers- Senior Captain Tony Leal (part 2)
Antonio “Tony” Leal served as a Texas Ranger from 1994-2011, including several years as the Senior Captain. In part 2 of an interesting and wide-rangi...
EP. 122: The Texas Rangers- Senior Captain Tony Leal (part 1)
Antonio "Tony" Leal served as a Texas Ranger from 1994-2011, including several years as the Senior Captain. In this interesting and wide-ranging inte...
Bonus Episode: The 72 oz Steak Challenge with James Webb
The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo is world famous for its 72 oz. steak challenge. If you can eat a 72 oz steak (that's 4 1/2 pounds!), and all th...
Ep. 121: A Dead Man’s Horse: The Case of Issac Desha
Issac Desha had a checkered past. Though he was the son of a Governor, something just wasn't right. When he was spotted with a dead man's horse, th...
BONUS EPISODE: Celebrating The Texas Ranger Bicentennial
2023 marks the 200th anniversary of one of the most famous law enforcement organizations in the world--The Texas Rangers. In this bonus episode, I ta...
Bonus Episode: A Bad Day at the Courthouse
The September term of the Bexar County District Court was a bad time to be set for trial. Find out why in this bonus episode of Wise About Texas.
EP. 120: Texas Rangers: “Old Paint” Caldwell
Some people are just natural leaders. That was Matthew "Old Paint" Caldwell. He rallied men for several of the most important battles in Texas histo...
EP. 119: The Texas Rangers: Origins
Texas Ranger. Two words that strike fear in the heart of the lawbreaker and hope in the heart of the law abiding. Since before there was a Texas, the...
EP. 118: Texans You Should Know- Osjetea Briggs
She grew up a poor Native American in rural Texas during the depression. But if you think she even noticed, you don't know Osjetea Briggs. She becam...
EP. 117: A Murder in the Capitol
There has been one, and only one, assassination of a Texas state official and it happened in 1903. It occurred in the State Capitol building, the sam...
EP 116: I Heard it on the X, Part 2
Dr. John Brinkley had figured out how to beat the system and built the most powerful radio station in the world. The entire United States could now h...
EP. 115: I Heard it on the X, Part 1
Dr. John Brinkley claimed to have the miracle operation for male "rejuvenation." Dr. John Brinkley was also a quack who bought his medical degree for...
Ep. 114: Winging it in Big Bend
In the 1920s, U.S. military aviation was in its early stages. New uses for air power were discovered frequently. The new flying machines would allow m...
Ep. 113: The Travis County Dog Wars
Shortly after the civil war, Appalachia came to Austin. Known as the cedar choppers, migrants from the mountains moved into the limestone hills of we...
EP. 112: A Texas mother- Mary Christian Burleson
What is it about Texas mothers? They are tough, smart, and resourceful. Nothing phases a Texas mom, they can do it all! That was certainly true of Mar...
EP. 111: The Easter Fires of Fredericksburg
Every Easter Eve, the hill country around Fredericksburg comes alive with huge bonfires. Some say this tradition came from Germany, some say the Indi...
EP. 110: A Goliad Survivor?
March 27, 1836 was Palm Sunday, a holy day. But the Mexican dictator Santa Anna didn't care, he was out for blood. He ordered hundreds of Texian pri...
Ep 109: Alamo Defenders- Dr. Amos Pollard
Dr. Amos Pollard was a Massachusetts yankee seeking a new start and prosperity in Texas. He dared the Mexican army to "come and take it," and served a...
Ep. 108: Alamo Defenders- Toribio Losoya
The Alamo defenders were heroes, but not everyone gets top billing. Hear the stories of some of the defenders that you may not think of when you reme...
Ep. 107: Texans You Should Know- Anna Mebus Martin
She arrived from Germany with very little, not even speaking English. She braved indian attacks, frontier outlaws and a civil war to become a cattle q...
Ep. 106: A Lea Family Tragedy
The Lea family were patriots. Father Albert Lea was born in Tennessee and served in the Army after graduating West Point. He went on to serve in var...
EP. 105: The Indian Trial Part 3: The Trial
The trial of the century would be held in the old sandstone courthouse in Jacksboro. Finally, justice would be served...or would it? Fiery arguments...
BONUS EPISODE: Villa de Austin
The Texas Historical Commission is creating the opportunity to step back in time and visit the capital of Austin's colony, San Felipe de Austin. Repr...
Ep. 105 The Indian Trial Part 2: The Raid
General Sherman toured northern Texas to see just how bad the Indian raiding was. He had his doubts. What he didn't know was just how close he came t...