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Texas Standard » Stories from Texas

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Stories from Texas are written for and recorded for the Texas Standard radio program. They’re written by W.F Strong and edited for broadcast by Texas Standard producers.
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Episodes

New York aids Texas Revolution

This bit of history really does seem too strange to be true. It involves the family of John Wilkes Booth, the son of Abraham Lincoln, and Sam Houston. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or […] The post New York aids Texas Revolution appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Apr 23, 2025

Whistling while you work

Growing up in Texas, WF Strong found that whistling played a important role in his life. But there are many ways to whistle. He explores a few of them. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles […] The post Whistling while you work appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Apr 02, 2025

The 100th meridian

If you examine any good map of Texas, you’ll notice a natural division of East and West Texas that runs from the eastern side of the Panhandle down to Abilene and San Angelo and on past Uvalde to Carrizo Springs and Laredo. To the west side of that line is arid and to the east […] The post The 100th meridian appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Mar 12, 20256 min

John Steinbeck (and Charley) on Texas

Steinbeck’s comments about Texas and Texans go well beyond his “Texas is a state of mind” quote. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong explores. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post John Steinbeck (and Charley) on Texas appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Jan 29, 20255 min

Do you have a favorite W.F. Strong story? Here are our top 10

Texas Standard is celebrating its 10th birthday by looking back on 10 years of covering Texas. One way we’re going to do that is with top 10 lists. We started by counting down our top 10 Stories from Texas from commentator W.F. Strong. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the […] The post Do you have a favorite W.F. Strong story? Here are our top 10 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Dec 31, 202449 min

Fronters and backers

Some of the most frustrating hours of our lives might be spent in a vehicle. After some hard times on the road, nothing can feel better than the perfect parking spot at the place you need to be. But how will you pull in? Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has some thoughts. The full transcript […] The post Fronters and backers appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Dec 19, 20244 min

A tale of a stolen town

On the western side of the Panhandle, right on the Texas/New Mexico border are two towns that were established just a few years apart in the late 1800s. They were separated by a line as thin as a goal line. They both still exist today — with populations of less than 1,500 each. But Texas […] The post A tale of a stolen town appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Dec 04, 20245 min

How some donated land became a bounty for a small town’s students

Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says the Gruver Farm Scholarship Foundation has already made a multi-generational impact. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post How some donated land became a bounty for a small town’s students appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Nov 20, 20246 min

Could Napoleon have ruled over Texas?

A strongman politician is something we’ve heard a lot about recently. This Stories From Texas is about a strongman from history and a plan to set him up anew in Texas. Texas Standard Commentator W.F. Strong dug up this story — one that you probably didn’t hear about in Texas history, for one, because it […] The post Could Napoleon have ruled over Texas? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Nov 07, 20245 min

A second siege of the Alamo

Even though the words “Remember the Alamo” are available on t-shirts, bumper-stickers, and kitchen kitsch, the Alamo wasn’t always remembered with the reverence it is today. For a long time, the Alamo was used mostly as a warehouse. Even the church, which people rather universally think of as the Alamo, was used as an army […] The post A second siege of the Alamo appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Oct 23, 20243 min

My brush with fate or serendipity

Sometimes things happen in the world that just seem too coincidental to be coincidental. We have lots of words to describe these moments — luck, serendipity, maybe fate or destiny, perhaps a miracle? Texas Standard Commentator WF Strong remembers one of these moments he just can’t explain. The full transcript of this episode of Stories […] The post My brush with fate or serendipity appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Oct 10, 20246 min

Some of the best Texans have been Californians – on film

These five Californians, including John Wayne and Robert Duvall, have made great Texans in movies. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps. The post Some of the best Texans have been Californians – on film appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Aug 28, 20246 min

Frito pie is a Texas original

The recipe is a mainstay under the Friday night lights and has morphed – and gotten more portable – since its debut in 1949. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast […] The post Frito pie is a Texas original appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Aug 14, 20245 min

The craziest race you’ve never heard of happened on Padre Island

Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says that, starting in the 1950s, participants in the Padre Island Walkathon covered 110 miles – all walking, no running – over three days. The full transcript of this episode of Stories from Texas is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles […] The post The craziest race you’ve never heard of happened on Padre Island appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Jun 19, 20245 min

An AI Experiment

There’s been a lot of talk lately about artificial intelligence — what it can do and what its limitations are. And if you’ve been keeping tabs on it at all, there’s no doubt that it seems to be getting better — and fast. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong wanted to find out for himself just […] The post An AI Experiment appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

May 08, 20245 min

Counting Cattle With the Fathers

Longtime listeners may know — Texas Standard is fast approaching a milestone birthday. We’re turning 10 next March. With us almost from the beginning have been signature segments including the Typewriter Rodeo and Stories From Texas — these bi-weekly commentaries from WF Strong. He says he has a goal beyond entertainment. The post Counting Cattle With the Fathers appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Apr 10, 20245 min

The Other Hill Country

Over the next couple of months, many will set off for the Texas Hill Country to enjoy the splendor of the wildflowers celebrating spring. Many of the tourists are flatlanders, who not only love the kaleidoscope of colors but also driving the hilly roads that snake through billions of blossoms. Texas Standard Commentator WF Strong […] The post The Other Hill Country appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Mar 13, 20245 min

The mystery of the Texas box

We’ve all heard the proverb about one man’s trash being another’s treasure. Well, for generations of a family now living in Texas, the treasure in question was an old box found discarded many years earlier. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong has the story. The post The mystery of the Texas box appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Feb 28, 20244 min

Bonnie and Clyde: Star-synced lovers

February the 14th may be one of the more divisive days on the calendar. Though Valentine’s Day is meant to celebrate love — many find it cheesy, commercial, or downright depressing. Others, lean into the holiday. In the latter camp, it seems, were a pair infamous lovers from Texas. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has […] The post Bonnie and Clyde: Star-synced lovers appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Feb 14, 20246 min

New Year’s Eve on Houston Street

Champagne toasts, fireworks, making resolutions, fancy meals… those are just some of the many ways Texans chose to to ring in 2024. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong, however, decided to welcome the New Year by reflecting on the past. The post New Year’s Eve on Houston Street appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Jan 03, 20246 min

The Gift of the Tidelands

Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong has a little holiday tradition. Every December he likes to count our collective blessings as Texans by highlighting a great gift to Texas. He says the tidelands were special because the giver didn’t realize how much goodness would continue to flow from them. The post The Gift of the Tidelands appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Dec 20, 20236 min

La Pitada

554 miles from AT&T Stadium you will find a Dallas Cowboys celebratory tradition that is unique in Texas. You might expect it in Dallas or Arlington, but to find this three decade tradition thriving in a Brownsville neighborhood, is both surprising and heart-warming. It is called La Pitada. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has more. The post La Pitada appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Dec 06, 20236 min

Found in Translation

For those with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, traveling Texas becomes more interesting because the Spanish names of places reveal, or hint at, their histories. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has some examples. The post Found in Translation appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Nov 09, 20235 min

On Censorship

A look at the headlines might sometimes give you a sense of déjà vu — haven’t you read or seen this before? Fights over government shutdowns… a looming presidential race that may pit the same candidates against one another. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has been thinking about this while watching another political debate. The post On Censorship appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Oct 25, 20235 min

The Legend of La Llorona

All through October, the Texas Standard team is tracking Texas cryptids. As we’ve dug into some of these legends, we’ve noticed a few patterns. First of all, many of the cryptids associated with Texas have roots in Mexico. And there are also some similarities in the back stories of these creatures or characters. Ayden Castellanos […] The post The Legend of La Llorona appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Oct 11, 20235 min

‘The Killers of the Flower Moon’ is an Oklahoma story with Texas ties

There’s a much-anticipated film coming out next month. It’s the latest from Martin Scorsese and stars Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Texan Jesse Plemons also has a big role — playing a Texan from history. Commentator WF Strong profiled the story when it was told in a bestselling book with the same name as […] The post ‘The Killers of the Flower Moon’ is an Oklahoma story with Texas ties appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Sep 27, 20235 min

Texas is God’s Country

“Everything’s bigger in Texas” may be one of the most famous sayings about Texas. “Don’t mess with Texas” probably comes in a close second. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has been looking into another well-known saying about Texas. The post Texas is God’s Country appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Sep 13, 20234 min

How the railroad saved Fort Worth

When we’re speaking of the North Texas metroplex — Dallas always gets first billing. It’s DFW… not FWD. But Texas Standard Commentator WF Strong says, at one point, the slightly smaller large city was at risk of disappearing altogether. The post How the railroad saved Fort Worth appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Aug 16, 20235 min

The Historical Accuracy of Lonesome Dove

“Lonesome Dove” is one of the most popular Texas novels of all time — with many millions of copies sold since it was first published in 1985. The miniseries that followed in 1989 was the second most popular mini-series of all time, behind “Roots.” But Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says author Larry McMurtry was […] The post The Historical Accuracy of Lonesome Dove appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Aug 03, 20237 min

Texas Spelling Bee

Are there words that just trip you up every time you try to spell them? For the producer writing this script it’s allegience — allegiance — so many vowels. You know it’s bad when Word or Google can’t even make a guess at what you’re going for. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong explores the most […] The post Texas Spelling Bee appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts ....

Jul 19, 20234 min
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