Old Washington, better known as Washington on the Brazos, began with a ferry crossing on the Brazos River along the La Bahia road. The convention of 1836 would cement Washington's place in Texas history. In an unfinished building, donated to the convention for free, the Texians declared independence, elected a government and drafted a constitution. In this episode you'll hear from Texas Historical Commission site manager Jonathan Failor as he describes what you can see and experience when you ex...
Apr 10, 2020•25 min
Stephen F. Austin chose to set up the capitol of his colony on the banks of the Brazos River where the El Camino Real crossed the river. He envisioned a major metropolitan area as the center of immigrant activity in his colony. He named the town San Felipe. San Felipe de Austin became the second largest town in Texas before Sam Houston ordered it burned in advance of Santa Anna's army in 1836. It was at San Felipe that land titles were issued, commerce thrived and politics was done. Today, it is...
Apr 05, 2020•32 min
184 years ago, the Texas Army was long on spirit, but short on guns. Artillery, that is. How would they take on Santa Anna without some "hollow ware?" Enter the good people of Cincinnati, Ohio. They formed a committee, the "Friends of Texas," to support our war effort. They sent two cannons to Texas and they reached the Texas Army just in time. Used to great effect at the Battle of San Jacinto, the "twin sisters" disappeared from history. Where are they now? Theories abound but nobody has locate...
Mar 22, 2020•19 min•Ep. 80
On December 7, 1941, Mess Attendant Doris "Dorie" Miller was doing laundry, one of the few jobs available to African American sailors in the U.S. Navy at the time. When his ship came under attack, Miller rushed to help his fellow sailors. Though not trained, and not allowed, he manned an anti-aircraft gun and engaged the attacking Japanese planes. For his bravery and his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, Miller was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross. But h...
Feb 16, 2020•15 min
In 1629 a group of Jumano Indians suddenly appeared at a New Mexico mission, eager to learn more about Christianity. The excited and grateful Franciscan priests wondered what motivated this sudden interest. The tale the Indians told seemed unbelievable. A "lady in blue" had appeared to them instructing them to seek out the priests and teaching the Indians the sign of the cross. That sounded incredible enough but what really stunned the priests was that they had just received a letter from Spain ...
Jan 11, 2020•20 min
In 1891, one cowboy murdered another over the ownership of a brindle bull. Other cowboys branded the bull so that all would remember the crime. Some say the bull wanders the trans-pecos to this day, appearing whenever a certain crime occurs. Hear about a bull branded MURDER in the latest episode of Wise About Texas.
Dec 08, 2019•17 min
Brian Kilmeade, best known as a host of Fox & Friends and the Brian Kilmeade show, is also a lover of history. In his latest book, Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, Kilmeade takes on the story of Texas independence. As a Texan, I couldn't resist finding out why a New York author might want to write about Texas independence. In this interview, you'll learn why he loves history and how his love of history has shaped his values. Kilmeade also shares why he believes the fight for Texas indepen...
Nov 07, 2019•28 min
Right after the civil war, women weren't really expected (or even thought capable) to be in business. But of course, Texas women proved them wrong. Lizzie Johnson was a school teacher, but she was also a writer and discovered how lucrative the cattle business could be. So she became a cattle baroness and Austin real estate mogul. Learn more about the Texas Cattle Queen in the latest episode of Wise About Texas.
Oct 27, 2019•21 min
Award-winning author Stephen Harrigan visits Wise About Texas to discuss his new book--a history of Texas titled Big Wonderful Thing. Mr. Harrigan talks about how, as a journalist and novelist, he approached the colossal task of writing an entire history of Texas. Among other topics, he discusses his favorite Texas stories, the impact of our history on Texas, and a writer's view of the Texas history we all love. Learn how one of Texas' greatest writers approached Texas history in this episode of...
Oct 06, 2019•41 min
What could be better than a good vaudeville show? A runaway mule, of course! One day in Nacogdoches, it's said that a runaway mule changed the course of comedy history. Is it true? You bet your life…
Sep 22, 2019•10 min
Ben Kilpatrick was an outlaw. He rode with Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and the Wild Bunch into western infamy. The law caught up with him and he went to prison where he met Ole Hobeck. They two decided when they got out, they'd go into business together. Being outlaws, that business was train robbery. So they set out for the barren landscapes and lonely railroad tracks of West Texas to score big. But they didn't count on meeting Wells Fargo agents David Trousdale and J.K. Reagen. They would ...
Aug 21, 2019•16 min
Oliver Loving was a trailblazer...literally. He drove cattle to Illinois, Louisiana, and Colorado. With Charles Goodnight he blazed a new western trail intended to avoid the Indian threat. Impatient as he was brave, he rode ahead to Santa Fe and was immediately attacked. However, he held off hundreds of Comanches while one of his men went for help. Through luck, or fate, or toughness, or all of it, he survived the attack. But his wounds were too severe. Before he died, his best friend promised t...
Jul 28, 2019•33 min
When Texans talk about the Declaration of Independence, they usually mean the one signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836. Occasionally, we refer to the Goliad declaration of 1835. But there was one before all of them. In 1813, Texans in San Antonio de Bexar declared the province of Texas to be independent. The wording sounds familiar in places but the principals are timeless, and very familiar to Texans and Americans. Learn more about what motivated the Texans of 1813 to declare ind...
Jul 04, 2019•15 min
Texas has 254 wonderful counties. But we might have 284, or maybe we did but are down some. Or are we? What??? Learn about counties of Texas that were created, disappeared, were repealed, or maybe still exist. Oh yeah, we gave a couple to the USA (you're welcome, New Mexico) and Oklahoma stole one. Learn more in the latest episode of Wise About Texas.
Jun 24, 2019•14 min
Born into poverty and raised in north central Texas, Bessie Coleman wanted to fly. But in the early 20th century, nobody in the United States would teach a black woman to fly an airplane. So Bessie Coleman learned a new language, traveled a world away, and realized her dream. A pioneer pilot, Coleman came home and became famous. She used her talent and her perseverance to show everyone what was possible. Learn more about a true pioneer aviator in this episode of Wise About Texas.
Jun 09, 2019•16 min
This bonus episode features an interview with Dr. Jody Edward Ginn, Ph.D., who was a consulting historian on the new Netflix movie The Highwaymen. The movie stars Kevin Costner as former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer and Woody Harrelson as former Texas Ranger Maney Gault. The movie tells the story of the chase and killing of two of the most vicious killers in American history. In the interview, Dr. Ginn talks about historical movies, the myths surrounding Bonnie and Clyde and what its like to take Te...
May 12, 2019•32 min
Bonnie & Clyde were on the run for two years. They committed small time thefts but big time murders. They were killers, pure and simple. They drove fast and far, laid low, and had help all over their territory. But they always came home. Over 1000 men from various law enforcement agencies, including the new FBI, couldn't catch them. So we needed one Texas Ranger, and that man was Frank Hamer. Hamer, his friend and fellow Ranger Maney Gault, along with two Dallas deputy sheriffs, tracked the ...
Apr 21, 2019•34 min
The great depression was hard on everyone everywhere, and Texas was no exception. People couldn't work, could barely eat and just needed a break. The people wanted excitement, they wanted romance, they wanted something to cheer for...even if it was evil. That's when a petty chicken thief met a beautiful wanna-be movie star, both from the poor side of town. They set off on one of the most wide-ranging, violent, notorious, and legendary crime sprees in American history. Pretty soon, everyone knew ...
Mar 31, 2019•26 min
The account of the Texas revolution makes for glorious telling, retelling and reading. It seemed that every man, woman and child in early Texas just couldn't wait to rebel against the tyrannical Mexican government and win another glorious war for independence. Didn't they? Well, not exactly. Just like the 13 American colonies, Texas had its tories too. Learn more about "differences of opinion" in revolutionary Texas in the latest episode of Wise About Texas
Mar 24, 2019•40 min
The late 19th century saw Texas industry expanding west. The railroads were laid and towns were springing up everywhere. That quintessential Texas opportunity was knocking once again. One railroad entrepreneur gave one aspiring town builder the idea to layout a new town near the Big Bend called...what else...Progress City. He surveyed, he platted, and he sold. He sold thousands of lots. Deeds were filed and taxes were charged and paid. The problem was...it never existed. Hear the story of Progre...
Feb 27, 2019•16 min
Over 5000 Texans served in World War One. Many returned to Texas and continued their service to their home State. Here are just a few stories of men who returned from war and continued their service. A tribute to all our men and women who served so bravely in the Great War.
Feb 03, 2019•18 min
December 23, 1927 was a typical day in Cisco, Texas. People going about their Christmas shopping, ready for holiday time with family and friends. The kids even saw Santa Claus walking down Main Street! He engaged with the kids, wishing them Merry Christmas. Then he walked to the First National Bank, and into history, in what would be one of the most sensational gunfights and manhunts in Texas history. Hear the story of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery in the latest episode of Wise About Texas.
Dec 22, 2018•15 min
Before they can fight, our soldiers must be trained. General Sherman decided that the dwindling U.S. Army would be consolidated into two garrisons, one being based in San Antonio, Texas to protect the frontier and conduct the Indian wars necessary to western expansion. When war in Europe beckoned, San Antonio was ready. But the Army was running out of room. So the Army began buying ranches until San Antonio became the huge military city it remains today. Learn about San Antonio's role in equippi...
Dec 16, 2018•18 min
A Tribute to our 41st President...a Texan.
Dec 05, 2018•15 min
The early 20th century brought chaos to the Texas/Mexico border. The Mexican revolution(s) created opportunities for raiders, bandits and criminals to run rampant. The law was hard to enforce and depredations hard to prevent. Germany fostered this chaos to distract the U.S. from the war in Europe. Soon, two documents were discovered that would focus U.S. attention on either quelling the chaos, or joining the war. Hear the story of the role Texas played in the U.S. entering World War I in the lat...
Nov 20, 2018•23 min
In the early 20th century Japan sought to extend its relations around the world. Texas made imminent sense. A Japanese professor saw the Alamo as a perfect companion to one of ancient Japan's most famous battles. The Emperor saw Texas as a perfect place to relocate some of his brightest farmers. Learn about the early connections between Japan and Texas in this latest episode of Wise About Texas.
Oct 21, 2018•15 min
In the first days of 1836 revolution was brewing in Texas. The battle of Gonzales had spawned the Texian conquest of La Bahia and Bexar. The Texians were sure the Mexicans would soon see the wisdom of allowing the Texians their own government. The Indians, however, just saw opportunity. Depredations continued and the further up the Guadalupe river you lived, the more danger you faced. That danger reached Sarah Hibbens and her family. This wasn't her first suffering at the hand of the indians and...
Sep 30, 2018•23 min
San Antonio was founded 300 years ago in 1718. From day one, the residents, priests and soldiers faced a constant and menacing threat from the Apache Indians. Raids from the indians and retaliatory campaigns from the soldiers made life in early San Antonio stressful and difficult. Attempts at peace never seemed to work. But all of a sudden, in 1749, the Apache wanted not only to make peace, but also to enter mission life and convert to Christianity. The reason for the Apache's sudden change of h...
Sep 10, 2018•31 min
Dr. Lytle Adams had bats in his belfry. He had visited Carlsbad cavern right before Pearl Harbor was attacked. He came up with a great idea for weapon(s) of mass destruction hat would burn up the paper and wood cities of Japan. All he would need was a one ounce incendiary bomb, a breakaway bomb case, and millions of bats. So the Marines set up guards at several Texas caves containing millions of 3-inch winged warriors on their way to the Pacific. Testing sacrificed thousands of these brave flyer...
Aug 19, 2018•20 min
What is it about Texas women? Independent, smart, strong, spirited, they can do it all! Ask any Texas man and he'll tell you, the ladies run the show! But this is nothing new. Back before the Texas revolution, the women of Texas formed the spirit of Texas. Some were because their husbands moved the family to this new land of opportunity. These women did their best to build a household in the harsh Texas frontier, and they did it well. But some came on their own, and brought their spirit with the...
Jul 31, 2018•30 min
