Episodios

  • Ep. 134: The Fence Cutting Wars

    Ep. 134: The Fence Cutting Wars
    Apr 7 2025
    Barbed wire revolutionized livestock fencing. What a great invention...or so it was thought. The real effect was the gradual elimination of the open range and the free grazing and watering of cattle. Cooperation was discouraged and now it would be every man for himself. This didn't sit well with the "free grazers" and the war started. Learn more in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    15 m
  • EP. 133: The Van Horn Wells

    EP. 133: The Van Horn Wells
    Jan 23 2025
    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 Van Horns Wells. Named for one of two possible military commanders, the wells watered men, horses, and eventually a railroad. With railroads come towns and the town of Van Horn has seen a lot. From horses to spaceships (?) Van Horn is an interesting Texas spot. Learn more in this latest episode of Wise About Texas.
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    22 m
  • EP. 132: The Coming of the Wire

    EP. 132: The Coming of the Wire
    Jan 1 2025
    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 discourages trespassers. But barbed wire hasn't been around all that long. When it came, it changed the face of Texas and the West. It also made some people very, very wealthy. Learn how "bob wire" took over Texas in this latest episode of Wise About Texas
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    27 m
  • EP. 131: A Presidential Election, 1841

    EP. 131: A Presidential Election, 1841
    Nov 5 2024
    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 Republic of Texas the presidential term was only two years, so the elections came frequently. They were contentious to say the least. Old enemies became worse enemies, and the name-calling was classic. Here about an early Texas presidential election in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    14 m
  • Ep. 130: The Sisterdale Revolver

    Ep. 130: The Sisterdale Revolver
    Aug 20 2024
    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. These Germans were intellectuals, engineers, farmers and...unionists! Nevertheless they designed a new revolver, making 6 total. The gun proved impractical, however, so they ceased production. Only one of these guns is known to survive. But this story is about much more than a gun. Get a feel for some of the German immigrants who came to Texas in the middle 19th century in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    25 m
  • EP. 129: Making Texas History: An Interview with Governor Rick Perry (Part 2)

    EP. 129: Making Texas History: An Interview with Governor Rick Perry (Part 2)
    Aug 4 2024
    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, to the Governor's Mansion and on to Washington D.C. Governor Perry has an unmatched career in public service. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss what Texas and Texas history means to a man who made a lot of it.
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    29 m
  • Making Texas History: An Interview with Governor Rick Perry (Part 1)

    Making Texas History: An Interview with Governor Rick Perry (Part 1)
    Jul 7 2024
    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, to the Governor's Mansion and on to Washington D.C. Governor Perry has an unmatched career in public service. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss what Texas and Texas history means to a man who made a lot of it.
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    34 m
  • EP. 127: Clash of the Titans

    EP. 127: Clash of the Titans
    Jun 2 2024
    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 commercial hunting rendered the bison all but extinct. Thanks to the forward thinking of a few cattlemen, the species was saved. But the early twentieth century was a sporting time, and certain questions needed answers. To a few folks from Texas, Mexico, and North Dakota, the burning question was which animal was tougher--a Mexican fighting bull or a buffalo? Well, now we know. Hear the story of an epic battle in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    30 m
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