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Texas Standard » Stories from Texas
- 311 - 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 […]
Wed, 11 Oct 2023 - 4min - 310 - ‘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 […]
Wed, 27 Sep 2023 - 5min - 309 - 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.
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 - 5min - 308 - 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 […]
Wed, 13 Mar 2024 - 5min - 307 - 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.
Wed, 28 Feb 2024 - 4min - 306 - 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 […]
Wed, 14 Feb 2024 - 5min - 305 - 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.
Wed, 03 Jan 2024 - 5min - 304 - 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.
Wed, 20 Dec 2023 - 5min - 303 - 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.
Wed, 06 Dec 2023 - 6min - 302 - 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.
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 - 5min - 301 - 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.
Wed, 25 Oct 2023 - 4min - 300 - 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.
Wed, 13 Sep 2023 - 4min - 299 - 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.
Wed, 16 Aug 2023 - 4min - 298 - 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 […]
Thu, 03 Aug 2023 - 6min - 297 - 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 […]
Wed, 19 Jul 2023 - 4min - 296 - The Second Sacking of San Antonio
Most Texans believe that the Battle of San Jacinto settled everything. Once Mexican President Santa Anna was decisively defeated, he famously signed a treaty guaranteeing Texas independence and he would never again set foot on Texas soil…Right? Well, commentator WF Strong reminds us that’s not what happened.
Wed, 05 Jul 2023 - 7min - 295 - The 50th anniversary of ‘The Time It Never Rained’
It’s been 50 years since the publication of Elmer Kelton’s now classic Texas novel, “The Time it Never Rained.” Kelton wrote 50 books and said this was his favorite — he called it his signature work. It won him both the Spur Award and the Western Heritage Award. Many Texas literary critics consider “The Time […]
Thu, 22 Jun 2023 - 5min - 294 - Farmer Logic
If you’ve spent any time around farmers — you may have noticed a similar, pragmatic approach to life many share. Texas Standard Commentator WF Strong says it’s something he’s long observed.
Wed, 24 May 2023 - 4min - 293 - Things Redneck Dave said to me on the drive across Texas
Technology has a role in helping us remember the past. Whether it’s a Facebook memory or a similar push from your photos app. But milestones have long played the same role — anniversaries, holidays, big changes in life. Maybe it’s a relationship or your last great vacation. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has been recalling […]
Wed, 10 May 2023 - 5min - 292 - What a Handshake is Worth
How much is a promise worth? How much is it worth if you guarantee the promise with a handshake? What is the value of one’s word? In Texas, once, all these taken together were worth over ten billion dollars in a court of law. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has the story.
Wed, 26 Apr 2023 - 6min - 291 - Sancho
One of Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie’s favorite stories was the story of Sancho, the tamale-loving Longhorn. He heard it from John Rigby of Beeville, Texas. Dobie said that he figured Rigby had dressed up the story a bit and also admitted that he himself had done some “constructive work” on it over the years. […]
Wed, 12 Apr 2023 - 5min - 290 - It’s My Turn
A couple of weeks ago, Texas Standard commentator WF Strong shared some news with a few members of our staff. Now, he’s ready to share it with all of you.
Wed, 29 Mar 2023 - 5min - 289 - Quinta Mazatlan
Cicero said, “If you have a library and a garden, you have all that you need.” Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says you can begin to understand that wisdom when you enter the gates of Quinta Mazatlan. It’s an urban oasis in south McAllen.
Wed, 01 Mar 2023 - 4min - 288 - My Valentine
Love, of course, can come in many forms. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has found a lot of love in his life, including in his two teenage boys. He recalls a certain newer relationship that he says came as a bit of a surprise. This story first aired in 2018.
Thu, 16 Feb 2023 - 5min - 287 - Tom Hoskins and his Thousand Points of Light
It could be said that Texas is a state of natural philosophers. Many people have maxims or aphorisms at the ready for every situation. Tom Hoskins was one such person. He made it his late-in-life mission to record all of the adages he came across in a collection he called “Hoskilonians: A Thousand Points of […]
Wed, 01 Feb 2023 - 6min - 286 - We Might Oughtta Praise Texas Grammar
Those who didn’t grow up in Texas can have a lot of trouble with the way many Texans pronounce many place names. Think Gruene or Refugio. But commentator WF Strong noticed sumpin’ else — some Texans use words you pert near won’t hear in other parts of the country.
Wed, 18 Jan 2023 - 3min - 285 - The Port Mansfield Cut and the treasure discovered there
Running from Corpus Christi to near Brownsville, Padre Island is the longest barrier island in the world. Up until the late 1950s, you could drive the entire 113 miles of the island if you had a vehicle with decent four-wheel drive. That option was blocked in 1957 when the Port Mansfield Cut was dredged. The […]
Wed, 04 Jan 2023 - 7min - 284 - Jesse H. Jones was a model philanthropist
Over 30% of annual nonprofit giving happens in the last month of the year. In Texas, philanthropists Jesse H. Jones and his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones, have been very generous. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has more on the gifts bestowed by the couple on the Lone Star State.
Mon, 02 Jan 2023 - 5min - 283 - ‘Three red marbles’ is a story fit for Thanksgiving
Many Texas Standard listeners are thankful for the “Stories from Texas” brought to us by our regular commentator WF Strong. Today’s story is a little different — he explains why.
Thu, 24 Nov 2022 - 4min - 282 - La Llorona
A 500-year-old Mexican legend is still freshly scaring kids — especially in the border regions. The story about a crying woman called La Llorona no doubt arrived in what is now Texas with the earliest Mexican settlers. Ever since, this ghostly figure has haunted our rivers, lakes and streams. There are dozens of versions of […]
Wed, 26 Oct 2022 - 4min - 281 - Yonderings
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong explores Texas for us — often through history and lore. But he also picks up new stories from Texas. And, occasionally, he recommends one.
Wed, 12 Oct 2022 - 4min - 280 - How Texas Saved the Buffalo
The number of American bison has increased in recent years from a historic low of just a few hundred to half a million. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says the Lone Star State – and one of its most famous ranchers – made a very significant contribution to those efforts. This story originally aired in […]
Wed, 28 Sep 2022 - 3min - 279 - Wright Bacon: A Texas Original
A lot of people love bacon. Maybe no one more-so than comedian Jim Gaffigan. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says Gaffigan’s bacon commitment might make him a good candidate for a honor this weekend in a Texas city you’ve likely never heard of.
Wed, 14 Sep 2022 - 4min - 278 - Remembering Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Texas
Queen Elizabeth II’s seven decade-long reign makes it challenging to whittle down to just a few big moments. She witnessed some of the world’s most pivotal events. But from a Texas perspective, there are two days in 1991 that stick out. Commentator W.F. Strong tells us about when the Queen toured the Lone Star State. […]
Fri, 09 Sep 2022 - 4min - 277 - Flying to school on my Western Flyer
With school back in session across most parts of the lone star state, Texas Standard commentator WF Strong is among those starting off the morning with drop offs at school. But while he was dripping off his daughter the other day — waiting in a line of cars stretching for blocks — he noticed no […]
Wed, 24 Aug 2022 - 4min - 276 - Falcon Lake
There’s been a lot of concern focused on Lake Mead in Nevada. It’s the largest reservoir in the United States and is the water source for more than 25 million people. But it’s fallen to just 25% capacity and is dropping rather rapidly. In Texas, Falcon Lake is at just 12% capacity. Commentator W.F. Strong […]
Wed, 27 Jul 2022 - 6min - 275 - Remembering the Uvalde 21
Usually WF Strong brings Texas Standard listeners quirky facts about the state or bits of overlooked history. Today, he said there was just one thing on his heart: the stories of the lives lost in the Uvalde shooting. WF and his wife Lupita scoured obituaries, social media, fundraising efforts, and news reports to — as […]
Wed, 01 Jun 2022 - 6min - 274 - What happened to Toadsuck, Texas?
Texas has had perhaps more than its share of unusual names of cities and towns. Cut and Shoot – Dime Box – Bug Tussle. But perhaps the strangest was Toadsuck, Texas. You won’t find it on a map today because it eventually became Collinsville in western Grayson County. But for a relatively brief and shining […]
Wed, 04 May 2022 - 3min - 273 - The Pessimistic Farmer
One in 7 working Texans has an agriculture-related job. That’s a lot of people who depend at least in part on unpredictable markets and mother nature to make a living. So it’s no surprise some of those folks might look towards the future with a bit of uncertainty. At least that’s the sentiment behind the […]
Wed, 23 Mar 2022 - 2min - 272 - How The Railroad Help Built Texas
Early Texas towns took hold alongside protected bays – think Galveston and Corpus Christi. Others developed along the banks of fine rivers, such as San Antonio, Goliad and El Paso. But later it was the steel tributaries called railroads that were planting the seeds that raised towns alongside them. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong says […]
Wed, 09 Mar 2022 - 5min - 271 - Wordle For Texas
By this time, you’ve no doubt seen or heard of the game Wordle. The daily puzzle game with the yellow and green boxes has become part of the morning routine for millions of people around the world. To coin a word too long for the puzzle — it’s become a wordemic.
Wed, 23 Feb 2022 - 4min - 270 - LBJ’s Humor
When most people think of Lyndon Johnson they don’t envision a man with a great sense of humor. He was in power in turbulent times. When I see his face in my mind I see a man who was troubled, an unsmiling man with furrows in his brow accentuating unrelenting worries. Yet even in those […]
Wed, 26 Jan 2022 - 4min - 269 - A Little Test Of Texas’ Official Symbols
Likely you haven’t had a test of Texas’ official symbols since about 5th grade. You probably still know the major ones – but do you remember the state small mammal?
Wed, 12 Jan 2022 - 4min - 268 - How Ranchers Used Barbed Wire To Make Phone Calls
These days, if you’re out working on a ranch and you need some backup, you just pick up your cell phone. If you’re in a remote area of Texas with bad service — you might also have a walkie talkie handy. But not so long ago, the options were a little less sophisticated. Still, you […]
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 - 5min - 267 - Texas Ice Fishing
It’s unlikely Texas will see a major freeze this winter like we did last year. At least that’s what forecasters are saying right now. The extreme cold of last February reminded Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong about a bit of folklore he once heard about a Texas winter.
Wed, 15 Dec 2021 - 4min - 266 - The Most Generous Texan Of Yore?
Most Texans probably know the Brackenridge name. But, depending on where you’re from, you might have a different landmark (and namesake) in mind. In Austin, there was the area’s first public hospital. In Edna, there’s a more than one thousand acre Brackenridge Recreation Complex. But as Commentator WF Strong notes, the Brackenridge who lent his […]
Wed, 01 Dec 2021 - 6min - 265 - Texas Navigator App
On Google Maps you can get navigator voices in English with either an American, British, Indian, or Canadian accent. Commentator W.F. Strong thinks they should offer a Texas navigator accent – one that also offers Texas expressions and colloquialisms.
Wed, 17 Nov 2021 - 3min - 264 - Peregrine Falcons
This is the time of year that Peregrine falcons make their incredible journey from Greenland to Argentina and Chile, a distance of over eight thousand miles. One of the most popular migration stopovers for Peregrines is Padre Island. There, they rest and eat for a few days. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong says it’s like […]
Wed, 20 Oct 2021 - 4min - 263 - The Young Lieutenant Who Crossed the Wild Horse Desert
American history sometimes snuggles up close with what might be better termed American mythology. Take that story about a young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. But other bits of history based quite a bit more in fact are less well known — though just as extraordinary. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong offers up […]
Wed, 06 Oct 2021 - 4min - 262 - Texas And The Art Of Understatement
Yes, everything may be bigger in Texas. And Texans are used to being pegged as exaggerators — the tellers of tall tales like Pecos Bill who roped tornadoes and shot stars from the sky. But Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong says a characteristic of Texas conversation that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves is […]
Wed, 22 Sep 2021 - 5min - 261 - Words That Migrated
I showed a friend of mine a picture of me sitting at the edge of a thin ridge jutting out, about 300 feet above the Pecos River. He said, “I can’t look at that, it gives me the willies.” Oh, yes, the willies, goosebumps and shiverings triggered by our phobias. As an amateur linguist, I’m […]
Wed, 08 Sep 2021 - 4min - 260 - The Texas Olympics
The Olympics — as we were all just reminded — are a fantastic display of athleticism of all sorts. For many of us, watching the games is a reminder of just how we could never do that thing that we’re watching other people do. But watching got commentator W-F Strong thinking there’s quite a lot […]
Thu, 12 Aug 2021 - 4min - 259 - Miles And Miles Of Texas
One way I know a book is special is if I keep thinking about it years after I first read it. Miles and Miles of Texas, 100 years of the Texas Highway Department, by Carol Dawson and Roger Allen Polson, is such a book. I first read it several years ago, and even recommended it […]
Wed, 14 Jul 2021 - 5min - 258 - Long Before Elon Musk, A Different Man Had A Plan To Develop Boca Chica
One hundred years ago, Col. Sam Robertson stood on the same Boca Chica Beach in South Texas that Elon Musk owns today and dreamed a different dream. Instead of Musk’s spaceport, Robertson dreamed of seaports and an oceanside highway. Robertson owned 800 acres at Boca Chica, about 20 miles northeast of Brownsville and it was […]
Wed, 30 Jun 2021 - 4min - 257 - There’s Something About A Person Named Tex
Tex is an incredibly popular nickname. It is so fitting for some… that it pushes their given first name entirely out of use. I thought it would be interesting to look at a few famous folks known mostly as just Tex. Tex Ritter is probably the most famous person named Tex. I doubt more than […]
Wed, 16 Jun 2021 - 5min - 256 - Watermelon Season
It’s June. Watermelon season. All my life, June has meant watermelon season and I don’t mean it’s just the time of year to eat them. As a kid, it also meant a time to work, and work hard, from can’t-see-in-the-morning to can’t-see-at-night, for no more than a little over a dollar an hour to get […]
Wed, 02 Jun 2021 - 4min - 255 - The Story of C.H. Guenther
Carl Hilmar Guenther left Germany for America when he was 22. The year was 1846. He left without telling his parents he was going for fear they’d try to stop him. Young Guenther sailed for America because he thought his future was limited in Germany. He wrote that he “felt hemmed in,” that there was little […]
Wed, 19 May 2021 - 4min - 254 - Don Pedrito: Healer of Los Olmos
My friend of many years, Tony Zavaleta, told me the following story: He said, “There was once a married couple who lived in Rio Grande City back in the late 1800s. They had tried for some time to have a baby, but had had no luck. They went to see doctors and followed their advice, […]
Wed, 21 Apr 2021 - 6min - 253 - Larry McMurtry and the Lonesome Dove Quadrilogy
Of the thousands of mourners who posted their goodbyes and gratitudes to Texas writer Larry McMurtry across last month, there was one stand-out theme. It was to thank McMurtry for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Lonesome Dove.” Most considered it his premiere gift to them personally, a gift that had immeasurably enriched their lives, as culturally […]
Wed, 07 Apr 2021 - 4min - 252 - High Security and Low Security Texas
By W. F. Strong Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of neighborhood cultures in Texas: high security and low security. My wife is high security and I’m low security, by tradition. She was raised in Mexico, in a compound surrounded by the classic 12 foot walls with shards of glass embedded on top. I was […]
Wed, 24 Mar 2021 - 3min - 251 - What’s In A Name? For These Famous Texans, Everything.
By W. F. Strong Could there be a better name for the world’s faster runner than Usain Bolt? It’s a dead solid perfect aptronym, which is the formal word for a name that appropriately fits one’s occupation, sometimes humorously. A neurological scholar in England was knighted and became, I kid you not, Lord Brain. The […]
Wed, 10 Mar 2021 - 4min - 250 - Artist Tom Lea’s ‘Sarah In The Summertime’
As Valentine’s Day is approaching, I thought I’d share a romantic story about one of Texas’s greatest artists, Tom Lea. This is a love story, expressed in one painting, titled “Sarah in the Summertime.” I’ll tell you the story of that painting and how it came to be. Tom Lea was a true renaissance artist in […]
Wed, 10 Feb 2021 - 4min - 249 - Lyndon Johnson’s Gifts To Texas
For me, Lyndon Johnson did more for Texas in his lifetime than any other politician, except for Sam Houston. And Houston’s greatest gift was given to Texas in the form of a resounding victory at San Jacinto, before he began his political years as president. Two of Johnson’s most enduring gifts to Texas are NASA, […]
Wed, 27 Jan 2021 - 4min - 248 - In Praise Of Vultures
I go for walks in the country often this time of year here in the Rio Grande Valley. This is our Goldilocks season. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. We have a perfectly warming sun in the crisp, cool air of winter mornings. I like to walk along a dirt road that has […]
Wed, 13 Jan 2021 - 5min - 247 - A Letter from Texas
If you had walked into the Neiman-Marcus store during the Christmas season in Dallas in 1939, you would have found a beautiful little book for sale titled A Letter from Texas. The 20-page book, by the Texas poet, Townsend Miller, was commissioned by Stanley Marcus himself. He had the gifted printer Carl Hertzog publish an […]
Wed, 16 Dec 2020 - 4min - 246 - The Texas Connection To Colorado’s Royal Gorge Bridge
Bridges are measured in three ways, for those who like to keep world records and such: longest, tallest and highest. In Texas, the Fred Hartman Bridge is both the longest bridge at 2.6 miles, and the tallest, at 440 feet. But it is not the highest. That honor goes to the aptly named Pecos High […]
Wed, 04 Nov 2020 - 4min - 245 - The Queen’s Royal Welcome to Texas
By W. F. Strong and Lupita Strong February 2021 will mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 69th year on the British throne. In all of those years during which she witnessed some of the world’s most pivotal events, one can say — if one is a Texan — that we deserve an honorable mention amongst those events […]
Wed, 21 Oct 2020 - 4min - 244 - Norfleet: The Texas Rancher Who Kept On Coming
By W.F. Strong The year was 1919. J. Frank Norfleet, after two years of pursuit, finally slapped the handcuffs on Mr. Stetson in Florida. Stetson – real name: Joe Furey – had swindled Norfleet out of $90,000 in Dallas and Fort Worth two years before. Stetson was shocked to see him and paid him a […]
Wed, 07 Oct 2020 - 5min - 243 - Texas: A State That Loves Its Flag
By W.F. Strong If you were ever to start a new country, one of the first tasks you’d have to undertake would be to design a flag. Are you really a country if you don’t have a flag to advertise your existence – a flag that can fly atop skyscrapers, state houses, schools and ships […]
Wed, 23 Sep 2020 - 5min - 242 - The Tragic Story of Dora Hand
My friend, Jac Darsnek, owner of the always remarkable Traces of Texas webpage sent me a message recently. He asked if I had ever told the story of Dora Hand on the radio. I said, no, but I will. Thanks for the suggestion Jac. Here we go: Dora Hand, many said, was the most beautiful […]
Wed, 09 Sep 2020 - 5min - 241 - El Llano Estacado
By W. F. Strong The Llano Estacado is an enormous mesa. It covers more than 37-thousand square miles of Texas and New Mexico. On this side of the state border it starts north of Amarillo and ends south of Odessa. But how did it get its name and what exactly does it mean? Turns out, […]
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 - 5min - 240 - How Madame Curie’s Philanthropy Continues To Inspire
By W. F. Strong A couple of years ago, there was a photograph published on Twitter of a group of radiation oncologists in the radiation treatment room at MD Anderson, all women, under the hashtag, “Women Who Curie.” They were celebrating the legacy of Madame Marie Curie and her pioneering work in radiology that daily […]
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 - 4min - 239 - Dichos
By W. F. Strong and Lupita Strong Dichos are proverbs. Dichos is a Spanish word for wise sayings, clever maxims, humorous perspectives that can guide you well. Dichos are life coaches, lighting a pathway that, if followed, can make our lives better and less painful. Dichos are nuggets of wisdom that are handed, like gold, […]
Thu, 16 Jul 2020 - 3min - 238 - Jefferson Davis Highway: The Persistence Of A Confederate Memorial
By W.F. Strong On July 29, 1925 — a full 60 years after the American Civil War — Miss Decca Lamar West of Waco, Texas, wrote a strongly worded letter to Chief Thomas H. MacDonald, the head of what was then the Federal Bureau of Public Roads. Miss West was an influential member of the […]
Wed, 01 Jul 2020 - 4min - 237 - How Texas Became A Desert
By W. F. Strong To much of the world, and to many people in the U.S. who have never been to Texas, the state is a vast desert. It is not the Sahara, but instead a high-plains arid region studded with rocky mesas, sweeping wall-like cliffs, dusty canyons, and sometimes adorned with thousands of Saguaro […]
Wed, 03 Jun 2020 - 5min - 236 - El Rio Bravo
By W.F. Strong Ten years ago I was touring the great Catedral de Sevilla, in Spain, when I got into an unexpectedly informative conversation about Texas with an 80-year-old guide of that majestic church. When he discovered that I was from South Texas, he asked me, in perfect British English, “Did you know that your […]
Wed, 20 May 2020 - 5min - 235 - The Hero Of Cinco De Mayo Was A Texan
My wife Lupita and I were celebrating Cinco de Mayo at home Tuesday. We had a couple – or so – margaritas in honor of General Zaragoza’s victory at the Battle of Puebla. Lupita said, “I wonder if Texans know what they’re celebrating when they party on Cinco de Mayo.” She’s originally from Mexico and, […]
Wed, 06 May 2020 - 6min - 234 - Texas Cowboy Moves to Montana
by W. F. Strong (adapted from folklore) I think we’re in need of humor more now than ever before. So I thought I’d share with you this bit of classic Texas folklore. You may well have heard it before and, if you have, I’m sure you won’t mind hearing it again. If you haven’t heard […]
Wed, 22 Apr 2020 - 3min - 233 - Things ‘Redneck Dave’ Said to Me on the Drive Across Texas
By W. F. Strong A while back I had occasion to travel across 400 miles of Texas, about half the state, with my older brother, Redneck Dave. We call him that out of admiration for his unbending and unapologetic devotion to life as he sees it. He loves his nickname, by the way. Wears it […]
Wed, 08 Apr 2020 - 5min - 232 - The Texas Polio Epidemic
The silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic, if there is one, seems to be that it spares children. The polio epidemic that raged off and on in the United States for about 40 years did the opposite. Indeed, it seemed to focus on children. Whereas there is hope that COVID-19, like the flu, will weaken […]
Thu, 26 Mar 2020 - 6min - 231 - Jim Bowie: Timeless Influencer
A relatively new phenomenon in modern society is the rise of the influencer, a person on social media who is skilled at persuading followers to buy things. Some are influencers by design and some are accidental influencers, finding without trying that they have attracted an army of imitators. I wondered how many of these now […]
Wed, 11 Mar 2020 - 4min - 230 - The Texas Coral Snake – Beautiful and Occasionally Dangerous
Twice in the last three years I’ve seen good sized coral snakes in my yard. Both times I relocated them deep into the woods nearby. Their presence troubles me because there are often young children playing in my yard. If any were bitten by a Texas Coral Snake, though they probably wouldn’t die, they would […]
Wed, 26 Feb 2020 - 6min - 229 - Love Letter to Scarlett
Two years ago I introduced you to my then 3-year-old daughter, Scarlett. My Valentine. She was a late arrival in my life and particularly special because I grew up with all boys and had only boys, until she came along. She’s introduced me, for the first time, to the wonderful world of little girls. Scarlett’s […]
Wed, 12 Feb 2020 - 4min - 228 - The Impeachment and Conviction of Texas Governor Jim Ferguson
It’s hard not to like the down-home folksy style that made Texas Governor Jim Ferguson so enormously popular 100 years ago. After all, he was known as “Farmer Jim.” He often said, “Civilization begins and ends with the plow.” Ferguson was a mesmerizing speaker and storyteller and was splendidly fluent in the dialects of rural […]
Wed, 29 Jan 2020 - 6min - 227 - Three Texas Myths That Won’t Die
In my travels around the state I run into people now and then who have deeply held convictions about Texas that are simply untrue. They hold to myths that have been nurtured by well-intentioned souls since San Jacinto days, and it breaks my heart to tell them they are mistaken, but not for long. I […]
Wed, 22 Jan 2020 - 5min - 226 - The Republic of Texas is No More
Later this year, way later this year, we’ll mark the 175th year of Texas statehood. That will be on December 29th. That’s the day in 1845 that Texas officially joined The United States of America, or, as the proudest of Texans say – the day the U.S. was allowed to join Texas. Though the 29th […]
Wed, 08 Jan 2020 - 6min - 225 - The Man Who Led The Battle Against Yellow Fever
By W. F. Strong I’m walking on the veranda of the Gorgas Building at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. It’s named for the famous Army physician, William Gorgas, who was sent here to Fort Brown in 1882. This building was already here when he was. It was the hospital he ran. What he would learn here, and […]
Wed, 11 Dec 2019 - 6min - 224 - The Distance In Smoots
By W. F. Strong Shakespeare told us that “some have greatness thrust upon them.” Such was the case for Oliver Smoot. He was born in Bexar County, Texas, and there was nothing in his formative years to predict the events that would push him into international prominence. Oliver was a fine student and his academic […]
Wed, 27 Nov 2019 - 4min - 223 - 101 Essential Texas Books
By W. F. Strong If I have an addiction, it’s definitely books. I read about two books a week and order two more I’m unlikely to ever get to. But I like them on the shelf as backup the way survivalists hoard food supplies. Admittedly, I’m often short of shelves. When you have more books […]
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 - 4min - 222 - Sam Houston And Me
By W. F. Strong A couple of weeks ago I got into an argument with my stairs and I lost. The stairs insisted there were 12 steps and I thought 10 would do. I broke my tibia and fibula. The good news is that I ended up at the bottom of the stairs, conveniently located […]
Wed, 30 Oct 2019 - 5min - 221 - 10-and-a-Half Frightening Facts About the Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Originally aired: Oct. 31, 2016. Texas is number one in a great many things: oil, ranching, rodeo, cotton. But you may be surprised to know that we are also number one in horror. That’s right, our very own charming little low-budget film, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, is considered by many critics to be the best […]
Wed, 16 Oct 2019 - 4min - 220 - Wit And Wisdom From T. Boone Pickens
By W.F. Strong Even before I knew much about T. Boone Pickens, I loved his name. Has there ever been a better name for an oil man than T. Boone Pickens? It’s just right as rain. And the man behind the name was so perfect for it that it disproved Shakespeare’s claim that any other […]
Wed, 02 Oct 2019 - 5min - 219 - What Elvis Presley Owed West Texas
By W.F. Strong It is my belief that Texas was largely responsible for launching Elvis Presley’s phenomenal career. Texas, perhaps as much as Tennessee, gave him a vital push onto the national stage and empowered his rise to the eventual undisputed title of “The king of rock and roll.” Now, I’m not claiming that he […]
Wed, 18 Sep 2019 - 6min - 218 - The Modern Tall Tales Texans Tell Kids
We Texans have long had a reputation for tall tales, for stretching the truth in entertaining ways. I wondered to what extent this cultural DNA has survived. So I asked this question of Texans on Facebook: What is the most outrageous white lie you ever told your kids? I got several hundred responses and chose […]
Wed, 04 Sep 2019 - 217 - How Ingersoll, Texas Lost Its Name
Go east of Dallas on Interstate 30 until you reach Highway 67 near Mt. Vernon. Take that on east and about 30 minutes before you reach Texarkana, you’ll arrive in a little town of about 1,000 people named Ingersoll. Well, it was called Ingersoll when it was founded around 1875. But the name was unofficially […]
Wed, 21 Aug 2019 - 5min - 216 - Remembering The Summers Of My Youth
Now that we’re in the dog days of summer, I’ve been thinking about the long summers of my youth. We had longer summers then. It’s not just an idealized memory. Schools would dismiss us in late May and we wouldn’t return until September 2nd or so, generally the day following Labor Day. What I remember […]
Wed, 07 Aug 2019 - 4min - 215 - Gunsmoke & Texas
By W. F. Strong Ever heard of the Gunsmoke Rule? It was created several years ago by TV ratings guru Bill Gorman. He noticed that sports cable channel shows like ESPN’s “First Take” were being beaten by Gunsmoke reruns. In fact, Newsday found in a sample a few years ago that all but seven of […]
Wed, 24 Jul 2019 - 4min - 214 - The Texas Crutch
By W.F. Strong I like that Texas is so famous for certain things that those things carry the Texas brand all around the world. Like Texas toast, for instance. Or Texas Hold ‘em poker. The Texas two-step. Texas-style brisket. And even within the specialized world of backyard chefs, the brisket has a sub-specialty technique known […]
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 - 4min - 213 - Teddy Roosevelt’s Texas Campaign
By W. F. Strong The Menger Hotel in San Antonio may boast of hosting more U.S. Presidents than any other hotel in Texas. George H. W. Bush stayed there. Clinton stayed there, as did Reagan. Nixon stayed there. So did Truman and Taft and McKinley. Even Ulysses S. Grant slept there. The most important name […]
Wed, 26 Jun 2019 - 6min - 212 - Remembering ‘Beneficent Genius’ Bill Wittliff
When I hear the great musical theme of Lonesome Dove, I am immediately grateful to Bill Wittliff because I know we wouldn’t have the deeply treasured miniseries if not for him. We would have Larry McMurtry’s novel for sure, but we would not have Wittliff’s equally brilliant adaptation of that masterwork if not for his […]
Wed, 12 Jun 2019 - 8min
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