Once Upon a Time in Texas

Have you ever visited a company or bought a product and wondered how long the company has been around? Lets explore the 10 oldest companies in Texas.

Sheppard Air Force Base, a little history and another base in Wichita Falls most folks don’t know about.

You ever watch a movie and you think "did it really happen that way"? And then you look it up and it was pretty close? Well, the movie 12 Mighty Orphans was spot on and talks about the the Masonic Home and School and it is such a cool story.

Today I have my friend Jacob Fields on the podcast. He is a fellow Rotarian and Scouter and we are discussing a guy named Littleton Fowler. He is considered one of the first Methodist Pastors in Texas and he was pretty interesting.

Many states have ghost towns and they usually happen for one reason or another. A lot has to do with whatever the local economy depends on going away. Sometimes though it has to do with weather, or a new railroad or highway going through another town or bypassing the ghost town all together, whatever the case may be, here are a few famous ones from Texas.

So, usually if you live in a town, you know if there are famous people from there and usually the smaller the town the fewer the celebrities but the more people know about it.  However, there are quite a few famous people from Wichita Falls that I didn’t know about and I’d like to explore a few from here specifically.

We all know that’s states and some towns have slogans and some parts of the country have specific sayings. Some are catchy and some are witty but overall, Texas has some pretty good ones so lets take a look at some town slogans and some Texan sayings.

We all know the song “The Yellow Rose of Texas” but what are the songs origins? Did you know the original lyrics are very different form what we all know now? Lets take a gander at these lyrics and explore how exactly the “Yellow Rose” came to be.

This month is Black History Month. In part 2, lets take a look at some famous African Americans from Texas and their contribution to our society.

This month is Black History Month. In part 1 of 2, lets take a look at how African Americans came to be in Texas and some of the facts and figures there are in our fair state. Part 2 will discuss some of the more notable African American Texans I can find.

Roadside attractions are something from an almost forgotten era now.  They were huge when the US highway system started and it gave people a place to stop, take a break and get out of the car. Of course, we travel significantly faster now and cars are much safer and more comfortable so we tend to get in them and go without stopping. Lets take a look at some roadside attractions that are still arou...

So where did this weeks idea come from? Well, last weeks idea took me to Texas Monthly and while scrolling through some of their material, I briefly saw something about the Texas Volcano and I was like “hmmmm, don’t have time for that rabbit hole right now BUT I’ll put it on my list”. Well, I went down the rabbit hole now and here we are. So lets talk about some Naders (Tornados), Quakes (earthqua...

Have you ever heard of a bum steer? What about the Bum Steer Awards done by Texas Monthly Magazine yearly? Where did this term come from and why does Texas monthly use it? Lets take a look at that and talk about a few of the Bum Steer Awards from Texas Monthly for 2024.

Battleships are fascinating. Our Navy is one of the best if not the best in the world. Did you know that there was a battleship names after Texas? Of course you did, most people do BUT did you know that it was a ship of firsts? It was the first ship to receive a lot of things to have tested before installing on other and future battleships. Ya, the USS Texas is one of the most interesting battlesh...

So, I’ve been on a kick about lawmen, bandits and judges recently and it occurred to me that I think I’ve only briefly touched on Judge Roy Bean. It kind of hit me when I was telling a story last week so I figured I’d share the story with y”all briefly again and then dive a little deeper into this interesting West Texas Character, Judge Roy Bean. He goes along with the theme lately of being both a...

On episode 48 we did a little digging into two folks that floated onto my radar and learned a little more about them. This week is no different. Here are two more outlaws that were either born or passed through Texas. However, one of them was an outlaw and lawman and at one time, he was both at the same time!

Have you heard about someone that is legendary and it really piques your interest so you go do a little digging into their story just to see if they are really as interesting as they seem? Well, there are two people we are going to look at today that are even more interesting than previously thought. And both of them are well known BUT kind of always take a backseat to other historical figures.

Have you been around someone that tells stories and you just hang on every word and can’t wait for them to tell the next yarn? I sure have. In my case I was around a bunch of folks like that in my life. I have a few in my family but I met a bunch through my time in the Scouts as a youth, professional and volunteer. And really it is a great thing to be able to share stories, all true of course, wit...

Have you seen a festival, event, celebration or parade and wondered how it got started? I mean there are some obvious ones like Veterans Day, 4th of July, etc but I wonder about some of the Christmas/Holiday Festivals in Texas. So come on a sleigh ride with me and lets look at a few of the big ones.

Have you ever looked at a town or place name and wondered where on Earth they came up with that? I do that often and tend to look them up just to see what interesting history is behind the name. Often times I am not disappointed. Come with me this week to explore a few and learn a little history.

Have you ever been to a business and wondered where and how they got their start? A lot of folks know about big companies like Harley and Ford in 1903, Jim Beam in 1795, JP Morgan Chase in 1799, Remington Firearms in 1816, Macy’s in 1843 and I’m sure there are a slew of others. Today I want to deep dive into a couple of Texas based businesses that you can really sink your teeth into. The idea to d...

Have you ever heard a local story or legend and you think “is there really any truth to that”? And then you pull up the old interwebs and boom, there it is in black and white? Well, I have and I am here to tell you that these are two tales that I have heard personally and went down the rabbit hole to bring them to you here. These two stories involve a chimpanzee and an elephant in some very unlike...

Have you ever been witness to something historical? My Grandparents all spoke about the great depression, even though they were all born on the back end of it, it certainly effected their life. They also spoke about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My parents have both spoken about the assassination of President Kennedy, man landing on the moon, the Cuban missile crisis and the Cold War. I get to spea...

Part 2 - Did you know that Texas was home to the Worlds Fair in 1968. It was held in San Antonio and called the HemisFair ’68! In connection to the Worlds Fair and to boost a little International attention, the Texas Department of Transportation created and designated 10, 650 mile circular driving regions or Trails that encompassed the entire state. The “Trails” saw little attention after their cr...

Part 1 - Did you know that Texas was home to the Worlds Fair in 1968. It was held in San Antonio and called the HemisFair ’68! In connection to the Worlds Fair and to boost a little International attention, the Texas Department of Transportation created and designated 10, 650 mile circular driving regions or Trails that encompassed the entire state. The “Trails” saw little attention after their cr...