Texas History Lessons

This is part 1 of the story of Louis Jordan, Texas football, and the Great War of 1914 to 1918. It is a story of patriotism and teamwork, loss and sacrifice. It is about leadership and the cost of war. This episode covers his successful career as a student and athlete with the University of Texas-Austin Longhorn's football team. The next episode will cover the next stage of his life after graduati...

Goodbye 2022 and hello 2023! For a special treat, in this episode we look back to the foundations of the Texas History Lessons Podcast and share an episode of the 2BT Podcast from the archives. This one is heavy on Star Wars-two hours worth! Enjoy the show and thanks for listening. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen...

In this episode we take a look at the many changes in Texas and our relationship to the past by looking at the life of Ruby Viola Davidson. The song at the end is Make My Heart Great Again by Derrick McClendon. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new album, Interstate Daydreamer! Available everywhere you find g...

In this episode we look a little into 19th Century folk medicine and some of the medicines offered for sale to the public for everything that ailed them. The song at the end is Country Standards by JR Tully and the Dreamland Band. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new album, Interstate Daydreamer! Available e...

This episode is the fourth and final part of a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end are Rosmand's Living This Way, followed by Seth Jones' Better Off Alone. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new album, Interstate Day...

This episode is part three of a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end are Jerrod Flusche's Fan the Flames and Mama's Don't Let Your Babies..., Payton Matous' Sing the Darkness Away, and Zach Welch's Ada. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McCl...

This episode is part two of a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end, The Ballad of a Small Town is by Texas History Lessons spotlight artist Derrick McLendon, followed by Mando Salas and Rosmand's Devils River. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derri...

This episode launches a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end, Rituals is by Texas History Lessons newest spotlight artist Ghost Dance Band, followed by Jason Harrell's Ghost.. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new al...

In this episode, Melvin E. Edwards returns to discuss his powerful, new book, The Strength of a Thousand Sons. In it he recounts more stories from his Texas family and illustrates the power of a father's love and the effect it can have on generations. We also discussed many other topics, including baseball, fishing, the legislative process in Texas and much more. Be sure to get a copy of Melvin E....

We are happy to use this episode to introduce you to the Dicta. Podcast - a podcast about the cases that made us. An exploration of the United States Constitution and those decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States that have shaped our relationship with, and understanding of, the law of the land. Hosted by Ian and Casey. In this episode Ian reflects on an important subject, "Should we re...

With this episode we finish up our series on the Second Battle of Adobe Walls. We learn a little more about the background and we learn a lot about the Native American side of the conflict. The song at the end, Hi-Line Wild Horses, is by the great Kade Anson! The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new album, Inter...

In this episode we return take a look at the man that made the famous shot at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls and hear from him about what he remembered. This episode shares his memories of the attack and fight. What was it like to actually be there? Listen and hear from someone who experienced it firsthand. The song at the end, Magenta, is by the great Bo Bundy! The Texas History Lessons Theme s...

With this episode we take a look at the man that made the famous shot at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls and hear from him about what he remembered. This episode shares his background memories to the days leading up to the conflict. What was it like to actually be there? Listen and hear from someone who experienced it firsthand. The song at the end, Mi Barrio, is by the great Bo Bundy! The Texas...

In 1874 a group of buffalo hunters were camped about a mile from the site of where representatives of the trading firm of Bent, St. Vrain and Company had established a trading post in the 1840s.  Ten years later the encamped buffalo hunters, hide men and merchants fought the Second Battle of Adobe Walls on June 27, 1874. The hide hunters had built a number of log buildings and surrounded it with a...

In June 1939 the Flake family, originally from Marshall, Texas bought a house in the 900 block East Annie Street in Fort Worth, Texas. On June 19, 1939, Juneteenth, a mob numbering near 500 destroyed their home. Why? They were black and had been audacious enough to move into a mostly white area of the north Texas city. That day should have been a day of celebration for the Flake family. Seventy-fo...

On May 31, 1783, a band of Mescalero Apaches killed a man named Fernando Veramendi near the presidio of San Juan Bautista in Coahuila. Veramendi and the Veramendi family played an important part in the early history of Texas and of San Antonio. A San Antonio businessman and alderman, Veramendi was only about forty years old on May 31, 1783 when he was away from home on a business trip to Mexico Ci...

Let's go to Polkafest on Memorial Day Weekend! In this episode Payton Matous joins the podcast to talk about the history and heritage of Czech Texans with a special focus on the National Polka Festival in Ennis. Make plans to visit Ennis, Texas in Memorial Day weekend this year and in the future for a great time. Payton is a talented musical artist and graces the show with two unreleased songs. Hi...

On May 5, 1718, Martin de Alarcon founded the San Antonio de Bexar Presidio on the west side of the San Antonio River, about a quarter league from the San Antonio de Valero Mission that had been established on May 1. Settlement did not happen immediately but the presidio and the mission were the foundation of the Villa de Bexar, the most important town in Spanish Texas.  A lot of history has happe...

On May 4, 1847, Pope Pius IX established the Catholic Diocese of Galveston. From 1847 until 1874 the diocese covered all of Texas and parts of modern day Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. The Diocese of San Antonio and the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville were carved out of it 1874. Jean Marie Odin was named the Diocese of Galveston’s first bishop and with twelve priests he se...

On May 3, 1968, a major medical advance occurred at Houston’s St. Luke’s Hospital. Surgeon Denton Cooley and his associates transplanted the heart donated by a fifteen year old girl to Everett Thomas. Cooley and Houston doctor Michael E. DeBakey had been working on developing heart surgery to the point that they could do heart transplantation. Cooley got there first and DeBakey and he would have a...

In lesson 17 we take a look at al-Andalus, Islamic Spain, and the Reconquista. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new album, Interstate Daydreamer! Available everywhere you find good music. Thank you Derrick! Twitter: @dmclendonmusic The song at the end of the episode is by Texas History Lessons new spotlight...

On May 2, 1874, Texas Governor Richard Coke, who was originally from Virginia, gave a man named John B. Jones command of the recently created Frontier Battalion of Texas Rangers. John B. Jones is one of those interesting characters that fill the pages of Texas history. He’d been born in South Carolina in 1834 and came to Texas with his family in 1838, while Texas was still in its early phase of be...

We celebrate May 1, 1718 as the day that San Antonio had its beginnings. The site had already been a very important one for a very long time. For the Coahuiltecans it was home and a sacred site. San Pedro Springs and the San Antonio river were sacred waters for the Coahuiltecans. Spanish explorers had visited the area several times before, but it was in 1718 that the governor of Coahuila y Tejas,...

On April 30, 1926, Bessie Coleman, the first black person in the world to obtain a pilot’s license, died during a test flight before a Negro Welfare League sponsored air show in Jacksonville, Florida. An amazing person, Bessie Coleman had been born in Atlanta, Texas on January 26, 1892. It was in Chicago during the First World War that she heard stories about the aviators exploits overseas and she...

On April 29, 1554 a severe storm blasted a convoy of four Spanish treasure ships. Three sank and one escaped. Four ships, the Espiritu Santo, the San Esteban, the Santa Maria de Yciar and the San Andreas set sail from San Juan de Ulúa, down near Veracruz, Mexico, on April 9, 1554, with Antonio Corzo as captain-general.  The combined cargoes of the four ships had an estimated value of a little over...