Waco History Podcast

On this episode: Dr. Kenna Lang Archer, author of "Unruly Waters: A Social and Environmental History of the Brazos River," joins us to talk about Waco's most prominent river. We talk about its history all over the state, and the many attempts to tame it. Check out Dr. Archer's website at kennalangarcher.com. You can find Kenna's book on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. Special thanks to ACT Music f...

Dr. Robert Elder, Assistant Professor of History at Baylor University, joins us about life in Texas leading into the Civil War. We also talk about Sam Houston’s fight to keep Texas in the Union. Dr. Elder specializes in the American South, especially religion, slavery, and intellectual history. His research focuses on the cultural, intellectual, and religious history of the American South in the 1...

On today’s episode, Stephen goes on Downtown Depot with Austin Meek. On our last podcast we did a collaboration with a couple of other Waco podcasters: Garrett Simmons of the Wacoans Podcast and Austin Meek of Downtown Depot. Well, Austin recently had Stephen on his show. They talk about how the Wacoan History Podcast got started, the Waco History App, and, because it just won Best Picture at the...

Support the show here: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support East Waco is a side of Waco that many locals don't know much about. With recent development in the area, we thought it was a good time to put together a Waco podcasting "dream team" to learn more about where this part of town has been and where it's going. Randy and Stephen welcome local podcasters Austin Meek and Garrett Simmon...

In this episode Millions of years before anyone lived here, nature conditioned Waco as a major crossroads. Dr. Joe Yelderman of Baylor's Department of Geosciences tells us how geology and natural history played a role in shaping Waco. Learn more about the mammoths here. About the podcast The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of...

Before Elvis was Elvis, Radio DJ Eddie Fadal befriended the entertainer. Elvis was stationed at Fort Hood in the late 50s. He traveled up to Waco almost every weekend to spend time with Fadal and his family. Eddie's daughter Janice talks to us about growing up with Elvis. We talk about where he went, what he did, his favorite foods and more! Interested in where The King spent his nights in Waco? S...

On this episode: Haunted Waco, Part 2. On episode 5, Brad Turner laid the groundwork by telling us some of Waco’s most well-known supernatural stories. On this episode, Paranormal Investigator Cindy Little tells us about searching for ghosts in Waco.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy...

A 1926 football game between Baylor and Texas A&M went from rowdy, to riot, to murder. Author T.G. Webb spent years putting together a book on the dispute. He gives us background on how it happened, and talks about potential suspects. Get the book at tgwebb.com  Learn more at wacohistorypodcast.com/battle-of-the-brazos --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support Le...

Randy and Stephen sit down with Amy Balderach to talk about "The Reservation." During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Waco was the 2nd city in the United States to have a legal red-light district. From wacohistory,org:Though not uncommon to late nineteenth-and early twentieth-century cities, red-light districts were regarded as areas of ill repute where madams and prostitutes worked outside the la...

Local Waco Folklore Expert Brad Turner joins Stephen and Randy to talk about Waco's most popular supernatural stories. Brad Turner is a professor at McLennan Community College. He's also the author of several books including, "Lust, Violence, Religion: Life in Historic Waco." It's available here: http://bit.ly/turnerwacobook. About the podcast:The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane an...

On this episode: Waco during World War I, told by the people who lived through it. Stephen brings his co-worker, Steven Sielaff, Senior Editor and Collection Manager for Baylor's Institute for Oral History, to guide us through how the war changed Waco. Check out Waco History articles on World War I:Camp MacArthur: http://www.wacohistory.org/items/show/48Rich Field Army Air Base: http://www.wacohis...

Randy and Stephen are joined by Dr. Mike Parrish to talk about Waco's Hometown Hero: Doris Miller. Miller is best known for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Dr. Parrish co-authored the book "Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement" and shares what he's found about Miller in this episode. For the city of Waco, he's an icon to bravery. Efforts star...

Fred Gildersleeve captured some of Waco's most iconic pictures --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

On the first episode of the Waco History Podcast, hosts Randy Lane, great-grandson of notable Waco architect Roy E. Lane, and Dr. Stephen Sloan of Baylor University's Oral History Institute, introduce themselves and talk about the reasons for starting the podcast. Stephen helps fact check one of Randy's family rumors. He also tells listeners some of the most important historic locations. --- Suppo...