Come and Take It

The South Texas city of Corpus Christi was once considered a natural refuge from hurricanes. In 1919, though it bore the brunt of a massively powerful storm which devastated the city and killed hundreds, including two of Texas first game wardens who gave their lives rescuing citizens. Today we look at the remarkable story of Captain Joe Williams and the Storm of 1919, on Come and Take It!

He was an engineer, a pioneer, an inventor, a businessman, and a leader. He came to Texas to help found what became Texas Instruments. He played a central role in shaping the city's reaction to the Kennedy assasination, and was called upon by the people of Dallas to fill a civic role as mayor. His years as mayor would help heal the wounds caused on that fateful November day and transform Dallas into a modern cosmopolitan city. Today we discuss J. Erik Jonnson, visionary and architect of the Plan for Dallas.

When you ask 'Who are the great leaders of the Texas Revolution?', the names Houston, Austin, Bowie, Crockett, and Travis come to mind right away. But just as important to the birth of Texas are the Tejanos—Texans of Spanish descent—who took up arms against the tyranny of Santa Anna. Today we look at Juan Seguín, José Navarro, and Lorenzo de Zavala, just a few of the Tejano heroes of the Texas Revolution.

From the earliest days of film to the big budget blockbusters and home-grown auteurs of modern cinema, Texas has played a long and critical role in the history of film-making. This week we look at some of the great films and film stars of Texas.

The First World War had a profound impact on the Lone Star State. From the men and women who served to its role as a training ground for soldiers and aviators, Texas played a significant part in the American war effort. What is often overlooked about World War I is the negative effect on Texas’ German population. As the world observes the centennial of this most terrible of wars, we take look back at the experience of Texas during the Great War.

We have talked about monuments of the Texas Centennial celebration, built to commemorate some of the most important events in Texas history. But not all monuments in Texas are so grand. Many seek to honor famous Texans or the triumphs of the common man. Sometimes we just build monuments to things we like.

Though the Comanche may have had the most impact on Texas History and the Caddo likely had the longest contact with European settlers, there are many other Native American tribes who made their mark. These tribes run the gamut from settled, farming groups to the horse-culture plains dwellers. From the Jumano and Apache of the far west to the Wichita and Kiowa of the plains, to the Cherokee who arrived just before the Revolution, all of these native peoples have a lasting legacy in Texas.

Long before the arrival of Europeans, the land that eventually became Texas was occupied by a diverse array of native people. The interactions of these people with the Europeans shaped both the culture and history of the state. In this episode, we look at some of the tribes that predominated the eastern half of Texas.

You could make the case that written Texas history began with a man named Cabeza de Vaca, who made history as much as he wrote it down. His 4000-mile journey, from the Florida coast through Texas to the Pacific coast of Mexico—most of it walking—is one of the earliest undertaken by a European in Texas.

The history of Texas may be bathed in blood, but it’s also soaked in beer. From small in-house and community breweries, to an explosion of regional operations in the late 1800s, and through the peak dominance of Big Beer in the mid-20th century, beer is as Texan as the bluebonnet or the armadillo. So pop the top off a longneck and start sippin’, pardner: we’re talking the history of Texas Beer.