Long before Texas was Texas, a series of Spanish explorers visited the mysterious land of the High Plains. These expeditions were motivated by the search for wealth promised by tales of rich kingdoms that always seemed to be "just a bit farther," but were never reached.

Held prisoner by the Mexican government, the Texian volunteers of the Mier Expedition were forced to participate in a lottery--ten percent of them to be executed by a firing squad. Who lived and who died was settled by the drawing of a white or black bean. This is a first-hand report from Big Foot Wallace, one of the soldiers who drew a white bean and lived to tell the dramatic story of the black bean death lottery.

PART I: The Mier Expedition and the Black Bean Lottery of Death

When the Republic of Texas is plagued by Mexican military raids, a planned reprisal results in the ill-fated Mier Expedition of 1842. After some success, the volunteer soldiers are told to abort, but many continue and end up as prisoners of Mexico. Things do not go well for them. As told by participant Big Foot Wallace.

Was a Texan the first to fly an "airship" nearly forty years before the Wright Brothers?

Stampeding Buffalo over a cliff--to fall to their death--was an effective, but dangerous technique used by early native people to hunt buffalo. The cliff site was called a "buffalo jump."

Answer: A Texas cattle rancher named Maverick who left his mark on Texas, but wouldn't brand his mark on his cattle.

Fire Unites Texas German Communities every Spring for 146 years.

It took a brave man to ride uninvited into a Comanche camp in 1847

German warrior fought for six nations, including the Republic of Texas and The Confederacy.

Official symbols of Texas are surprising!