In this episode of We Got The Funk Podcast, DonTheBarber takes a powerful look at the life and legacy of Isaiah Milligan Terrell, one of the most important architects of Black education in Fort Worth history.

This is more than a history lesson. This is a story about vision, sacrifice, institution-building, and the foundation of opportunity for generations of Black families in Fort Worth.

From his roots in post-slavery Texas to becoming the leader of Fort Worth’s Black school system, I. M. Terrell represents what it means to build something lasting in the face of exclusion. Don breaks down how Terrell helped create a path for Black students when no real system existed and why his story still matters today.

In this episode, we cover:

• Who I. M. Terrell was and why his name matters
• His early life in Grimes County, Texas
• The legacy of his father, Alexander Terrell, and the significance of freedom, work, and ownership
• Terrell’s education at Straight University in New Orleans
• How he became Fort Worth’s first major Black educational leader
• The church-based beginnings of Black education in Fort Worth
• The founding of the East Ninth Street Colored School
• His partnership with his wife, Marcelite Landry Terrell
• How he trained and multiplied Black educators across the city
• His rise from classroom teacher to superintendent of Fort Worth’s Black schools
• Why his impact reached far beyond education into institution-building and community legacy

This episode reminds us that before there were modern opportunities, there were people who built systems from scratch so others could rise.

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#WeGotTheFunk #IMTerrell #FortWorthHistory #BlackHistory #BlackEducation #DonTheBarber #TexasHistory #CommunityLegacy #CulturalHistory #FortWorth

In Part 2, DonTheBarber breaks down the final chapter of Jim Courtright—one of Fort Worth’s most debated figures. From fugitive to legend, and ultimately to a shocking death, this episode explores how power, reputation, and reality collided in Cowtown.

🎧 What You’ll Hear

The Return

After disappearing, Courtright resurfaces and walks back into Fort Worth like nothing happened—welcomed and even deputized again.

Railroad Violence

During a major strike, an ambush at Buttermilk Junction leads to chaos. Over 100 shots are fired, and Courtright survives—but his image takes a hit.

Power Moves

He shifts into running a detective agency, but rumors of protection money and influence begin to blur the line between lawman and enforcer.

Final Showdown

A confrontation with gambler Luke Short outside the White Elephant Saloon ends it all. Courtright is outdrawn and never fires a shot.

Legacy

Hero or villain? Courtright’s story reflects a Fort Worth still figuring out its identity.

🧠 Key Themes

• Myth vs Reality
• Power & Control
• Law vs Lawlessness
• Legacy & Reputation

📍 Featured Locations

• White Elephant Saloon (Fort Worth)
• Buttermilk Junction
• Oakwood Cemetery (Fort Worth)

💬 Quotable Moment

“I would rather be in a pine coffin in Fort Worth… than be alive anywhere else.”

📢 Call to Action

If this episode made you think:

👉 Share it with someone who loves real Texas history

👉 Follow DonTheBarber_817 on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube

🎧 About the Podcast

We Got The Funk Podcast brings Fort Worth history to life through real storytelling, culture, and community.

“We don’t just tell stories… we restore legacy.” 🎙️

🔥 Was Fort Worth’s most famous lawman actually its first gangster?

Before Fort Worth became the city we know today… it was wild, booming, and full of contradictions.

And standing right in the middle of it all was Jim Courtright — a man who wore the badge… but may have controlled the chaos behind it.

In this episode of We Got The Funk Podcast, we dive into the rise of one of Fort Worth’s most controversial figures — a man praised as a hero by some… and labeled a violent opportunist by others.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part series — and it sets the stage for a story that feels more like a movie than real life.

🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• How Jim Courtright went from farmer to Fort Worth city marshal
• The near-death shooting that helped build his reputation
• The explosive growth of Fort Worth during the railroad boom
• The truth about Hell’s Half Acre — the city’s vice district
• How law enforcement and vice may have worked hand-in-hand
• Why Courtright’s leadership style raised questions then… and now
• The shocking New Mexico incident that changed everything
• How a wanted man returned to Fort Worth and still held influence
• The unbelievable restaurant escape that turned him into legend

🧠 Why This Story Matters

This isn’t just about one man.

This is about how cities are built —

through power, politics, compromise… and sometimes contradiction.

Jim Courtright represents a deeper question:

👉 Can someone enforce the law… and still benefit from breaking it?

👉 And what happens when a city needs someone like that?

🎙️ About the Show

We Got The Funk Podcast explores the history, culture, and untold stories of Fort Worth, Texas — blending research, storytelling, and real conversation to connect the past with the present.

🚨 Don’t Miss Part 2

In the next episode, we break down:

• The escalation of Courtright’s conflicts
• The reputation that followed him
• And the moment that led to one of the most famous deadly encounters in Western history

📢 CALL TO ACTION

If this episode made you think…

👉 Share this episode with someone who loves Texas history, Western stories, or real-life legends.

And if you’re rocking with the show:

⭐ Leave a review on Buzzsprout or your favorite platform — it helps more people discover the podcast and keeps these stories alive.

🔗 Connect With Us

Follow We Got The Funk Podcast for more stories, clips, and behind-the-scenes content.

🏷️ Keywords (SEO Boost)

Fort Worth history, Jim Courtright, Hell’s Half Acre, Texas history podcast, Wild West lawmen, frontier justice, Fort Worth podcast, Western history stories, Texas Rangers era, true history podcast

We Got The Funk Podcast – Episode 11

Thousands of people drive down Hulen Street every day. It’s one of the busiest roads on the west side of Fort Worth. But very few people know the story behind the name.

In Episode 11 of We Got The Funk Podcast, we explore the remarkable life of John Augustus Hulen, a man who helped shape both Texas military history and the railroad industry that powered the state’s growth.

Hulen grew up in Gainesville, where he developed a strong interest in military service. He began his career with the Gainesville Rifles and quickly rose through the ranks. During the Spanish–American War, he served as a Major in the U.S. Volunteers. Soon after, he was deployed overseas during the Philippine–American War, where his leadership in combat earned national recognition and the Silver Star.

But Hulen’s story doesn’t end with the military.

When he wasn’t in uniform, he built a powerful career in railroads. He worked with major rail systems including the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway, the Burlington–Rock Island Railroad, and the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. At a time when railroads drove the American economy, Hulen helped guide struggling rail companies back to profitability and became one of the most influential railroad executives in Texas.

When World War I began, Hulen returned to military service. He played a key role in organizing the 36th Infantry Division, whose soldiers trained at Camp Bowie before heading to Europe.

The division later fought in major battles including the Meuse–Argonne Offensive, one of the largest and deadliest operations of the war. For his leadership, Hulen received multiple honors including the Distinguished Service Medal and two Croix de Guerre medals.

In the early 1920s, Fort Worth honored his service by naming a street near Camp Bowie after him. What began as a short road eventually expanded into the eleven-mile corridor known today as Hulen Street.

In this episode, we uncover the powerful story behind a name that thousands of Fort Worth residents see every day—but rarely stop to think about.

The next time you drive down Hulen Street, you’ll know the history behind it.

⏱ Episode Timeline

0:00 – Introduction

Why Hulen Street is one of Fort Worth’s most overlooked historical names.

1:30 – Early Life in Gainesville

How Hulen’s upbringing shaped his military ambitions.

4:00 – Military Service Begins

From Texas volunteers to overseas combat.

8:30 – Railroad Executive Career

Building and rebuilding major Texas railroads.

12:00 – World War I and Camp Bowie

Training the 36th Infantry Division for battle.

16:30 – The Naming of Hulen Street

How Fort Worth honored his legacy.

18:30 – Final Years and Legacy

If you enjoy discovering the hidden history of Fort Worth, follow We Got The Funk Podcast for more stories about the people, places, and moments that shaped the city. 🎙️

On December 23, 1974, three girls left Seminary South Shopping Center in Fort Worth and were never seen again.

Rachel Trlica (17), Renee Wilson (14), and Julie Moseley (9) disappeared just two days before Christmas while shopping for holiday gifts. Their car was later found abandoned in the mall parking lot, but the girls were gone.

What happened next would become one of the most haunting unsolved cases in Texas history.

In this episode of the We Got The Funk Podcast, we examine the timeline, the strange evidence, the mysterious letter mailed after the disappearance, and the theories that have kept investigators and families searching for answers for nearly 50 years.

This case—often called The Fort Worth Missing Trio—remains unsolved to this day.

If you have information, authorities encourage tips to be reported to the Fort Worth Police Department.

🎙 Subscribe to the We Got The Funk Podcast wherever you get your podcasts for more stories about Fort Worth history, culture, and unsolved mysteries.

Topics Covered in This Episode:

• The events of December 23, 1974

• Who were Rachel Trlica, Renee Wilson, and Julie Moseley

• The Seminary South Shopping Center timeline

• The mysterious letter sent after the disappearance

• The investigation and theories

• Why the case still matters today

Keywords:

Fort Worth Missing Trio, Rachel Trlica, Renee Wilson, Julie Moseley, Fort Worth unsolved mystery, Texas cold cases, Seminary South Shopping Center, true crime Texas, missing persons Fort Worth

Most history is remembered by big dates.

But sometimes history changes in a single minute.

For Fort Worth, that moment happened at 11:23 a.m. on July 19, 1876.

In this episode of the We Got The Funk Podcast, we tell the incredible story of how a struggling frontier town—once mocked as a sleepy village where a panther could roam the streets—was transformed forever when the first railroad locomotive finally rolled into town.

After years of delays, economic crashes, political drama, and a desperate race against time, Fort Worth’s future arrived on the rails.

And the moment the locomotive’s whistle screamed into Cowtown…

Everything changed.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why Fort Worth desperately needed a railroad to survive

• How the Panic of 1873 nearly killed the city’s growth

• The rivalry between Fort Worth and Dallas

• The incredible story of a state representative carried into the legislature on a cot to delay adjournment

• How a frantic race to lay railroad track saved Fort Worth’s future

• Why 11:23 a.m. on July 19, 1876 became one of the most important moments in the city’s history

Why This Moment Matters

Before the railroad arrived, Fort Worth’s population had dropped to just a few hundred people.

But once the railroad connected the city to the rest of the country, everything changed:

• Population growth exploded

• Cattle shipments increased

• Businesses expanded

• Fort Worth became a major economic hub of North Texas

That single minute helped turn a struggling frontier town into the Fort Worth we know today.

Subscribe & Follow

If you love learning about Fort Worth history, culture, and untold stories, make sure you subscribe to the We Got The Funk Podcast.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Or wherever you get your podcasts

Connect With Us

Follow We Got The Funk Podcast for more stories about Funky Town:

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⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who loves Fort Worth history and leave a review to help more people discover the show.

🎙 Episode 1

Fort Worth Before the Myth: Slavery, Power, and the City We Inherited

Podcast: We Got The Funk

Episode Length: ~30 minutes

Format: Audio-only

📄 Episode Description

Before Fort Worth became “where the West begins,” it was a slaveholding frontier town built on forced labor, silence, and selective memory.

In this opening episode, we strip away the mythology and examine slavery in Fort Worth as it actually existed — not as a footnote, but as a foundation.

Using court records, census data, and firsthand accounts, this episode names names, tells real stories, and confronts slavery’s most uncomfortable truths — including sexual violence, mixed-race children, and the ways power protected itself long after emancipation.

This is not a general history of slavery.

This is Fort Worth’s story.

🎧 What This Episode Covers

      •The largest slaveholders in early Fort Worth,           including E.M. Daggett, Middleton Tate Johnson, Nathaniel Terry, and Charles Turner

• Where their names still appear today — in streets, buildings, and city memory
• The lynching of white minister Anthony Bewley, and how his wife later identified local elites as ringleaders
• “Slavery’s dirty secret”: sexual violence, coercion, and the creation of mixed-race children
• The life of Jeff Daggett — from birth into slavery, through violence, law enforcement, and public scandal, to his death
• How slavery didn’t end cleanly in Fort Worth — it evolved

🧠 Why This Episode Matters

Fort Worth did not accidentally forget its past.

It curated it.

Understanding who held power, how they used it, and who paid the price helps explain:

• Why inequality persisted after emancipation
• Why certain families retained influence
• Why some stories were preserved — and others erased

This episode sets the foundation for everything that follows in this series.

📚 Sources & Research

This episode draws heavily from:

• A History of Fort Worth in Black & White
• Census records and slave schedules
• Court transcripts and newspaper accounts
• Reconstruction-era documentation

Additional sources and visuals will be shared on social media.

🔔 Subscribe, Support, Share

If this episode gave you language, clarity, or discomfort — that’s the point.

• Follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening
• Rate & review the show to help others find it
• Share this episode with someone who loves Fort Worth — or needs to understand it better

To support the research and production of this podcast, check the links below.

In 1849, the U.S. Army left Fort Worth.

Most frontier settlements didn’t survive moments like that.  
No soldiers meant no safety. No safety meant no future.

Fort Worth was supposed to become a ghost town.

Instead, a small group of people made a quiet, dangerous decision — they stayed.

In Episode 6 of We Got The Funk, we uncover the real beginning of Fort Worth, long before cattle drives, railroads, or legends. This episode tells the story of the merchants, doctors, teachers, builders, and families who refused to abandon an empty military post and turned it into a living community.

You’ll meet:
- Press “Pressley” Farmer, the first civilian settler whose family proved Fort Worth could exist without soldiers  
- Henry Clay Daggett and Archibald Leonard, the businessmen who organized trade before government arrived  
- Ephraim Merrell Daggett, the strategist who fought — and won — power for Fort Worth  
- Dr. Carroll Marion Peak, the frontier doctor who kept people alive long enough for the city to grow  
- John Peter Smith, the educator and mayor who planned for generations  
- Julian Feild, the industrial builder whose mill helped create Mansfield and expand North Texas

This episode breaks down a truth most history books skip:

Fort Worth wasn’t saved by generals or politicians.  
It was saved by ordinary people who believed in a future before there was proof.

If you’ve ever wondered how a city survives after power leaves — this is that story.

Welcome back to We Got The Funk.  
This is Fort Worth’s foundation.

Before Fort Worth was a city, and before settlers moved in, there was violence, displacement, and an attempt to clean it all up with paperwork.

In Episode 5 of We Got The Funk, DonTheBarber breaks down the Treaty at Bird’s Fort—the who, the what, the when, the where, and most importantly, the why behind one of the most overlooked moments in North Texas history.

After the Battle of Village Creek in 1841, the Republic of Texas sought “peace” with Native nations through a treaty signed in the woods along the Trinity River. On paper, it promised peace and friendship forever. In reality, the frontier kept moving, the violence didn’t stop, and the treaty revealed more about power, fear, and expansion than reconciliation.

This episode explores:

• Why the treaty happened after violence, not before
• How slow communication shaped frontier decision-making
• The role of Edward H. Tarrant and other Republic officials
• Why Bird’s Fort mattered as a meeting place
• How treaties often managed consequences instead of preventing them
• Why Fort Worth could only be built after Village Creek and Bird’s Fort

This is not the textbook version.

This is the barbershop version—context, consequences, and honesty.

Episode 5 also sets up what comes next:

When the Army abandoned Fort Worth in 1853, civilians stepped into the space left behind—and that’s where the real city begins.

🎧 Subscribe to We Got The Funk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, or wherever you listen, and don’t miss Episode 6 as we dive into the settlers who built Fort Worth after the soldiers left.

In this episode of We Got The Funk, DonTheBarber takes listeners to the moment peace collapsed in North Texas.

Episode 4 explores the Village Creek Throwdown, a pivotal and often overlooked event that helped clear the land long before Fort Worth was ever built. After episodes focused on community, family life, and coexistence along the Trinity River and Village Creek, this chapter confronts the collision that changed everything.

This episode breaks down:

• What Village Creek was before violence arrived
• Why settlers viewed organized Native communities as an obstacle
• The role of Edward H. Tarrant and the Texas militia
• How families were displaced and villages erased
• Why this moment matters to the founding of Fort Worth

This is not simplified history or textbook storytelling. It is context, consequence, and truth told from the barbershop chair. Understanding Village Creek helps explain why the land was clear in 1849 and how Fort Worth became possible.

If you want to understand Fort Worth beyond the Stockyards and surface-level stories, this is an episode you need to hear.

🎙️ Subscribe to We Got The Funk and stay locked in as the series continues.