WISE ABOUT TEXAS

Virginia Point was a transportation hub, civil war fort and cotton producing town on the shores of Galvesston Bay.  It was part of Austin’s “coast colony” and was considered as an early port of the Republic.  The Confederate forces launched the attack that recaptured Galveston from Virginia Point.  Learn more about this Texas town in the latest episode in the Texas Towns series of Wise About Texas.

Headed for Virginia Point over Galveston Bay.

The shores of old Virginia Point

An 1818 map was used to negotiate a boundary treaty between the United States and Spain, then Mexico, then the Republic of Texas, then the State of Texas.  The only problem was, the map was wrong!  Learn about a boundary dispute between Texas and Oklahoma that made it to the U.S. Supreme Court and beyond!

In honor of the one-year anniversary of Wise About Texas, I take the show professional.  I conducted an interview with professional historian Dr. Jody Edward Ginn, PhD.  Dr. Ginn discusses his varied career in museums, books and even movies.  His insights into why Texas history is important will educate and inspire your love of Texas history.  Pull up a chair and listen to a professional discuss how to preserve and promote Texas history.

Happy 1 year anniversary to Wise About Texas!  This episode thanks you for listening and previews the next year(s).  Thanks for listening!

For over 50 years, Texans gathered at the Walls Unit in Huntsville Texas to watch the toughest convicts compete in the Texas Prison Rodeo.  The rodeo was a fixture of Texas Octobers until budgets and changing times brought an end to the roughest rodeo around.  In this episode, you’ll relive those days and hear the story of the Texas Prison Rodeo.

The first man to fly a powered aircraft was a Texan named Jacob Brodbeck.  History credits the Wright brothers but it’s time to correct the record!  Learn about German immigration, a fascinating Texan, and the first airplane flight in this episode of Wise About Texas.

Painting of Jacob Brodbeck’s 1865 flight (photo: Cibolo Nature Center)

Jacob Brodbeck, the first pilot.

Jacob Bordbeck’s grave

Indianola, Texas street scene

An aerial view of the Herff farm where Brodbeck flew (photo Cibolo Nature Center)

One hump or two? Camels came to Texas in the 1850’s and the ships of the desert proved themselves great Texans! There might even be one or two still wandering around! Learn more about the great camel experiment in this episode of Wise About Texas.

Camel tied to the deck during bad weather

Maj. Henry Wayne

The spot where the camels came ashore in Indianola. (host photo)

site of the courthouse in Indianola. (host photo)

When faced with the most destructive hurricane to date, the city of Galveston faced an unspeakable tragedy with extraordinary resilience. As the city struggled to recover, the citizens were already planning to rebuild. As it turns out, they would go farther than anyone ever they thought possible. Hear about the incredible spirit of Texas as expressed in the recovery from the Great Storm of 1900.

After the storm (Texas State Library photo)

On September 8, 1900 a monster hurricane slammed into Galveston Island, resulting in the largest natural disaster in American history.  In this bonus episode, learn what it was like for the residents of the island as they struggled desperately to survive the storm.

After the storm (Texas State Library photo)

Map showing the destruction from the 1900 Storm. (Houston Daily Post photo)

The worst natural disaster in American history occurred on September 8, 1900 when a massive hurricane hit Galveston, Texas.  At the time, Galveston was the largest city in Texas and one of the most prosperous in the country.  Weather forecasting was not keeping pace with prosperity, however, and the folks in Galveston had no way to know what was about to hit the island.  In part 1, you’ll learn about victorian-era Galveston and the weathermen who thought they understood hurricanes.  This episode will take you through the morning of September 8, a day that changed Galveston, and Texas, forever.

Galveston about 1881

The track of the Great Storm