WISE ABOUT TEXAS

In 1837, John James Audubon needed a trip to Texas to complete his legendary Bird of America.  He came to Galveston and collected many wonderful specimens.  But the story is about a lot more than birds.  We have rattlesnakes, sawfish, secret agents, soldier skulls and Sam Houston.  Hear about Audubon’s visit in the latest episode of Wise About Texas.

John James Audubon

Texan Secretary of the Navy Samuel R. Fisher

Galveston in 1837

Houston in 1837

Audubon’s Mockingbirds

Audubon’s Whooping Crane

Meet Temple Lea Houston, youngest son of Texas hero Sam Houston and one of Texas’s first great trial lawyers.  He was known for his quick mind, a silver tongue, fancy dress and a fast gun.  All of those were helpful in the early courtrooms of Texas.  He turned down the chance for high political office in exchange for the excitement of frontier justice.  He also delivered one of the greatest closing arguments in history.  Come to court in frontier Texas and get Wise About Texas.

Temple Lea Houston

The Brigham monument at San Jacinto

Dedication of the new state capitol building 1888

Happy hour in Tascosa, Texas back in the old days

The old stone courthouse in Mobeetie

Temple Houston about 1890

In the middle of a hot Texas summer, let’s head for the beach!  San Jose Island is bordered by Matagorda to the north and Mustang to the south.  Texas barrier islands all have their unique stories and San Jose is no different.  It has seen explorers, ranchers, entrepreneurs and soldiers.  These islands together hold the last of an endangered species as well as the first private space flight.  Learn how San Jose island, and its neighbors, played an important role in U.S. political history.

FDR tours San Jose Island

FDR fishing near Port Aransas

The presidential yacht USS Potomac

LBJ meets FDR

Merry Christmas…that’s Cowboy Christmas of course.  July 4 is called Cowboy Christmas because of all the great rodeos held around the 4th of July holiday.  In this episode we take a look at the history of rodeo going all the way back to the 16th century.  Learn how the modern sport of rodeo evolved from old Mexico to modern day Texas.  It all seemed to happen on and around July 4!  Saddle up and hang on for a great ride through Texas history and learn about the surprise 1843 rodeo that led to an indian peace treaty!

Striking rodeo cowboys at Boston Garden

Florear de la reata

Jack Hays in 1844, when he organized the comanche rodeo in San Antonio

Jaripeo gone very wrong!

Prescott rodeo bronc ride

Charro pulling a bull’s tail

In the first of a new series on Texas Towns we take a look at the town of Texana, once a booming Texas port city, now claimed by the water she once commanded.

The monument in the Brackenridge family cemetery

Augustus Allen cursed Texana after his purchase attempt failed

The Brackenridge family

The courthouse in Edna

John S. Menefee grave

The Texana Church

Marker for old Texana

Two generals decided to fight a duel to decide who would command the Texas Army.  Find out what happened and whether a wound suffered in the duel eventually affected the outcome of the Civil War!

Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, CSA

Gen. Felix Huston

Dueling pistols belonging to Mirabeau B. Lamar

Ravine where Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston died at Shiloh

In the first episode of a periodic series on Texans you should know, learn about the interesting, active and controversial life of General Thomas Jefferson Chambers.  Lawyer, surveyor, judge, land baron.  Chambers had an entrepeneurial spirit and a nose for a deal.  Was he a smart business man or an unscrupulous dealer?  No matter what you conclude, he is certainly a Texan you should know!

General Thomas Jefferson Chambers

Crush, Texas was the second largest city in Texas for a few hours in September, 1896.  Learn about a Texas-sized publicity stunt that was the biggest and, unfortunately the deadliest in Texas history.  It was a train wreck in more ways than one.  Travel back to the glory days of rail travel and learn about the great “Crash at Crush!”

The gladiators before the battle

William George Crush

Impact!

Impact!

The aftermath

Review the battle of San Jacinto.  18 minutes that changed the world.

View of the battleground. The Texians advanced from upper left to lower right.

Diagram of the battle

Santa Anna Surrenders

After the fall of the Alamo and the massacre at Goliad, times in Texas were uncertain at best.  General Sam Houston took the army on a retreat to the east.  In this episode learn how the Texian army made it to San Jacinto and some of the side stories and important questions raised during that time.  Follow the Texian army as it marches across Texas to its destiny at San Jacinto.

Sam Houston

Pamelia Mann takes her oxen back

The runaway scrape

Allegedly, but not likely, the “whichway tree”