Episodes

  • EP. 137: The First Chief Justice (sort of)

    EP. 137: The First Chief Justice (sort of)
    Jul 28 2025
    The Republic of Texas Congress formed the first state Supreme Court in 1836. However, the Court really didn't meet in any significant way until 1840 under the leadership of Chief Justice John Hemphill. Being Chief Justice was a little different then. It meant fighting Indians, mastering Spanish law, and even leading an expedition to invade Mexico! Chief Justice John Hemphill did it all. Learn more about one of Texas' greatest jurists in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    20 mins
  • EP. 136: A Word for the Hill Country

    EP. 136: A Word for the Hill Country
    Jul 18 2025
    A brief episode marking the 2025 tragedy in the Texas Hill Country
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    5 mins
  • EP. 135: Texans You Should Know– Lottie Deno

    EP. 135: Texans You Should Know– Lottie Deno
    Jun 1 2025
    What's an upper-crust lady from Kentucky society doing in one of the worst and most dangerous areas of Texas? Dealing cards, of course. Not only that, she was one of the most successful professional gamblers in the 19th century. She was pretty, fashionable, and not afraid to pull a gun. She also interacted with legendary characters such as Doc Holliday. Hear the story of Lottie Deno in the latest episode of Wise About Texas.
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    21 mins
  • Ep. 134: The Fence Cutting Wars

    Ep. 134: The Fence Cutting Wars
    Apr 7 2025
    Barbed wire revolutionized livestock fencing. What a great invention...or so it was thought. The real effect was the gradual elimination of the open range and the free grazing and watering of cattle. Cooperation was discouraged and now it would be every man for himself. This didn't sit well with the "free grazers" and the war started. Learn more in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    15 mins
  • EP. 133: The Van Horn Wells

    EP. 133: The Van Horn Wells
    Jan 23 2025
    For centuries, Indians knew where to get water on the desolate terrain of what would become West Texas. One of those spots came to be known as the Van Horns Wells. Named for one of two possible military commanders, the wells watered men, horses, and eventually a railroad. With railroads come towns and the town of Van Horn has seen a lot. From horses to spaceships (?) Van Horn is an interesting Texas spot. Learn more in this latest episode of Wise About Texas.
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    22 mins
  • EP. 132: The Coming of the Wire

    EP. 132: The Coming of the Wire
    Jan 1 2025
    You can't go anywhere in Texas without running into "the devil's rope"--barbed wire. It keeps livestock in AND out. It protects property and discourages trespassers. But barbed wire hasn't been around all that long. When it came, it changed the face of Texas and the West. It also made some people very, very wealthy. Learn how "bob wire" took over Texas in this latest episode of Wise About Texas
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    27 mins
  • EP. 131: A Presidential Election, 1841

    EP. 131: A Presidential Election, 1841
    Nov 5 2024
    You think our elections are divisive today? Well, Texas is just continuing a long tradition of candidates running hard and stirring the pot. In the Republic of Texas the presidential term was only two years, so the elections came frequently. They were contentious to say the least. Old enemies became worse enemies, and the name-calling was classic. Here about an early Texas presidential election in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    14 mins
  • Ep. 130: The Sisterdale Revolver

    Ep. 130: The Sisterdale Revolver
    Aug 20 2024
    In the early part of the Civil War, a group of German Freethinkers got together to design and manufacture a revolver for use by the Confederate forces. These Germans were intellectuals, engineers, farmers and...unionists! Nevertheless they designed a new revolver, making 6 total. The gun proved impractical, however, so they ceased production. Only one of these guns is known to survive. But this story is about much more than a gun. Get a feel for some of the German immigrants who came to Texas in the middle 19th century in this episode of Wise About Texas.
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    25 mins