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Listen to History

W.F. Strong narrates his stories for Texas Co-op Power and Texas Standard

Stack of books with headphones

Check this page every month for the latest audio from W.F. Strong’s reading of his Footnotes in Texas History column, which also can be heard on the Texas Standard radio program.

 

Republic’s End

‘Many a manly cheek was wet with tears’ when the Texian flag was lowered for the last time. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

The Green Carpet

The grand opening of Houston’s lavish and large—but short-lived—Shamrock Hotel. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

How Texas Became a Desert

Films shot in Arizona, Utah and Spain gave the world some wrong impressions. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Appraising the Texas Landscape

When Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York’s Central Park, first laid eyes on a new state. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

It Still Reigns

At 50, Elmer Kelton’s ‘The Time It Never Rained’ remains ‘a book of the heart.’ Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

A Page of the Past

Traces of real-life Texans ride through McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Second Sacking

Six years after the Alamo, Mexican troops twice stormed San Antonio. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Special Delivery

How a crudely scrawled message 300 years ago saved its sender’s life. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Redwater Christening

East Texas residents washed away their sins—and their town’s original name. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Of Birds, Butterflies and Brides

Quinta Mazatlan and its massive adobe mansion remain a McAllen jewel. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Rescue of the Lost Battalion

How Japanese American units saved Texans in World War II. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Priceless Passage

The Port Mansfield Channel led to the Gulf—and a 400-year-old Spanish treasure. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

A Brief but Determined Texan

Samuel Walker’s violent adventures became the stuff of legend. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Everything Was Bigger …

Lucky folks in modern-day Wyoming were Texans in 1845. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Bison at the Brink

When just 23 were left in Yellowstone National Park, a Texan revived the herd. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Good on Paper

Fueled by booze and a legendary cocktail napkin, Southwest Airlines took off and never looked back. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

The Most Glorious Autumn

Tom Landry’s finest season came in Mission, years before his reign in Dallas. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Colorado’s Texas Bridge

The Royal Gorge Bridge, highest in America, was built and owned by Texans. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

A Deep Dive

Explorers map the recent history of the state’s deepest ancient cave. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Two-Fisted Law and Order

Judge Roy Bean made the rules and found fame in his remote corner of West Texas. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

The Inside Track

Railroads scattered—and united—early communities across the state. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Her Majesty’s Visit

Queen Elizabeth II’s 1991 trip to Texas was a momentous occasion. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Joined by a Fence

How rural America turned barbed wire into telephone lines. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Proving Ground

Future presidents crossed the Wild Horse Desert together on a military mission. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

France’s Beef? Pigs

Ill-mannered hogs ruin France’s attempt at a relationship with the newly independent Texas. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

The Hero of Cinco de Mayo

A Texan named Zaragoza led the battle against the French in Mexico. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

He Gave Us the Stars

An eccentric banker funded the McDonald Observatory against family wishes. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

Toeing the Line

How a Washington connection helped Texas keep a 900-square-mile slice of New Mexico. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

A Name That Sticks

Falfurrias—the butter and the town—emerged from South Texas’ King Ranch. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.

 

The Scariest Bridge in Texas

The steep Rainbow Bridge connecting Port Arthur and Orange is a nightmare for some. Read the story here, and find more of W.F.’s Stories From Texas at Texas Standard.