Episodes

Dec. 31, 2022

Beyond Texas History - 2BT - Star Wars is Real!

Goodbye 2022 and hello 2023! For a special treat, in this episode we look back to the foundations of the Texas History Lessons Podcast and share an episode of the 2BT Podcast from the archives. This one is heavy on Star Wars-...

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Dec. 7, 2022

Texas Through Time: The Life and Times of Ruby Viola Davidson

In this episode we take a look at the many changes in Texas and our relationship to the past by looking at the life of Ruby Viola Davidson. The song at the end is Make My Heart Great Again by Derrick McClendon. The Texas Hist...

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Nov. 7, 2022

Curious 19th Century Medical Cures

In this episode we look a little into 19th Century folk medicine and some of the medicines offered for sale to the public for everything that ailed them. The song at the end is Country Standards by JR Tully and the Dreamland ...

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Oct. 7, 2022

Crossroads: The Chisholm Trail and the Creation of Saint Jo, Texas Pa…

This episode is the fourth and final part of a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end are Rosmand's Living This Way, followed by Seth...

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Oct. 3, 2022

Crossroads: The Civil War and the Retreat of the Frontier Line Part 3

This episode is part three of a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end are Jerrod Flusche's Fan the Flames and Mama's Don't Let Your ...

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Sept. 28, 2022

Crossroads: The California Trail and the Settlement of Northwest Texa…

This episode is part two of a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end, The Ballad of a Small Town is by Texas History Lessons spotligh...

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Sept. 24, 2022

Crossroads: The California Trail, The Chisholm Trail and the Settleme…

This episode launches a series on the importance of the California Trail and the Chisholm Trail to the settlement of Northwest Texas. The songs at the end, Rituals is by Texas History Lessons newest spotlight artist Ghost Dan...

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Aug. 22, 2022

Melvin Edwards, The Strength of a Thousand Sons

In this episode, Melvin E. Edwards returns to discuss his powerful, new book, The Strength of a Thousand Sons. In it he recounts more stories from his Texas family and illustrates the power of a father's love and the effect i...

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Aug. 8, 2022

Introducing the Dicta. Podcast - Should We Revere the Founding Father…

We are happy to use this episode to introduce you to the Dicta. Podcast - a podcast about the cases that made us. An exploration of the United States Constitution and those decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States ...

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July 14, 2022

A Closer Look at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls

With this episode we finish up our series on the Second Battle of Adobe Walls. We learn a little more about the background and we learn a lot about the Native American side of the conflict. The song at the end, Hi-Line Wild H...

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July 1, 2022

Billy Dixon's Memories of the Second Battle of Adobe Walls Part 2

In this episode we return take a look at the man that made the famous shot at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls and hear from him about what he remembered. This episode shares his memories of the attack and fight. What was it ...

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June 29, 2022

Billy Dixon's Memories of the Second Battle of Adobe Walls Part 1

With this episode we take a look at the man that made the famous shot at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls and hear from him about what he remembered. This episode shares his background memories to the days leading up to the c...

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June 27, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - June 27, 1874 - The Second Battle of Ad…

In 1874 a group of buffalo hunters were camped about a mile from the site of where representatives of the trading firm of Bent, St. Vrain and Company had established a trading post in the 1840s. Ten years later the encamped b...

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June 19, 2022

Juneteenth and the Power of Perseverance

In June 1939 the Flake family, originally from Marshall, Texas bought a house in the 900 block East Annie Street in Fort Worth, Texas. On June 19, 1939, Juneteenth, a mob numbering near 500 destroyed their home. Why? They wer...

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May 31, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - May 31, 1783 The Death of Fernando Vera…

On May 31, 1783, a band of Mescalero Apaches killed a man named Fernando Veramendi near the presidio of San Juan Bautista in Coahuila. Veramendi and the Veramendi family played an important part in the early history of Texas ...

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May 11, 2022

Czech Texans and the National Polka Festival with Payton Matous

Let's go to Polkafest on Memorial Day Weekend! In this episode Payton Matous joins the podcast to talk about the history and heritage of Czech Texans with a special focus on the National Polka Festival in Ennis. Make plans to...

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May 5, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - May 5, 1718 The San Antonio de Bexar Pr…

On May 5, 1718, Martin de Alarcon founded the San Antonio de Bexar Presidio on the west side of the San Antonio River, about a quarter league from the San Antonio de Valero Mission that had been established on May 1. Settleme...

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May 4, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - May 4, 1847

On May 4, 1847, Pope Pius IX established the Catholic Diocese of Galveston. From 1847 until 1874 the diocese covered all of Texas and parts of modern day Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. The Diocese of San...

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May 3, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - May 3, 1968 Houston Heart Transplant

On May 3, 1968, a major medical advance occurred at Houston’s St. Luke’s Hospital. Surgeon Denton Cooley and his associates transplanted the heart donated by a fifteen year old girl to Everett Thomas. Cooley and Houston docto...

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May 3, 2022

Lesson 17: Al-Andalus and the Reconquista

In lesson 17 we take a look at al-Andalus, Moslem Spain, and the Reconquista. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History , was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon . Listen to his new album, Interstate...

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May 2, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - May 2, 1874 - John B. Jones given comma…

On May 2, 1874, Texas Governor Richard Coke, who was originally from Virginia, gave a man named John B. Jones command of the recently created Frontier Battalion of Texas Rangers. John B. Jones is one of those interesting char...

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May 1, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - May 1, 1718 San Antonio is founded

We celebrate May 1, 1718 as the day that San Antonio had its beginnings. The site had already been a very important one for a very long time. For the Coahuiltecans it was home and a sacred site. San Pedro Springs and the San ...

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April 30, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - April 30, 1926 - Bessie Coleman

On April 30, 1926, Bessie Coleman, the first black person in the world to obtain a pilot’s license, died during a test flight before a Negro Welfare League sponsored air show in Jacksonville, Florida. An amazing person, Bessi...

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April 29, 2022

Daily Dose of Texas History - April 29, 1554 Padre Island Shipwreck a…

On April 29, 1554 a severe storm blasted a convoy of four Spanish treasure ships. Three sank and one escaped. Four ships, the Espiritu Santo, the San Esteban, the Santa Maria de Yciar and the San Andreas set sail from San Jua...

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