All Episodes

Ep. 37: The Steamboat Yellowstone, Engine of Manifest Destiny

April 3, 2017 Ken Wise 41:56 1 Comment

Built in 1831 for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company, the steamboat Yellowstone was the first steamboat to travel...

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Ep. 36 More Forgotten Battles: San Patricio & Refugio

March 19, 2017 Ken Wise 33:01 1 Comment

We all remember the Alamo, Goliad and San Jacinto but there were many more battles in the Texas revolution...

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Ep 35 Remember Tampico! A forgotten battle of the Texas revolution

February 28, 2017 Ken Wise 21:48 Comments Off

When discussing the Texas revolution, the battle of the Alamo, the Goliad massacre and the great victory at San...

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Ep. 34: Revolutionary Texas Government(s)-Organizing Chaos

February 12, 2017 Ken Wise 47:48 Comments Off

In the late 1820’s, the Mexican government assessed the conditions in Texas and decided to clamp down on anglo...

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EP. 33- Beer, Love and Murder: A Tale of 3 Emmas

January 22, 2017 Ken Wise 25:52 7 Comments

In 1914, San Antonio beer magnate Otto Koehler was killed by his mistress, Emma. His former mistress, also named...

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Ep. 32, Napoleon’s General Comes to Texas: The Story of Champ D’Asile

January 8, 2017 Ken Wise 38:23 1 Comment

In 1818, one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s top generals, and many of his former officers, tried to establish a French colony in...

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Ep 31 A Texas Christmas

December 23, 2016 Ken Wise 13:58 Comments Off

Merry Christmas to all! In this episode we take a light look at some of the traditions that make...

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Ep. 30: Texas Towns: Virginia Point

December 11, 2016 Ken Wise 20:29 7 Comments

Virginia Point was a transportation hub, civil war fort and cotton producing town on the shores of Galvesston Bay....

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Ep. 29: The Greer County Land Grab(?)

November 28, 2016 Ken Wise 33:17 Comments Off

An 1818 map was used to negotiate a boundary treaty between the United States and Spain, then Mexico, then...

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EP 28: Professional Texas History

November 7, 2016 Ken Wise 52:07 6 Comments

In honor of the one-year anniversary of Wise About Texas, I take the show professional. I conducted an interview...

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Bonus Episode: Happy 1 Year Anniversary!

November 2, 2016 Ken Wise 4:53 Comments Off

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

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Ep 27: The Texas Prison Rodeo

October 24, 2016 Ken Wise 33:14 Comments Off

For over 50 years, Texans gathered at the Walls Unit in Huntsville Texas to watch the toughest convicts compete...

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Ep. 26: Texas Takes Flight

October 9, 2016 Ken Wise 46:15 5 Comments

The first man to fly a powered aircraft was a Texan named Jacob Brodbeck. History credits the Wright brothers...

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Ep 25: The Texas Camel Corps

September 25, 2016 Ken Wise 50:55 2 Comments

One hump or two? Camels came to Texas in the 1850’s and the ships of the desert proved themselves...

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Ep. 24: The Great Storm of 1900 Part 2: Resilience and Recovery

September 12, 2016 Ken Wise 62:35 1 Comment

When faced with the most destructive hurricane to date, the city of Galveston faced an unspeakable tragedy with extraordinary...

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BONUS EPISODE: The Great Storm of 1900–A Night of Horror

September 4, 2016 Ken Wise 42:17 3 Comments

On September 8, 1900 a monster hurricane slammed into Galveston Island, resulting in the largest natural disaster in American history....

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Ep. 23: The Great Storm of 1900, Part 1: A Storm Brewing

August 28, 2016 Ken Wise 32:33 4 Comments

The worst natural disaster in American history occurred on September 8, 1900 when a massive hurricane hit Galveston, Texas....

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Ep. 22: Birds, Skulls and Secret Agents: John James Audubon Visits Texas, 1837

August 14, 2016 Ken Wise 33:49 Comments Off

In 1837, John James Audubon needed a trip to Texas to complete his legendary Bird of America. He came...

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Ep. 21: Texans You Should Know: Temple Lea Houston

August 1, 2016 Ken Wise 40:16 6 Comments

Meet Temple Lea Houston, youngest son of Texas hero Sam Houston and one of Texas’s first great trial lawyers....

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Ep. 20: Island Time: San Jose, Mustang and Matagorda

July 18, 2016 Ken Wise 29:24 3 Comments

In the middle of a hot Texas summer, let’s head for the beach! San Jose Island is bordered by...

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