Texas History
April 13, 2018
San Antonio Is the Mother of Texas
The city that gave birth to the republic continues to nourish the traits that distinguish the state’s character.
Texas History
Sports
April 10, 2018
A Domecoming to Remember
Thousands of Houstonians turned out to get a last look at the Astrodome before its renovation.
Texas History
April 6, 2018
The Raid on YFZ Ranch, Ten Years Later
A decade after the largest custody battle in U.S. history, some of those involved speak about their memories.
The Branch Davidians
March 21, 2018
The FBI Agent Who Can’t Stop Thinking About Waco
A quarter century after 82 Branch Davidians and 4 federal officers died outside Waco, retired FBI agent Byron Sage still can't stop thinking—and arguing—about what happened.
The Alamo
March 20, 2018
The Last Stand at Alamo Village
Remembering "The Alamo" through souvenir shot glasses, John Wayne toilet paper, and the family that brought the 1960 classic to Texas.
Texas History
March 8, 2018
Talk Like a Texan: To Chunk, or to Chuck?
Welcome to chunking territory.
Texas History
March 8, 2018
Meet the 26-Year-Old LBJ Enthusiast Who Had Her Bachelorette Party at His Presidential Library
The New York resident flew to Austin to celebrate LBJ-style.
Texas History
February 16, 2018
Talk Like a Texan: What Do We Mean By “Fair to Middlin’ ”?
It's better than good—at least if you're talking about cotton quality.
Film & TV
February 6, 2018
It’s Movie Night at the Alamo—No, the Real One
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced a commemoration of the Battle of the Alamo that includes the historically questionable John Wayne movie.
Texas History
February 6, 2018
Talk Like a Texan: How Texans Use “Down,” “Out,” “Over,” and “Up”
Prepositionally, you can go over or out to Abilene—depending on where you're coming from.
Books
January 23, 2018
A Tale of Two Texas Families
New books from Roger D. Hodge and Bryan Mealer draw an unsparing portrait of rural Texas.
Texas History
January 23, 2018
A Brief History of Texas Innovators
When the early Texas rancher Charles Goodnight invented the chuck wagon, in 1866, he didn’t just presage today’s food trucks; he solved an immediate problem, which was how to keep cowboys on the remote parts of the range well-fed. During the rough-and-tumble frontier days, Texas demanded such
Film & TV
December 21, 2017
The Wildcatters
Can a 1960s novel with a cult following finally become the blockbuster film its fans believe it should be?
Politics & Policy
November 22, 2017
Inside a Lifelong Obsession With the Kennedy Assassination
The recent release of JFK files is probably the last significant injection of new information into the psychic landscape in which assassination theorists like Mark North have resided for the past 54 years.
Politics & Policy
November 19, 2017
Remembering Houston’s National Women’s Conference Forty Years Later
Looking back at a crucial weekend seen as the high-water mark of the 1970s women’s movement
Texas History
November 9, 2017
Jack Ruby’s Diary Is the Latest Piece of JFK Memorabilia Headed to Auction
A brief look at the unique world of JFK auctions.
Texas History
October 29, 2017
The Complete Story of the River Oaks Tank
The HOA wasn’t the only foe that Tony Buzbee and his tank, Cheyenne, faced in the Battle of River Oaks Boulevard.
Texas History
October 27, 2017
Here’s What We Found Out From the JFK File Dump
Most of it was pretty lackluster, but there were a few interesting tidbits.
Sports
October 13, 2017
Let’s Hope This Year’s TX-OU Game Doesn’t Repeat the 1947 Game
The last time the Longhorns and Sooners faced off with brand new coaches, the game led into a riot.
Texas History
October 9, 2017
UT Tower Victims Reflect on the Shooting in Las Vegas
Half a century after the 1966 UT tower massacre, mass shootings have only become more common.
Texas History
September 29, 2017
The Heyday of Chili Con Carne
The official state dish reached its apotheosis in the era of San Antonio’s Chili Queens.
Texas History
September 20, 2017
The Battle For El Paso’s South Side
With the south side of El Paso up for grabs, everyone seems to have an idea about what the city’s future should look like.
Texas History
September 16, 2017
A Texas Homage to Amelia Earhart’s Around-the-World Flight
Brian Lloyd flew his plane 28,000 miles along Earhart's intended course.
The Daily Post
August 22, 2017
Texas Castles in the Twentieth Century
Dream of building your own medieval fortress? You aren’t alone.
Texas History
August 21, 2017
Removing Confederate Monuments Won’t Erase History, But Could Correct It
The revisionist history behind Confederate monuments.
Texas History
August 4, 2017
Montrose Is Dead. Long Live Montrose?
A requiem for Houston’s coolest neighborhood.
Uncategorized
July 10, 2017
Wonderful Political Tales for Beach Reading
If you’re trying to knock off some last minute summer beach time before the special session begins, you might want some fairly light fare of Texas politics and history.
Texas History
June 14, 2017
The Battle of Sam Houston’s Statue
What would Sam Houston think of this troll job turned full-blown circus?
Uncategorized
June 8, 2017
Poncho Nevárez, The New Sam Houston?
Looking at the historical parallels between a Sam Houston scuffle and the recent incident with Poncho Nevárez and Matt Rinaldi.
Texas History
June 5, 2017
The Return of Jefferson Davis
Over a year after its removal from the University of Texas at Austin's Main Mall, the controversial Jefferson Davis statue has found a new home on campus.
The Daily Post
May 18, 2017
Beauty in the Forgotten
In the search for the perfect dive bar, a writer discovered another hidden gem—the Mosheim school.
Texas History
April 16, 2017
Remembering the Texas City Explosion
Seventy years after the deadliest industrial disaster in American history, a Houston filmmaker unites the survivors.
Texas History
March 31, 2017
Watch Robert Earl Keen and Randy Rogers Swap Songs and Talk John T. Floore’s
The honky-tonk celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary with two Texas country icons.
Texas History
February 23, 2017
The Dark Prince
Memories of the future at a long-gone Dallas hamburger joint.
Texas History
February 9, 2017
Say It Ain’t So, Davy
The truth hurts, as historians discovered when they broke the news that Crockett surrendered.
Music
January 24, 2017
Randy Rogers Takes the Reins at Cheatham Street Warehouse
To honor the lifework of his ”musical father,” Texas country star Randy Rogers purchases the historic honky-tonk that launched his career.
Texas History
December 21, 2016
Old News: An Illustrated Look at Curious Headlines From a Bygone Era
A seizure of sombreros in San Antonio.
Texas History
December 21, 2016
Blood and Sugar
Can one very determined man get a booming Houston suburb to confront its troubled past?
The Alamo
December 5, 2016
My Grandfather Air-Conditioned the Alamo. Now the Building Is Crumbling, and It’s All His Fault
Well, sort of.
Texas History
November 18, 2016
The Capitol’s African-American Monument Will Be Unveiled the Same Day as a White Lives Matter Protest
The organizers of the White Lives Matter protest say they aren’t targeting the monument, but it’s hard to overlook the coincidence.
Texas History
November 3, 2016
New Image of Davy Crockett Discovered in Fort Worth Museum
A sighting of the image on UNT's Portal to Texas History website prompted the discovery.
Texas History
October 27, 2016
How Mermaids Could Save San Marcos
It's been decades since San Marcos's famed Aquamaids performed, but San Marcos is reviving the mermaid as a symbol of cultural identity and environmental protection.
Texas History
October 12, 2016
New York’s Paramount Building Is Freezing Its Clock To Honor UT Tower Shooting Victims
A reminder that Charles Whitman’s shooting spree resonated far outside of Texas.
Texas History
October 7, 2016
A 1957 Porsche Speedster That Spent The Last 40 Years Under A Tarp In A Garage Is Going To Auction
If you’ve got a quarter million dollars, get on it.
Texas History
October 6, 2016
Proposed Mexican-American Heritage Textbook Is A Continuation Of The Problem With U.S. History Classes
When U.S. history is already whitewashed, a book about Mexican-Americans that relies on stereotypes only does more harm.
Texas History
September 22, 2016
The Texas Connection to The Iconic Photo of V-J Day in Times Square
Longview lawyer Howard Coghlan, who identified himself in the photograph, passed away at 89.
Texas History
September 21, 2016
Old News: An Illustrated Look at Curious Headlines From a Bygone Era
A big bag o' cats in Austin.
Media
September 9, 2016
Let’s Talk About That San Antonio Mattress Store’s 9/11 Ad
Miracle Mattress's 9/11 ad didn't go over well, to say the very least.
Politics & Policy
July 20, 2016
The Texas Connection To Turkey’s Failed Coup
Turkish leaders are blaming Fethullah Gulen, a man with deep ties to Texas’s largest charter school system, for the attempted takeover.
Texas History
June 30, 2016
The Murder Of Vincent Vallone
A restauranteur's death in 1949 was also the end of the short-lived Houston Mafia.