Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024:
How three gifts to UT gave all Texans a fourth
In 1926, a bachelor banker died in Paris, Texas. His estate was worth about $1.2 million – about $17 million today. A gift included in his will would pave the way for Texans to gaze upon the stars like never before.
A search for a used King Ranch Edition Ford pickup leads to an almost mythical encounter with a descendant of one of Texas’ most legendary figures.
My Valentine: A life-changing, theme song-singing, nail-painting love
Love, of course, can come in many forms. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong has found a lot of love in his life, including in his two teenage boys. He recalls a certain newer relationship that he says came as a bit of a surprise.
When barbed wire served as telephone lines
These days, if you’re out working on a ranch and you need some backup, you just pick up your cell phone. You might also have a walkie talkie handy. But not so long ago, the options were a little less sophisticated. Still, you might be surprised that there were phones around.
The story behind Texas’ favorite butter
The King Ranch is a brand that came, quite literally, from a brand. King Ranch even has its own brand of Ford pickup. The King Ranch also helped launch another old Texas brand: Falfurrias Butter.
Some of the best Texans have been … Californian?
We know that sounds like heresy – especially coming from our “Stories From Texas” commentator W.F. Strong. But don’t worry: As W.F. explains, he’s talking about actors portraying Texans on the silver screen.
Sure, Texas is big – but it used to be even bigger
Texas is big, no doubt about that. But it used to be a lot bigger – about a fourth bigger. When Texas joined the United States in 1845, Texas’ borders (and shape) were quite different.
That time Uncle Dale made us a baseball field
For many, baseball defines the summer. While it’s a spectator sport for most adults, commentator W.F. Strong looks back on his days on the diamond as a kid as his first introduction to teams, coaches, winning and losing.
Anglo settlers were Texas’ original undocumented immigrants
This was the situation: the new immigrants to Texas were becoming quite a problem. They were coming across the river in droves. Some were legal and some were undocumented.
The issues may sound similar to those talked about in headlines today – but in one particular way, a trend was reversed.
The top 12 quotes from ‘Lonesome Dove’
W.F. Strong takes on the “delicate” task of picking the top quotes from the classic Texas miniseries.