John and Augustus Allen were super-salesmen. After they founded the swampy city of Houston in 1836, they advertised land for sale that...

Kilroy was here! American troops in World War II scratched this phrase on buildings, bridges, and captured enemy armaments. The phrase...

Buffalo Hump had a diabolical vision. The year was 1840, and the Comancheria (Comanche land) was being invaded by hordes of settlers from...

The weather is so bad that it’s only fit for crows and Methodist preachers! This colloquial saying from the 1850s described the zealous...

As the Indians plundered the Sparks Settlement in 1835, “Chick” camouflaged her brood in the thick underbrush at the foot of a hill...

I often recall those family outings from my boyhood when we drove out into the Texas countryside for a day trip. When lunchtime came, we...

Remember the panic of 1910? Fearful people throughout Texas flooded their local churches seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy. Homeowners...

Courtship in pioneer Texas was problematic. Young adults had little time for social activities because they worked long hours supporting...

The mayor of Lajitas, Texas, is a beer-guzzling goat named Clay Henry IV. He comes from a dynasty of even-toed ungulates who have served...

One day, while counseling a young professional, the conversation shifted to some advice her father had given her before she immigrated to...