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

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

Author: Ken Wise August 1, 2016 Duration: 40:16

Meet Temple Lea Houston, youngest son of Texas hero Sam Houston and one of Texas’s first great trial lawyers.  He was known for his quick mind, a silver tongue, fancy dress and a fast gun.  All of those were helpful in the early courtrooms of Texas.  He turned down the chance for high political office in exchange for the excitement of frontier justice.  He also delivered one of the greatest closing arguments in history.  Come to court in frontier Texas and get Wise About Texas.

Temple Lea Houston

Temple Lea Houston

 

brigham monument

The Brigham monument at San Jacinto

capitol dedication

Dedication of the new state capitol building 1888

happyhourtascosa

Happy hour in Tascosa, Texas back in the old days

MobeetieStoneCourthouse

The old stone courthouse in Mobeetie

temple 1890

Temple Houston about 1890


There’s a particular feeling you get standing on a wide stretch of prairie or walking through a quiet courthouse square that seems to hold a century of stories. Wise About Texas is about uncovering those stories, layer by layer, with the kind of depth and context that makes the past feel immediate. Hosted by Ken Wise, each episode goes beyond the well-trodden tales of the Alamo and cowboy legends to explore the people, places, and pivotal moments that truly shaped this unique state. You’ll hear about forgotten communities, surprising cultural intersections, and the everyday lives that built Texas from the ground up. This isn’t just a dry recitation of dates; it’s a thoughtful exploration that connects history to the landscape you can visit today. Whether you’re a lifelong resident, a curious newcomer, or someone planning a trip with a desire to understand what you’re seeing, this podcast serves as an engaging guide. Tune in for narratives that are meticulously researched yet told with a conversational ease, making each chapter of Texas history accessible and genuinely compelling. The aim is to leave you not just better informed, but with a richer sense of the spirit and complexity that defines the Lone Star State.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 163

Wise About Texas
Podcast Episodes
EP. 81: Exploring the Texas Revolution in San Felipe de Austin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:19
Stephen F. Austin chose to set up the capitol of his colony on the banks of the Brazos River where the El Camino Real crossed the river. He envisioned a major metropolitan area as the center of immigrant activity in his…
Ep. 80:  The Twin Sisters, Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:35
184 years ago, the Texas Army was long on spirit, but short on guns. Artillery, that is. How would they take on Santa Anna without some “hollow ware?” Enter the good people of Cincinnati, Ohio. They formed a committee, t…
Ep. 79: Dorie Miller–A Texas War Hero [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:17
On December 7, 1941, Mess Attendant Doris “Dorie” Miller was doing laundry, one of the few jobs available to African American sailors in the U.S. Navy at the time. When his ship came under attack, Miller rushed to help h…
Ep. 78:  The Lady in Blue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:30
In 1629 a group of Jumano Indians suddenly appeared at a New Mexico mission, eager to learn more about Christianity. The excited and grateful Franciscan priests wondered what motivated this sudden interest. The tale the…
Ep. 77:  A bull branded MURDER [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:11
In 1891, one cowboy murdered another over the ownership of a brindle bull. Other cowboys branded the bull so that all would remember the crime. Some say the bull wanders the trans-pecos to this day, appearing whenever a…
Ep. 76: The Texas Cattle Queen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:00
Right after the civil war, women weren’t really expected (or even thought capable) to be in business. But of course, Texas women proved them wrong. Lizzie Johnson was a school teacher, but she was also a writer and disco…
Ep. 74:  The Vaudeville Mule [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:52
What could be better than a good vaudeville show? A runaway mule, of course! One day in Nacogdoches, it’s said that a runaway mule changed the course of comedy history. Is it true? You bet your life…
EP. 73: Train Robbery at Baxter’s Curve [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:07
Ben Kilpatrick was an outlaw. He rode with Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and the Wild Bunch into western infamy. The law caught up with him and he went to prison where he met Ole Hobeck. They two decided when they got…