Three ways to get a Lone Star State history lesson, from 'Think, Texas' and beyond
At times, it feels like the "Think, Texas" team — which includes editors, photographers, printers and digital experts — is running a little history factory.
It started ages ago with a blog — remember blogs? — a grab bag of old photos, fond memories and burning questions about the city's past. Our former social media editor dubbed it "Austin Found."
That blog evolved into a short weekly print column — no more than 500 words — accompanied by a historical image.
Little did we know that readers — old-timers and newcomers alike — would respond so warmly to the subject.
The columns grew in size and scope. In 2015, the best of those longer columns were collected into a book, "Indelible Austin: Selected Histories," published by Waterloo Press, the imprint of the Austin History Center Association.
That initial volume did so well — for a small press — it went into a second edition.
That was followed in "Indelible Austin: More Selected Histories" (2018) and "Indelible Austin: Volume 3" (2019). More news to come on that front.
More: History is a click away: The best digital tools for Texas history buffs
In 2019, the national leadership of our chain — now part of the USA Today Network — set into motion "Think, Texas," a free statewide digital newsletter about Texas history.
This weekly column, available in print and online, is part of that effort that gathers stories from more than a dozen Texas papers in the USA Today Network.
In 2020, Austin360 Radio host J.B. Hager and I put together a podcast called "Austin Found," named for the former city-based blog and column.
Each week, we riff on one of the stories collected in "Indelible Austin."
It is a breezy format — we laugh a lot — but we don't turn a blind eye to the darker chapters of the city's history.
Today, we can share good news on all fronts.
'Think, Texas' news
While this column has appeared in the newspaper during the past couple of months, the "Think, Texas" digital newsletter has been on hiatus.
It's back. The revived newsletter comes with a new look. Yet many of the same elements have returned.
That includes "Hometown History," which links to articles in other USA Today Network papers from El Paso to Corpus Christi, from Amarillo to Waxahachie.
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Also returning is "Fun Texas Fact," a short, sunny look at the past and provided by the Texas State Historical Association's essential newsletter, "Texas Day by Day."
Today's entry gives you a sense of the series: On March 17, 1884, Frank "Bring 'Em Back Alive" Buck, hunter, author and filmmaker, was born in Gainesville. He traveled over the world trapping and transporting exotic animals to zoos and circuses. He wrote at least seven books and produced several motion pictures about animals and his adventures. Buck died in Houston on March 25, 1950.
One way to keep up with the cascade of new and sometimes old books about the state is through our newsletter's "Texas Titles."
Today's entry: We recommend “The Avian Rebbe Takes Flight” by Aaric S. Eisenstein. When the pandemic hit, Eisenstein hit the birding trail. He combined his new discoveries, mostly in Central Texas, with Jewish wisdom seen in the beauty of birds.
To get the free "Think, Texas" weekly digital newsletter, go to the American-Statesman newsletter page online, or that of your hometown USA Today Network newspaper in Texas.
'Indelible Austin' news
Last month, Waterloo Press launched "Indelible Austin: Volume 4" — I promised news! — at its annual Angelina Eberly Luncheon, named after the fearless woman whose quick cannon fire during the Archive War ensured that Austin remained the capital of Texas.
Like so many other things in our lives, publication of the book was delayed by the pandemic.
Following in the pattern of the previous books in the series, the columns are arranged thematically, not chronologically. That means any story in all four volumes can be read independently, in any order.
For instance, Volume 4 includes a chapter titled "Fun Fun Fun." It includes stories on Austin Aqua Fest, the long-running family-friendly festival; the late Fajita King, who introduced the fajita to the world; the artists who created iconic music posters during the 1960s and '70s; the evolution of the Texas Book Festival; the enduring Nash Hernandez Orchestra, which was founded in 1947 and is still going strong; and a merry account of the Lego State Capitol, which is on display at the Texas Capitol Visitors Center.
A more serious chapter, "Dark Days," looks at Austin's shocking criminal history, from the first modern serial murderer to the first campus mass shooting; an unsolved murder at Moore's Crossing from the 1925; the rise of a new Confederate monument; the "bold and brutal" legacy of the Texas Rangers; and research into whether Austin once hosted an auction house for enslaved people.
The latest "Indelible Austin" can be found at bookstores and gifts shops, or can be ordered online at austinhistory.net.
'Austin Found' news
Not all podcasts feature guests. Yet "Austin Found," launched just as the pandemic hit in March 2020, was designed to welcome local talkers, famous or not.
That didn't happen until late 2021. Oh, J.B. and I carried about 70 episodes on our own. And they found a loyal following, including folks who binged "Austin Found" on cross-country road trips.
Starting late last year, we have devoted a total of eight episodes to four iconic Austinites.
Storyteller Eddie Wilson talked not only about the Armadillo World Headquarters and Threadgill's, but also dozens of long-ago restaurants that a kind listener had suggested we discuss. As always, Wilson was funny and irreverent.
Harrison Eppright, a native East Austinite, is the manager of visitor services and tour ambassador for Visit Austin. We talked about growing up African American in Austin, but spent a good deal of time discussing the city's historic buildings, one of Eppright's passions.
Shannon Sedwick is the co-founder of Esther's Follies and one of its brightest stars. She recounted the legendary origins of the sketch comedy and magic troupe that has entertained locals and tourists on East Sixth Street for decades. She also remembered what the city was like when she arrived in the 1960s.
Advertising executive Lonnie Limón — another native East Austinite — has informally collected hundreds of stories about his and other East Austin families. In a very special two episodes, he not only shares some of those tales, but he also thoughtfully weaves together the sometimes invisible threads of the city's Mexican American community.
You can browse through 78 episodes and subscribe to "Austin Found" for free wherever you find podcasts.
Michael Barnes writes about the people, places, culture and history of Austin and Texas. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The newsletter, podcast and book every Texas history buff needs
