Tales from the Moon Tower

I interview Constance Jawaid about the Slocum Massacre, a gruesome part of Texas history that is rarely told, where 200- 300 Black Texans were mass murdered on July 29, 1910.

Stories of lynchings are often glossed over in Texas history, and the brutal nature of the burnings that happened here are never discussed at all. I interview ER Bills about his book, "Black Holocaust: The Paris Horror and a Legacy of Texas Terror," that details the horrifying history of these burnings and why it is relevant today.

Beneath an tiny, stone grave marker in a San Antonio cemetery, lies the remains of Beverly Hills socialite, Sandra West, a woman buried in her favorite lace nightgown at the wheel of her Ferrari...with the seat reclined to a comfortable position, of course. I tell her story and how her strange grave came to pass.

Felix Longoria never knew the part he played in the civil rights movement. When his widow was denied access to the funeral home in Three Rivers because "the whites wouldn't like it," Dr. Hector P. Garcia intervened. With the help of LBJ, Longoria was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. But his story doesn't end there. Bitter racial tensions continue to divide the town and the battle over Longoria's legacy persists to this day.

I interview Blane Conklin with the Round Rock Historical Preservation Commission. We talk about his role in getting the Tonkawa honored as an official Local Legend in the city of Round Rock after decades of sensationalized misinformation about Tonkawa cannibalism prevented acknowledgement of their rightful place in Texas history.

For this episode, I interview Emily Collins with the Suzanna Dickinson Museum in Austin, Texas. We talk about Suzanna's place in Texas history as well as what you can learn by visiting her charming house in the middle of downtown Austin.

I interview Dale Flatt with Save Austin Cemeteries, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Austin's historical cemeteries and promoting their educational and cultural value. I also interview Jennifer Chenoweth, the Museum site coordinator for Oakwood Cemetery, Austin’s oldest historic cemetery. She shares current and future programming offered at Oakwood, as well as a bit of Austin history.

Dead Man's Hole was a place in the Texas hill country where political differences were settled during the Civil War. Here are some of the stories of the bodies that ended up at the bottom of the hole.

Ghosts, treachery and treasure are some of the legends that Austin's Shoal Creek is known for. Listen to three stories that will change the way you look at the pretty trail and frisbee golf course that cuts the center of Austin.

I interview Danelle Houck, Education Director of the Williamson Museum, to learn what we can expect on our ghost tour and paranormal investigation of the historical downtown square in Georgetown, Texas. Go to the website to get your tickets!

Guest, Dr. Christine Mann, talks about how Jessie Daniel Ames inspired herself and other Texas activists to engage and register voters, and to work on behalf of civil rights. Dr. Mann is a current candidate for Texas congressional district 31.

This episode is a deep dive into the fact versus fiction of the tale of the Suicide Brides, Austin's most famous ghost story from the Driskell Hotel.

Description of new format changes that include interviews and on location recordings!

Texas history podcast about Cynthia Ann Parker, the girl that was kidnapped by Comanches but assimilated into their tribe and refused to leave later when discovered by Texas Rangers.

The sad ghost of Juanita Sepulveda, who is known as the White Senorita, haunts the Laredo border to protect people from bandits. Hear the story of why.

Ghost stories we learned while on my bachelorette party ghost tour of Heritage Park in Corpus Christi, Texas, particularly one that stared down the hurricane of 1919 from her balcony.

Essay originally published in Chicken Soup for the Soul about my high school teacher that changed my entire perspective on history class, why it mattered and how it led me to create this podcast.

Introduction to podcast about strange Texas histories and mysteries