Defaulting on debt throughout history
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The federal government is facing a deadline with the ability to pay its bills. Unless a new limit is authorized, the government will hit the debt ceiling,…
Idar led women’s, Spanish movements
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Sometimes one person in a community can have an impact that continues to be felt for years afterward. Jovita Idar, a woman armed only with a pen…
Goodnight Blazed New Trails
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer In the years before oil dominated the Texas economy, farmers and ranchers made the state’s reputation through the hard days of tilling the soil and driving countless…
Kelton Wrote A Picture of Old West
As many writers have noted, writing is the painting of a picture in another person’s mind using only words. The magnificent scenery of Texas has inspired many artists and writers…
House sought to change the world
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Edward House was a Texan determined to move the world when the world refused to be moved. He was a powerful diplomat and presidential advisor and a…
Jay Gould put Texas on path to 20th Century
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The late 1800s was the age of the railroad. Trains steamed across the hills, valleys, and plains of a growing United States, steadily bringing distant communities closer…
Texan Fess Parker embodied the roles he played
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The 1950s and 1960s introduced Americans to television and riveted audiences with tales of the frontier. One of the most noted actors of the era was Texan…
Santa Anna’s legacy unsure in Mexican history
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer The career of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna brought him to the height of power in Mexican politics, serving as president on eleven different occasions though he…
Santa Anna’s attitude defines his governance
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer In 1836, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the president and general who dominated the political scene in Mexico, rose into Texas with his army, with destruction on…
The Original Maverick
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Samuel Augustus Maverick came to Texas with a dream of making a fortune in land sales. In the process, he became one of the most memorable characters…
Once infamous, Howard Hughes was born in Houston
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Howard Hughes was a man who once commanded the world’s attention, sometimes for all the wrong reasons. His story is one of wealth, power, fame, and the…
Robert Lee Thorton left his mark on the City of Dallas
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Sometimes the men dismissed for their failures early in life can become the greatest successes. The story of R. L. Thornton is the story of a man…
Heman Sweatt and the desegregation of the UT law school in 1950
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer What is the cost of changing the world? For those who dare, it can everything in their life, for good or ill. Heman Sweatt put everything on…
Texas History Minute: Jones’ legacy endures long past his lifetime
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Houston had long been an important city for Texas. Businessmen like Jesse H. Jones helped make it an international center for commerce. He had arrived in Texas…
Houston businessman helped lead Texas’ commercial future
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Success in business is often a combination of timing, determination, and imagination. One Houston businessman, Jesse H. Jones had all these qualities and an innate sense of…
Gov. Lanham had lasting impact on Texas Politics
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Texas has had 48 governors since statehood was achieved in 1845. Some enjoyed remarkable success and achievements during their terms and have been remembered fondly years later…
Lead Belly’s influence is still heard today
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Many Texas musicians have become legendary figures for not only their great talents as musicians but also for their colorful lives. Huddie Ledbetter, known to his fans…
New Year traditions transcend history and geography
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Once Christmas has passed, the world looks to a new year. Many wonder what the new year will bring while planning their own ways of ringing in…
‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ speaks to us all every year
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Charles M. Schulz created a comic strip that captured the hearts of millions in the nearly 50 years that Peanuts ran in thousands of newspapers around the…
Famed doctor, researcher had Texas ties
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer For generations, doctors were often reluctant to perform any type of operation involving the heart. The lack of a clear understanding about the heart made treating many…