A shipwreck on a hostile shore. A handful of survivors. And a narrative that forced an empire to look again. We kick off a new series through the eyes of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, the first European to leave a detailed account of life among indigenous peoples along the Texas Gulf Coast.

This conversation isn’t about polishing heroes or condemning villains; it’s about evidence. We trace how a survivor’s testimony pushed some Spaniards toward empathy and accommodation without erasing conquest, and how contact changed both sides in subtle, enduring ways. If your last Texas history class stopped at seventh grade, this is your invitation to revisit the beginning with sources that restore nuance and humanity.

We mention Documents of Texas History. The citation and link are below:

• Ernest Wallace, David Vigness, & George B. Ward, Documents of Texas History (Austin, TX: Texas State Historical Association) (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth296840/: accessed January 19, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.
• For more information, see Donald Chipman's Spanish Texas, 1519–1821 (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2010)

Enjoyed the start of this series? Follow the show, share it with a friend who loves history, and leave a review with the one moment that challenged what you thought you knew.

Season four opens with a road trip through the strange side of Texas—equal parts folklore, architecture, and outsized personality. We start where rumor meets headline.

If you love Texas history with edge, folklore with purpose, and characters who complicate the line between rumor and record, this one’s for you. Tap play, subscribe for part two of our Texas weird tour, and share your favorite legend or oddity with us—what story does your corner of Texas refuse to let go?

During the Feast of the Assumption on August 15, 1988, thousands gathered for an outdoor Mass in Lubbock where many reported seeing miraculous signs when the clouds parted and sunlight broke through. The apparition of the Virgin Mary drew 15,000 people to this West Texas church, yet it's a largely forgotten moment in Texas religious history.

In this episode, we discuss how the Catholic Church responds to claims of apparitions, establishing investigative commissions that examined the Lubbock event, and our conversation expands into why religious history matters for historians, "You can't understand American history if you don't understand Americans' religiosity."

Whether you're fascinated by religious phenomena, Texas cultural history, or the methods historians use to understand seemingly supernatural events, this episode offers a window into how faith and skepticism coexist in both religious institutions and historical inquiry.