Lone Star Lore

About Lone Star Lore

A Podcast by Bodhi House Media and Griffyn.Co Productions Hosted, produced, and edited by Matthew Thornton Written by Joleene Maddox Snider Featuring expert voices from across Texas history Lone Star Lore uncovers the myths, truths, and untold stories of Texas — not to rewrite the past, but to widen the lens. Hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series blends cinematic storytelling, archival research, and expert voices to reveal how the stories we inherit still shape who we are today.

Publisher

Bodhi House Media | Griffyn.Co Productions

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Oct 2025

Latest episode

4 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Britt Johnson Part I: The Search | A Texas Frontier Story

   Britt Johnson, Part I: The Search | A Texas Frontier Story Two Fathers. Two Missing Families. A Journey Built on Trust. In January 1871, three freight haulers died on a road in North Texas. One of them was Britt Johnson. His story would find its way into novels and films. The man himself would remain far less familiar. To understand his life, we begin years before that final journey. In October 1864, a raid on Elm Creek left Britt’s son Jim dead and his wife, Mary, and their two surviving children in captivity. Britt had been away tending livestock. He returned to find his family gone. David White, a white immigrant from Illinois, was searching for his captured son, Lonnie. Together, the two fathers set out into Indian Territory. Their journey would require riding, tracking, negotiation, and help from people whose decisions could determine whether their families came home. But first, they had to trust each other. How did an enslaved Black man and a free white man come to place their lives in each other’s hands? In this two-part Lone Star Lore series, historian Joleene Maddox Snider and host Matthew Thornton follow Britt Johnson’s search—and examine how historians reconstruct a life from incomplete evidence. What can a document establish? When is a supposition reasonable? When does a compelling explanation reach beyond what we can know? For Jo, those questions are personal. A pencil manuscript passed down through her family preserves one man’s recollection of a partnership whose other participant left no surviving account of his own. Through narration, interview, and an opening reconstruction, Part I explores courage, loss, historical memory, and the relationships that made recovery possible. Bringing a family home cannot undo everything that happened. The search is only the beginning. Written & Narrated by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Research Concepts: Slavery and Black Life on the Texas Frontier Trust Across Racial Boundaries Captivity, Negotiation, and Family Recovery Comanche and Kiowa Relations with Texas Settlers Historical Evidence, Inference, and Uncertainty Family Memory and Popular Culture Lone Star Lore is created in partnership with the Texas State University Department of History, the Center for the Study of the Southwest, and Bodhi House Media. This program is supported by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Support the show with a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit partner, Bodhi House Media, a 501(c)(3): BODHI HOUSE MEDIA (https://www.bodhihousemedia.org/) Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Three men on a fatal freight run 04:39 – The story and the gaps in the evidence 05:30 – Britt Johnson: the man behind the stories 06:19 – Historical fiction and the limits of certainty 07:09 – From enslavement to the Texas frontier 08:58 – Freedom of movement without freedom 09:36 – Fort Belknap and the Parker Johnson rescue account 10:55 – The people Britt may have known 12:22 – How Jo approaches historical supposition 13:06 – “I have a confession”: Jo’s family connection 14:46 – The Elm Creek raid and Britt’s missing family 15:45 – David White and his captured son, Lonnie 16:15 – Two fathers enter the search together 17:11 – A Confederate mission and ransom negotiations 18:05 – Their families are still waiting 18:57 – Gathering payment and making the journey again 19:41 – Asa Harvey’s help and the crossing home 20:17 – A reunion that cannot undo the loss 20:25 – Lonnie and the difficulty of coming home 22:28 – The human beings behind the history 23:26 – Next: Between Three Worlds 23:47 – Credits and acknowledgments

2. 

   6 Sept 2026

   Julio Galvez Part II: The Cost of Separation | A Texas Immigration Story

   Julio Galvez, Part II: The Cost of Separation | A Texas Immigration Story A Life in Texas. A Family Divided. In Part I, we followed Julio Galvez from Guatemala to South Texas, through a failed asylum claim, removal in 2003, and his decision to return without authorization because he believed his family needed him. For the next twenty-one years, Julio built a life in Corpus Christi. Then, in July 2024, that life came apart. After a traffic stop on the road to Houston, Julio was taken into immigration custody and eventually returned to Guatemala. For a time, even his wife and children did not know where he was. This is the final chapter of Lone Star Lore’s three-part series on migration and immigration in Texas. Part II asks a harder question: What does it cost to enforce immigration law against someone like Julio—and what does it cost when the law is not enforced? Julio’s return after his 2003 removal was unlawful. The episode does not avoid that fact. Neither does his family. Julio and Ida say they support securing the border. Their question is whether someone who has lived in the United States for decades, raised a family, worked, and become deeply rooted in a community should ever have access to another lawful path. With Dr. Sarah Blue and Dr. Jeff Helgeson of Texas State University, we examine immigration enforcement, sovereignty, legal pathways, economic contribution, and competing ideas of justice. Then the story narrows. Ida describes working extra hospital shifts to keep the household afloat and approaching sixty at a time when she and Julio expected life finally to become easier. Julio explains what separation has done to his children, his home, his work, and his family. For the first time in our conversation, he breaks down. Part II ultimately asks an older American question: what do equality, liberty, self-government, and “We the People” mean when they meet the lives of real people? Julio’s story does not settle the immigration debate. It forces us to confront what the debate is actually deciding. And despite everything that has happened to him, Julio’s final answer is not bitterness. It is perseverance. Written & Narrated by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Featuring: Julio and Ida Galvez, Iris, Juan, Katy Thornton, Dr. Sarah Blue, Dr. Jeff Helgeson, Joleene Maddox Snider, and Matthew Thornton Special thanks to Katy Thornton, whose relationship with Julio and knowledge of his case helped make these episodes possible. Research Concepts: Immigration Enforcement and Sovereignty Law, Justice, and Legal Status Immigration Reform and Lawful Pathways Immigration and the Texas Workforce Family Separation and Economic Consequences Equality, Liberty, and “We the People” Perseverance and Belonging Lone Star Lore is created in partnership with the Texas State University Department of History and the Center for the Study of the Southwest. Support the show with a tax-deductible donation to our sponsor and partner company 501(c)(3): BODHI HOUSE MEDIA (https://www.bodhihousemedia.org/) Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Julio disappears into immigration custody 01:22 – Meeting Julio and his family 03:45 – Law, justice, and the cost of enforcement 04:53 – Julio tries to return again 07:03 – Borders, sovereignty, and enforcement 10:12 – Immigration, politics, and belonging 11:58 – Julio on work and self-reliance 13:37 – Julio, Ida, and a secure border 15:22 – Could there have been another lawful answer? 15:45 – The Army, education, and perseverance 17:54 – Sarah Blue on legal status and reform 19:32 – The kind of person Julio tried to be 20:17 – Economic consequence 20:47 – Ida holds the household together 21:21 – “We should be enjoying this part of our life” 21:53 – “The damage is my whole family” 23:19 – A difficult moment 23:43 – The Declaration, Constitution, and “We the People” 26:27 – Perseverance 26:45 – Julio’s final words

3. 

   2 Aug 2026

   Julio Galvez Part I: The Cost of Belonging | A Texas Immigration Story

   Julio Galvez, Part I: The Cost of Belonging | A Texas Immigration Story A Life in Texas. A Family Divided. In July 2024, a traffic stop on the road to Houston ended with immigration authorities taking Julio Galvez into custody and removing him to Guatemala. He left behind his wife, three children, customers, church members, and a Corpus Christi community that had come to depend on him. But Julio’s story did not begin there. This is the second chapter of Lone Star Lore’s three-part series on migration and immigration in Texas. Episode 9 (https://open.spotify.com/episode/4RkKEDfbMLy954d5FxeV3R?si=59ba446c1abb477f) examined the long history of movement across Texas. Now, we move from the broad sweep of history into the life of one man. Julio was born into a poor farming family in Guatemala. At twelve, he was severely injured in the earthquake of 1976. As a teenager, he left home, survived hunger and homelessness, learned to work with wood, and began building the skills that would later define his life in Texas. Then he was pulled into Guatemala’s civil war and was forced into a guerrilla force and trained as a medic and sentry. After escaping, he was compelled to serve in a civil self-defense patrol. In 1996, Julio traveled to South Texas, sought legal help, and applied for asylum. He received temporary permission to work, learned English, built a family, and established a life in Corpus Christi. His asylum claim was denied. His appeal failed. In 2003, after reporting to immigration authorities as instructed, Julio was removed to Guatemala. Months later, he returned to the United States without authorization because he believed his wife and young children needed him. For the next twenty-one years, Julio worked as a contractor, raised his family, served his church, helped neighbors and customers, and became deeply rooted in the community around him. His life became rooted in Texas. His immigration status did not. With Dr. Sarah Blue (https://www.txst.edu/cssw/people/blue.html) of Texas State University, this episode places Julio’s story within Guatemala’s civil war, U.S. involvement in Central America, asylum law, immigration enforcement, and the limited legal pathways available to many migrants. Julio’s story is not proof of a partisan argument. It is a case study in what happens when law, family, history, and belonging pull in different directions. Written & Narrated by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Featuring: Julio and Ida Galvez, Iris, Juan, Katy Thornton, Dr. Sarah Blue, Joleene Maddox Snider, and Matthew Thornton A very special thanks to Katy Thornton who co-produced this episode alongside Griffyn.Co Productions (https://www.griffynco.com/) Research Concepts: Julio Galvez and “The Honest Story” The 1976 Guatemala Earthquake The Guatemalan Civil War Forced Recruitment and Civil Patrols U.S. Involvement in Central America Asylum Law and the U.S.–Mexico Border Work Authorization, Removal, and Return Family, Church, Work, and Belonging Law, Sovereignty, and Human Rights Lone Star Lore is created in partnership with the Texas State University Department of History and the Center for the Study of the Southwest. Support the show with a tax-deductible donation to our sponsor and partner company 501(c)(3): BODHI HOUSE MEDIA (https://www.bodhihousemedia.org/) Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Immigration enforcement and the case-study framework 02:40 – The historical foundation from Episode 9 03:08 – Julio’s family and the cost of his absence 04:39 – Work, church, and community ties 10:03 – Julio begins his “honest story” 10:17 – Childhood, earthquake, and recovery 12:26 – Leaving home and learning a trade 14:01 – Guatemala’s civil war and forced recruitment 18:10 – Family life and the decision to leave 19:18 – Arrival in Texas and asylum 23:45 – Work permits and legal status 27:20 – The 2003 hearing and removal 29:49 – Returning without authorization 30:43 – Twenty-one years rooted in Corpus Christi 31:10 – The 2024 traffic stop and second removal 31:54 – What history asks us to own 32:30 – Thanks and next time: Julio Galvez, Part II

4. 

   4 Jul 2026

   Texas: A State of Movement and Change

   Welcome to Lone Star Lore — hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs thoughtful narration with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized is shaped by centuries of movement? Who gets counted as a settler, an immigrant, a citizen, an outsider, or a Texan? And how does the history of movement still shape the way we argue about law, belonging, identity, and change today? Texas: A State of Movement This episode arrives on July 4th, as America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. So we are looking at Texas through one of the oldest forces in human history: movement. Before Texas was a state, before it was a republic, before it was part of Mexico, and before it was part of New Spain, people moved through this land. Indigenous peoples, Spanish explorers, missionaries, Mexican officials, Anglo settlers, enslaved people, Tejanos, Black Texans, German communities, Chinese laborers, Vietnamese refugees, Mexican families, and countless others all shaped what Texas became. But movement is never simple. Some people came by choice. Some were recruited. Some were displaced. Some were enslaved. Some crossed borders. Some had borders cross over them. With historian Dr. Jeffrey Helgeson of Texas State University, this episode traces the long history of migration, immigration, forced movement, settlement policy, annexation, slavery, demographic change, and cultural transformation in Texas. On America’s 250th Independence Day, Lone Star Lore asks: What does Texas history teach us about movement, law, power, and belonging? And what kind of place is Texas still becoming? Written by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Featuring: Dr. Jeffrey Helgeson, Joleene Maddox Snider, and Matthew Thornton Produced by: Griffyn.Co Productions Research Concepts: Migration and Immigration in Texas History Indigenous Movement Before Modern Borders Cabeza de Vaca, Esteban, and Early European Contact Spanish Texas and the Mission System Mexican Independence and Settlement Policy The Old Three Hundred “To Populate Is to Govern” Manuel de Mier y Terán and Mexican Texas The Texas Revolution and Tejano Participation Annexation and the Cotton Kingdom Slavery and Forced Migration Andrew Jackson’s 1845 Letter to Sam Houston Black Texans, the Great Migration, and Reverse Migration Demographic Change and Institutional Power The “Motley Crew” of Texas Culture Nativism, Belonging, and the Fear of Change Ray Bradbury’s Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed Law, Humanity, and the Modern Immigration Debate Lone Star Lore is created in partnership with the Texas State University Department of History and the Center for the Study of the Southwest. Support the show with a tax-deductible donation to our sponsor and partner company 501(c)(3): BODHI HOUSE MEDIA (https://www.bodhihousemedia.org/) Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Movement as a constant of human history 01:42 – History, sources, and political slogans 04:14 – Texas before modern borders 05:34 – Cabeza de Vaca, Esteban, and early European contact 07:02 – Spanish Texas, Mexican Texas, and settlement 08:14 – Mexico City and governing the frontier 10:46 – Settlement policy and unintended consequences 11:50 – Mier y Terán, slavery, and Mexican authority 13:02 – The Texas Revolution and Tejano participation 15:27 – Forced migration, slavery, and the Cotton Kingdom 17:39 – Annexation and Southern political power 21:06 – Andrew Jackson writes to Sam Houston 22:25 – Unofficial movement, slavery, and Black Texans 24:45 – The Great Migration and reverse migration 26:34 – Modern demographic change in Texas 27:37 – Food, labor, refugees, churches, schools, and cities 31:47 – Houston, diversity, and everyday complexity 33:19 – The lived contradiction of Texas 33:29 – Not everyone was welcomed 35:18 – Nativism, newcomers, and belonging 38:18 – Joleene’s closing reflection on Texas

5. 

   7 Jun 2026

   Texas Echoes: Robert Redford and the Making of an American Storyteller

   Welcome to Lone Star Lore — hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? Who owns Texas history? And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? Robert Redford and the Texas Roots of the American West This special edition is a little different. Usually, Matthew asks the questions. This time, Joleene turns the microphone around. Through a piece she wrote about Robert Redford’s family ties to San Marcos and Austin, Joleene uncovered a Texas story hidden inside the life of one of America’s most influential film artists. Redford is remembered as a Hollywood icon, Sundance founder, and one of the defining faces of the American West. But this episode asks a different question: How did Texas help shape one of the artists who helped shape American culture? We trace Redford’s Central Texas roots, his mother’s Austin ties, his grandfather Tot Hart’s work as a builder in Travis Heights, his boyhood memories of Barton Springs and San Marcos, and the influence Texas may have had on his imagination of the American West. Written by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Featuring: Joleene Maddox Snider and Matthew Thornton Produced by: Griffyn.Co Productions Research Concepts: Robert Redford’s Texas Roots San Marcos, Austin, and Travis Heights Tot Hart and Creative Inheritance Barton Springs and Environmental Memory Texas as the Mythology of the West The Western Antihero Sundance and Independent Film Place, Memory, and Artistic Identity Lone Star Lore is created in partnership with the Texas State University Department of History and the Center for the Study of the Southwest. Support the show with a tax-deductible donation to our sponsor and partner company (501c3): BODHI HOUSE MEDIA ( bodhihousemedia.org) Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Redford’s influence on Matthew 00:38 – Why this episode is different 01:36 – Texas influence beyond Texas 02:19 – Joleene discovers the Redford story 02:59 – Redford’s legacy and Texas connection 03:44 – Tot Hart, Sally Pate Green, and Travis Heights 05:53 – Barton Springs and Redford’s grandfather 06:24 – Tot Hart as builder and influence 06:50 – Barton Springs and Save Our Springs 07:36 – Building the Sundance home 08:27 – Matthew’s personal connection to Redford 09:37 – Joleene’s path into the piece 10:15 – San Marcos and Travis Heights ties 11:34 – Redford underestimated as a pretty boy 12:10 – From romantic lead to serious artist 13:24 – Childhood, family history, and Central Texas 13:42 – Martha Hart Redford and early loss 14:38 – Art, acting, and filmmaking as one river 16:30 – Redford’s deeper Texas lineage 17:02 – San Marcos civic life and contradiction 18:10 – Family myth and inherited gifts 19:34 – Family history as clues 20:02 – Texas as the mythology of the West 20:38 – Jeremiah Johnson and the Western antihero 21:24 – The myth of the lone individual 22:09 – The West as myth and lived place 22:38 – Barton Springs and nature 23:06 – Storytelling, environmentalism, and A River Runs Through It 24:43 – Beneath the sex-symbol image 25:32 – Spontaneity and screen presence 25:58 – Acting craft and restraint 26:32 – “Redford acts with his fingertips” 26:56 – Restlessness and private burden 27:51 – Redford as actor, founder, and activist 28:20 – Why Redford did more than remain a star 28:47 – Redford’s enduring balance 29:34 – Final reflection 29:49 – Thanks to Joleene Maddox Snider 30:03 – Special edition closing 30:37 – Follow, share, and support Lone Star Lore

6. 

   3 May 2026

   The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 - Part II: Aftermath, Memory, and Social Breakdown

   Welcome to Lone Star Lore — hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? Who owns Texas history? And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 — Part II: Aftermath, Memory, and Social Breakdown In Part I, we followed the warning signs, the confidence, and the failures of judgment that made catastrophe harder to recognize until it was too late. In Part II, we turn to the aftermath. What happens when thousands of bodies are left in the heat? How do people respond when ordinary burial becomes impossible? What do rumor, fear, and racialized blame do to public judgment in a moment of crisis? And how does a city begin to rebuild when the moral and civic damage extends far beyond the storm itself? We trace the human wreckage left behind in Galveston, the impossible task of disposing of the dead, the turn to cremation, the spread of rumor and extrajudicial violence, the rise of spectacle and early film, and the larger question of how catastrophe reshapes memory, public life, and a city’s future. With historian Dr. Shannon Duffy of Texas State University, we widen the lens beyond Galveston itself — exploring disease, dignity, public fear, historical parallels to Katrina and yellow fever, and the uneasy territory where exaggeration, panic, and real violence meet. Written by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Featuring: Dr. Shannon Duffy Produced by: Griffyn.Co Productions Research Concepts from this Episode: Mass Death and Public Health Body Disposal, Cremation, and Dignity Rumor, Fear, and Historical Memory Racialized Blame and Extrajudicial Violence Dark Tourism and Catastrophe as Spectacle Scale, Recovery, and Civic Transformation If you have research, family history, or perspective connected to Galveston, Texas storms, or this period of Gulf Coast history, we invite you to join the conversation. History is rarely finished — it is examined, reexamined, and sometimes corrected. This is Lone Star Lore — Texas history told through multiple perspectives, created in partnership with the Texas State University Department of History and the Center for the Study of the Southwest, where even the most familiar stories deserve another look. If you’d like to support Lone Star Lore and the broader public-history work behind it, you can find more information through our non-profit fiscal sponsor and production partner: BODHI HOUSE MEDIA (https://www.bodhihousemedia.org/) - bodhihousemedia.org Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Part II opening: aftermath, recovery, and public judgment 01:15 – The human wreckage left behind 01:56 – All twelve perished: the lost children of the flood 03:22 – Bodies in the heat: decay, animals, and impossible conditions 04:33 – Burial at sea and the bodies that returned 06:18 – Public health, coercion, and the absence of epidemic 07:37 – A city of fire: cremation as expedient 08:14 – Shannon Duffy on dignity, taboo, and necessity 09:40 – Host reflection: how suspicion turned toward the living 10:11 – Blame, labor, and execution 10:50 – Shannon Duffy on yellow fever, Katrina, and racialized rumor 12:53 – Working through the uneasy ground between exaggeration and fact 14:30 – Fear, authority, and the moral complexity of the record 14:53 – Dark tourism and the aftermath as spectacle 15:33 – Edison-associated cameramen and some of the earliest surviving film shot in Texas 16:23 – Fayling, federal aid, and the problem of scale 17:04 – What happens to a city’s future after disaster? 17:34 – Why Houston rose as Galveston declined 19:02 – Final reflection: judgment, memory, and what recovery really means 19:52 – Thanks, invitation to support the show, and closing

7. 

   5 Apr 2026

   The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 - Part I: The Storm We Thought We Understood

   Welcome to Lone Star Lore — hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? Who owns Texas history? And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 — Part I: The Storm We Thought We Understood In Part I of this two-part series, we begin not with the aftermath, but with the confidence that came before it. On the eve of the storm, Galveston was one of the great rising cities of the Gulf Coast — prosperous, ambitious, and convinced of its future. Then came the deadliest natural disaster in American history. But this episode is not only about wind and water. It is about warning. It is about certainty. It is about the institutions, assumptions, and failures that made catastrophe harder to recognize until it was too late. How did a thriving city misread the danger bearing down on it? Why were Cuban weather warnings dismissed? How did science, bureaucracy, and public confidence combine to create a false sense of security? And what happens when expertise becomes too certain of itself? Through immersive narrative and historical analysis, we trace Galveston at its height, the storm’s path toward Texas, the warnings that were ignored, and the growing realization that the city was facing something far beyond what it believed possible. With historian Shannon Duffy of Texas State University, we widen the lens beyond Galveston itself — exploring the deeper patterns of expertise, politics, public trust, and historical memory that shaped the storm before it ever made landfall. This is not yet the story of the aftermath. It is the story of how the disaster became possible in the first place. Written by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Featuring: Shannon Duffy Produced by: Griffyn.Co Productions Research Concepts from this Episode: Disaster Forecasting and Historical KnowledgeCuban Meteorology and American ArroganceScience vs. CertaintyBureaucracy and Public JudgmentIsaac Cline, Joseph Cline, and Institutional FailureHistorical Memory and the Myth of “No Warning” If you have research, family history, or perspective connected to Galveston, Texas storms, or this period of Gulf Coast history, we invite you to join the conversation. History is rarely finished — it is examined, reexamined, and sometimes corrected. This is Lone Star Lore — Texas history told through multiple perspectives, where even the most familiar stories deserve another look. Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Shannon Duffy cold open: Katrina and historical parallels 00:25 – Host introduction: why this story still matters 00:49 – Episode question: how did they fail to understand what was coming? 01:29 – The story we think we know — and the darker one beneath it 03:18 – Galveston at its peak: Queen of the Gulf 04:02 – Confidence, prosperity, and the city’s rising identity 04:18 – Shannon Duffy on progressive hubris and certainty 05:00 – The storm’s path toward Texas 06:06 – American scale, Texas loss: the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history 06:37 – The storm surge and the breaking point 07:36 – Human belief, risk, and the cost of misjudgment 09:26 – The warning that was ignored 11:11 – Shannon Duffy on plague, politics, and dismissed expertise 14:22 – Modern echo: Cuba, Kerrville, and the persistence of old mistakes 15:31 – Joseph and Isaac Cline: warning, doubt, and delay 17:34 – Private tragedy and public reckoning 18:05 – The battering ram: how the city began to come apart 19:46 – What history teaches — and what it cannot prevent 20:13 – Forecasting, humility, and the limits of certainty 21:04 – Closing reflection and preview of Part II

8. 

   1 Mar 2026

   How History Is Written — Part II: The Pease River Massacre, Interpretation, and Uncertainty

   Welcome to Lone Star Lore - hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? Who owns Texas history? And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? How History Is Written — Part II: The Battle of Pease River, Interpretation, and Uncertainty In Part I, we explored how historical research works. In Part II, we put those principles to the test. Our case file is one of the most contested events in Texas history: the 1860 encounter long called the Battle of Pease River — and just as often, the Pease River Massacre. A small Comanche encampment. A Texas Ranger force led by Sullivan "Sul" Ross. The recapture of Cynthia Ann Parker. And a story that helped launch a political career and harden into legend. But what actually happened that winter day? Was Comanche chief Peta Nocona present — or not? Why did Ross’s account change over time? And how did public memory come to accept one version so confidently? Through close examination of primary accounts, political context, and later historical analysis, we walk the evidence — not to deliver a verdict, but to demonstrate how history is constructed, challenged, and revised. With research librarian and historian Margaret Vaverek (Texas State University), we weigh competing narratives, examine motive and timing, and explore how myth, power, and population growth shaped what Texans came to believe about Pease River. This is investigative historical journalism applied to one of Texas’ most debated stories. Written by: Joleene Maddox SniderHosted & Produced by: Matthew ThorntonFeaturing: Margaret VaverekProduced by: Griffyn.Co Productions Research Concepts from this Episode: Competing Primary Accounts Political Incentive and Historical Narrative Mythmaking and Public Memory Frontier Demography and Federal Policy Reservation Geography and Conflict Historical Revision and Intellectual Humility If you have research, perspective, or family history connected to this story, we invite you to join the conversation. History is rarely finished — it is examined, reexamined, and sometimes corrected. This is Lone Star Lore — Texas history told through multiple perspectives, where even the most familiar stories deserve another look. Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Welcome back: Part II and the investigative frame 00:58 – Lone Star Lore theme song01:21 – The case file: Battle or Massacre? 02:25 – What happened on December 18, 1860 04:49 – Let’s pause: why this discrepancy matters 06:02 – Sullivan Ross’s changing account and political ascent 08:03 – Evaluating sources: who said it, when, and why 09:50 – Population pressure, migration, and Texas land boom 12:45 – Federal policy, reservations, and structural conflict 15:32 – Texas hyperbole and the myth of decisive victory 17:04 – If the numbers were true… they would not have survived 18:30 – Who owns history? Competing interpretations emerge20:11 – Blame, annihilation policy, and evolving scholarship 22:05 – History as a living discipline: revision and responsibility 24:10 – Final reflection: what we can know — and what we cannot 26:13 – Closing thoughts, thanks, and invitation to join the debate

9. 

   1 Feb 2026

   How History Is Written — Part I: Evidence, Interpretation, and Cynthia Ann Parker

   Welcome to Lone Star Lore - hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? Who owns Texas history? And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? How History Is Written — Part I: Evidence, Interpretation, and Cynthia Ann Parker Before we can argue about what happened in Texas history, we first have to ask how we know what we know — and why some versions of the past endure while others fade. In this episode, we step away from events themselves and into the process of historical research. Using the life of Cynthia Ann Parker as our case study, we explore how historians work with incomplete records, conflicting accounts, and inherited myths — and how research, interpretation, and humility shape what eventually becomes “history.” With research librarian and historian Margaret Vaverek (Texas State University), we examine primary and secondary sources, the evolution of historical method, and the ways technology — from digitization to artificial intelligence — has changed how the past is accessed, questioned, and understood. This episode lays the groundwork for Part II, where these research principles will be put to the test in a close examination of Cynthia Ann Parker’s recapture by Sul Ross at the Battle of Pease River. Written by: Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted & Produced by: Matthew Thornton Featuring: Margaret Vaverek Produced by: Griffyn.Co Productions About Margaret Vaverek: Margaret Vaverek is a historian and research librarian at Texas State University, where she teaches students and scholars how to work responsibly with historical sources. Her work focuses on information literacy, archival research, and guiding searchers into becoming careful, critical researchers. Research Concepts from this Episode: Primary vs. Secondary Sources Information Literacy and Historical Method Myth, Memory, and the Written Record Historiography and Revision Archives, Digitization, and Access Technology, AI, and the Limits of the Record Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – The thrill of the hunt: why research matters (Margaret) 00:38 – Lone Star Lore theme song 01:21 – A research story that flips the “Boston Tea Party” myth (Margaret) 02:43 – What this two-part arc is doing: story + process (Host) 03:34 – Fort Parker, 1836: Cynthia Ann’s capture (Jo) 08:53 – Cynthia Ann as a Comanche woman; Quanah Parker and the 1875 surrender (Jo) 09:54 – Pease River, 1860: recapture and return to white society (Jo) 13:50 – Recap + the core problem: what the record can’t tell us (Host) 15:09 – Primary vs. secondary sources: what “evidence” really means (Margaret) 16:17 – Myth vs. reality: “old” vs “new” histories and why they diverge (Jo + Host) 20:03 – Scholarship as conversation + the fragility of archives (Margaret) 23:34 – Digitization & AI: access, risk, and the limits of the record (Margaret + Host) 28:08 – Final takeaway + Part II setup (Host)

10. 

    5 Jan 2026

    Beyond Provincial: Texas Literature, Land, and Recognition

    Welcome to Lone Star Lore - hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: * What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? * Who owns Texas history? * And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? Ep. 03 — Beyond Provincial: Texas Literature, Land, and Recognition Why do stories rooted so deeply in Texas land and place so often get dismissed as “regional,” when they’re wrestling with the same universal questions as the American canon? In this episode, we explore how Texas writers like John Graves, Katherine Anne Porter, Sandra Cisneros, Elmer Kelton, Stephen Harrigan, and Elizabeth Crooks built Texas literature from the ground up — and how the label provincial became a kind of cultural gate that kept these works from being heard beyond their place of origin. With guest Tammy Gonzales (Texas State University / Center for the Study of the Southwest), we trace how land becomes a doorway into reading — and how Larry McMurtry eventually kicks open the door of national recognition, not by inventing something new, but by making it impossible to look away. Written by: Joleene Maddox SniderHosted & Produced by: Matthew ThorntonFeaturing: Tammy GonzalesProduced by: Griffyn.Co Productions About Tammy Gonzales:Program Director for the Center for the Study of the Southwest at Texas State University, and Associate Editor for Southwestern American Literature and Texas Books in Review. Tammy works at the intersection of land, memory, and culture — helping preserve Texas stories as something lived, shared, and carried forward. Reading List from this Episode:John Graves - Goodbye to a River, Hard Scrabble Sandra Cisneros - Woman Hollering Creek, The House on Mango Street, Caramelo Katherine Anne Porter - Noon Wine, Ship of Fools, Pale Horse, Pale Rider Elmer Kelton - The Time it Never Rained, The Day the Cowboys Quit Stephen Harrigan - The Gates of the Alamo, Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas Elizabeth Crook - The Which Way Tree, The Night Journal, The Raven’s Bride Larry McMurtry - The Last Picture Show, In a Narrow Grave, Lonesome Dove Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – Finding the hook: land as memory 01:03 – Introducing Tammy Gonzales & today’s question 01:55 – John Graves and Goodbye to a River 03:40 – Land as lived experience (Tammy) 05:33 – Graves on responsibility and stewardship 07:34 – “Provincial”: the problem with the label 08:49 – Sandra Cisneros and personal connection 10:29 – Katherine Anne Porter and interior violence 11:19 – Elmer Kelton, endurance, and aging 12:21 – Breaking the myth of “small” stories 12:47 – Stephen Harrigan and challenging mythology 14:38 – Elizabeth Crook and reexamining history 16:03 – Enter Larry McMurtry 18:29 – In a Narrow Grave and rejection 19:57 – Land as common ground (Tammy) 20:45 – Lonesome Dove and national recognition 22:13 – Memory, inheritance, and return 24:28 – Final reflections & thanks

11. 

    21 Nov 2025

    Who Owns Texas History? - Dr. Frank de la Teja

    Welcome to Lone Star Lore - hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? Who owns Texas history? And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? Ep. 02 – Who Owns Texas History? – Dr. Frank de la Teja Who gets to tell the story of Texas—and what happens when that story no longer fits? In this episode of Lone Star Lore, filmmaker Matthew Thornton and historian Joleene Maddox Snider join Dr. Frank de la Teja, the first State Historian of Texas, to explore how power, pride, and politics shape the way Texans remember their past. From textbook battles to boardroom feuds, the myth of the Alamo to modern culture wars, this conversation reveals how history becomes identity—and why revisiting it can feel like a threat. Dr. de la Teja offers a candid look at the institutions and emotions that guard the past, reminding us that honest history isn’t about rewriting—it’s about widening the lens. Written by Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted and Produced by Matthew Thornton Produced by Griffyn.Co Productions Featuring Dr. Frank de la Teja About Dr. Frank de la Teja: Appointed Texas’s first State Historian in 2007, Dr. de la Teja has served at the Texas General Land Office and Texas State University, where he chaired the History Department and directed the Center for the Study of the Southwest. His career bridges scholarship, museums, and public storytelling. Selected Publications Faces of Béxar: Early San Antonio and Texas (Texas A&M University Press, 2016) Lone Star Unionism, Dissent, and Resistance: Other Sides of Civil War Texas (University of Oklahoma Press, 2016) Texas: Crossroads of North America, 2nd ed., with Ron Tyler and Nancy Beck Young (Cengage Learning, 2015) Recollections of a Tejano Life: Antonio Menchaca in Texas History, with Timothy Matovina (UT Press, 2013) Tejano Leadership in Mexican and Revolutionary Texas (Texas A&M University Press, 2010) Choice, Persuasion, and Coercion: Social Control on Spain’s North American Frontiers, with Ross Frank (University of New Mexico Press, 2005) A Revolution Remembered: The Memoirs and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguín, 2nd ed. (TSHA, 2002) San Antonio de Béxar: A Community on New Spain’s Northern Frontier (University of New Mexico Press, 1995) In this episode: Textbooks, politics, and the illusion of neutrality Why the Alamo remains Texas’s most powerful origin myth Fear, pride, and the anxiety of rewriting history The feud that split the Texas State Historical Association How new voices are reshaping what “Texas history” even means Visit our website @ ⁠https://www.griffynco.com/lone-star-lore/⁠ (https://www.griffynco.com/lone-star-lore/) Subscribe and follow us on YouTube: ⁠Lone Star Lore Podcast⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@LoneStarLorePodcast) #TexasHistory #LoneStarLore #FrankdelaTeja #JoleeneMaddoxSnider #MatthewThornton #PublicHistory Timestamps / Chapter Guide:00:00 – Who Owns Texas History? 00:54 – Introducing Dr. Frank de la Teja 02:32 – TSHA vs. The Alliance 04:09 – Generational Claims to History 05:06 – JP Bryan Walks In 07:50 – Who Owns It Now? 08:28 – Older Claims: Spanish, Tejano, Indigenous 10:23 – What Inclusion Really Means 11:05 – Textbooks and Power 14:49 – One Story vs. Many 15:55 – Sam Houston vs. Lamar 19:41 – Houston’s Final Words 21:07 – Honesty, Evidence, and Pride 21:36 – 2022: A New Battle Begins 22:46 – Breaking from the Past 24:13 – The DRT and the Alamo Collections 27:24 – One Neighborhood, Many Memories 28:22 – The Alamo as Origin Myth 30:00 – Tejano Fighters and Complexity 31:40 – Real People vs. Mythic Heroes 32:05 – Was the Alamo Strategic? 35:39 – Competing Interpretations 36:09 – Fear, Anxiety, and Identity 39:03 – New Generations, New Views 41:31 – Evolution or Exit? 42:50 – Final Question: Who Owns Texas History?

12. 

    5 Nov 2025

    Lone Star Lore Trailer

    About the Show Lone Star Lore uncovers the myths, truths, and untold stories of Texas—not to rewrite the past, but to widen the lens. Hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and expert voices to explore what happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story. Each episode blends cinematic sound design, historical insight, and literary storytelling to reveal how the past still shapes who we are today. Our pledge: To tell Texas history with honesty, curiosity, and respect—for the land, for the people, and for the complexity that connects them. We embrace Texas with all its perspectives, its colorful history, and most of all, its contradictions and complexity. To us, there is not a "black and white" version of our past; everything is "GRAY." Matthew Thornton is a Texas-based filmmaker and co-founder of Griffyn.co Productions. His work explores art, history, and the American landscape through a cinematic documentary lens. Joleene Maddox Snider is an author, historian, and the lead writer of the show whose work bridges scholarship and storytelling. Her narratives trace the moral and cultural complexities of Texas history with honesty and grace. Visit our website @ ⁠https://www.griffynco.com/lone-star-lore/⁠ (https://www.griffynco.com/lone-star-lore/) Subscribe and follow us on YouTube: ⁠Lone Star Lore Podcast⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@LoneStarLorePodcast)

13. 

    31 Oct 2025

    Texas: The Land and the Myth - Dr. Benjamin H. Johnson

    Welcome to Lone Star Lore - hosted by filmmaker Matthew Thornton, and written by historian Joleene Maddox Snider, the series pairs immersive narration and cinematic sound with expert guests who help us ask better questions: What happens when a place this vast and mythologized tries to agree on one story? Who owns Texas history? And how do the stories we inherit still shape who we are today? Ep. 01 - Texas: The Land and the Myth – Dr. Ben Johnson Texas isn’t just a place—it’s an idea. A land of legends, contradictions, and extraordinary scale. In this opening episode of Lone Star Lore, filmmaker Matthew Thornton joins historian Dr. Ben Johnson, author of Texas: An American History, and writer Joleene Maddox Snider to explore how myth and memory shape the story of the Lone Star State. Through rich narration and field recordings, we travel from Austin’s roaring stadiums to the silent deserts of West Texas—unearthing the deeper truths beneath the slogans, songs, and swagger. From Comanche frontiers and cotton fields to oil booms and modern politics, this journey asks: What is Texas, really? Written by Joleene Maddox Snider Hosted and produced by Matthew Thornton Produced by ⁠Griffyn.Co Productions⁠ (https://www.griffynco.com/) Featuring Dr. Ben Johnson, author of Texas: An American History (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300226720/texas/) About: Benjamin H. Johnson, Author and Professor of History at Loyola University Chicago, specializes in environmental, borderlands, and Latino history. His latest book, Texas: An American History, traces how size, soils, horses, cotton, oil, and cities shaped Texans—and how Texans, in turn, shaped America. His other books include Revolution in Texas (2003), Bordertown (2008), Escaping the Dark, Gray City (2017), and his newest, Texas: An American History (2025), which re-examines how Texas’s myth, geography, and diversity have shaped both the nation and the modern world. In this episode: How geography and “non-human actors” like horses, corn, and oil transformed destiny Migration and the U.S.–Mexico border as a living, two-way story Myth vs. reality—why the 19th-century rural myth endures Pride without erasure and why “revisionism” means honest history From ranching to tech: the frontier under the asphalt A 50-year hope for a more democratic, inclusive Texas Visit our website @ https://www.griffynco.com/lone-star-lore/ (https://www.griffynco.com/lone-star-lore/) Subscribe and follow us on YouTube: Lone Star Lore Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/@LoneStarLorePodcast) #TexasHistory #LoneStarLore #BenJohnson #TexasMyth #JoleeneMaddoxSnider #MatthewThornton #PublicHistory #TexasPodcast Timestamps / Chapter Guide: 00:00 – The Voice of HistoryDr. Ben Johnson on how myth often overshadows fact in Texas’s story. 00:10 – Introducing Dr. Ben JohnsonHost Matthew Thornton introduces Texas: An American History and Texas as both place and idea. 01:00 – Texas to the WorldHow “Texas” became shorthand for wild, larger-than-life identity. 02:06 – A Night in AustinJoleene Maddox Snider captures game-day ritual and Texas pride. 06:05 – The Myths We InheritTradition turns to identity—and myth becomes history. 08:41 – The Myth and the Reality Independence, oil, swagger—the stories we tell versus what’s true. 12:17 – The Land and Its LegacyHow geography, slavery, and expansion shaped early Texas. 17:00 – Borders and IroniesMexico’s open frontier—and how migration shaped two nations. 21:17 – Revisionist TruthsWhy honest history requires revision, not denial. 27:29 – Vastness and Vision The land itself becomes the character—plains to coast. 32:08 – Driving TexasA cinematic road trip through prairies, deserts, and Cadillacs. 39:34 – Beyond MythLoving Texas means seeing it clearly—past and present. 43:06 – Modern TexasPolitics, pride, and the question of who tells the story. 45:12 – CreditsFeaturing Dr. Ben Johnson and Joleene Maddox Snider.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.