West Texas Roots
New Episodes each Wednesday
West Texas Roots is KACU’s oral history project which collects the stories of individuals and families of West Texas. These are stories that help paint a picture of the building/founding of West Texas as well as recalling other moments of the region’s unique history.
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Got a family tale to tell? A love story made for a country song? Family roots in Business, education, agriculture, and religion? Did your great-grandfather's farm survive severe weather hardships or wild hogs?
Or do you have anything you want us to know? Help us uncover West Texas Roots by telling your story.
Email us!
westtexasroots@kacu.org
Latest Episodes
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Lola Baily’s story is one that takes us back to a time most may not be familiar with and only a few have experienced: when school truly took place in a one room “School House.” Teaching only about a dozen students ranging across 5 different grade levels, Lola tells us about how she was the very last teacher at the very last one-room school house in Texas… -
At February’s Texas Farm, Ranch and Wildlife Expo our team enjoyed making new friends and gathering stories from all around West Texas. Keith Paschal takes us back to his younger years when he needed to keep his truck radio turned off while he transported dynamite. He also shared memories of his family’s misnamed horse, Speedy…
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This week Judy Davis shares some memories of family life on farms in Okra and Carbon. Families were often big, and she remembers a lot of love shared across generations - and get-togethers that stretched over days…We recorded Judy Davis’s story at her home in Mineral Wells.
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On this week’s installment of West Texas Roots, we talked to Karen Martin, a longtime horse trainer who was paralyzed in an accident, and continues to ride while pursuing a career as a licensed professional counselor. To hear her powerful story, stay tuned.
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This week we took a trip to Abilene’s oldest restaurant, The Dixie Pig Diner, which was established in 1931. Stay tuned to hear how this Abilene staple came to be, and how they’ve stayed true to the classic dining experience.
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This week on West Texas Roots, we met Sarah Kader, one of the owners of Free Play Arcade in downtown Abilene, to hear how a seventh-generation Texan came to find the Abilene community home. From enlisting in the US Air Force to bringing ageless retro fun to the downtown scene, stay tuned to hear her story. This was recorded in historic downtown Abilene.'
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One of our favorite segments for West Texas Roots is a surprising love story…and was picked up by our friends at the Texas Standard. Take another listen to the re-mixed version of Randy Billing’s story.
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This week on West Texas Roots we talked to Rylie Scott about growing up involved in FFA and 4-H, and showing her grandfather’s dairy goats at the state fair.
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We stopped by the old railroad depot in downtown Abilene where Waylan Bolin shared the history of one of Abilene's sweetest spots, Candies by Vletas.
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This week we hear what makes Abilene the Storybook Capital of America, Julia Teel, Director of Exhibitions and Collections, tells us how the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature keeps the magic of reading alive for kids. Julia Teel shared her story at the NCCIL Gallery in downtown Abilene.