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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The Halloween season is filled with the unexplainable, but for some, the unexplainable is a year-round experience.Bonnie Juarez, President of the Paso Del Norte Paranormal Society and one of its members, Peter Stone, explain their role in investigating the paranormal.We recorded Bonnie Juarez's & Peter Stone's experiences as paranormal investigators in El Paso during our recent West Texas Roots road trip. -
Kids have incredible imaginations and can tell tall tales just like adults, but what happens when these stories have witnesses?Ashley Nichelson tells of how she and her coworker experienced unexplainable things while on the job. Elinora recalls an imaginary friend that her cousin saw and her dad's chilling discovery.We recorded Elinora and Ashley’s stories of their paranormal experiences during our recent West Texas Roots road trip in El Paso. -
Being a ranch hand requires a lot of skills and is an intensive job and as such they are exceptionally dedicated to their jobs.Gerenda Washburn recalls a time when growing up where she and her family experienced the dedication of a ranch hand. The remarkable thing about this ranch hand was that he had died in the 1950s.We recorded Gerenda Washburn’s story of the ghost ranch hand in Midland during our West Texas Roots road trip.
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The Second World War brought men and women into the armed service from all walks of life and gave them unique opportunities, like flying.Robert Cruit tells the story of his distant cousin, Wade Jr., who grew up on a farm right outside of Abilene and flew in the Army Air Force during the war.We recorded Robert Cruit’s story of his relative Wade Jr. right here at our studio.
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People talk about how vast and beautiful Texas is, but sometimes, the only way to truly understand that vastness and beauty is by a road trip.Jan Bush describes how she and her cohorts in college drove from Wichita State University to attend a conference in El Paso.Then Kim Whittenberg talks of how she experiences the beauty of West Texas by Plein air painting.We recorded Jan Bush's road trip and Kim Whittenberg’s story of painting in Midland during our recent West Texas Roots road trip.
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West Texas has all sorts of wildlife and they can even find their way into homes…sometimes with a little help.Gerenda Washburn recalls how she gave her mother fits with all the animals she would bring home, intentionally or not.We recorded Gerenda Washburn’s tales with West Texas wildlife during our recent West Texas Roots road trip.
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Today’s world is marked by major corporations who seek to dominate their industry, but this didn’t stop Eric Vela and his family.He tells the story of his family run coffee bar in El Paso and how they set themselves apart from the large coffee chains.We recorded Eric Vela’s story of opening Moe Green’s Coffee Bar in El Paso during our recent West Texas Roots road trip.
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Marfa is a small, eccentric West Texas town, known for its mysterious glowing lights, and it’s contemporary art museum, Ballroom Marfa.El Paso artist Ali Dipp is preparing a show for that gallery. She describes her unique artistic process.We recorded Ali Dipp’s story of her artwork during our West Texas Roots road trip.
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Before there were private lines, several families would be connected to the same telephone line and a nosey neighborAmelia Perry recalled when she had a party line and how it was wise to not gossip over the phone cause you never know who’s listening in. She also talked about raising her family and how she has mastered the art of quilting.We recorded Amelia Perry’s Story at Lyndale Living Center.
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Back in the day it wasn’t uncommon to use dynamite rather than heavy duty machinery to dig up rock, however, it came with its dangers.Phillip Compton recalls how he got his fair share of splinters from a dynamite job and why he began using Kubota Four by Fours rather than horses while working on his land.We recorded Phillip Compton’s story of ranching in West Texas at the Taylor County Expo Center.
