Stay ConnectedDr. Stephen Sloan of Baylor’s Institute for Oral History and Department of History explores the people, places, and stories that have shaped Waco, Texas.
Through interviews, local-history insights, and narrative storytelling, the podcast highlights both well-known events and lesser-told community histories—helping listeners learn more about Waco and its place in broader Texas history.
Randy is leaving Waco and the Waco History Podcast. He and Stephen talk about their favorite episodes, memories, and guests from years past. The Waco History podcast will live on! Stephen is sticking around and the show is joining the Rogue Media Network.
About the Waco History Podcast
The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of Waco architect Roy E. Lane. He’s also a former American Forces Network Radio DJ and is currently the host of the Charity Champions Podcast.
Stephen heads the Oral History Institute at Baylor University. He’s authored several books and created and developed WacoHistory.org, a website and free mobile app for learning more about Waco’s history.
Together they’re telling the known and unknown stories of Waco’s past.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Support the show on Anchor.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
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On this episode:
Railroad Historian Brad Linda tells us how Waco and surrounding communities grew along major rail lines. We talk specifically about the Cotton Belt Railroad that ran all the way from St. Louis to Gatesville.
From our sponsor
Brotherwell Brewing is the official local brewery of the Waco History Podcast. Back on tap, try the Shelter in Haze, Hazy IPA. And look for their beers in the Wooded Acres H-E-B! That’s Brotherwell Brewing, on historic Bridge Street. The beer that pairs perfectly with Waco History.
About the Waco History Podcast
The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of Waco architect Roy E. Lane. He’s also a former American Forces Network Radio DJ and is currently the host of the Charity Champions Podcast.
Stephen heads the Oral History Institute at Baylor University. He’s authored several books and created and developed WacoHistory.org, a website and free mobile app for learning more about Waco’s history.
Together they’re telling the known and unknown stories of Waco’s past.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Support the show on Anchor.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Waco architect B.J. Greaves tells us about legendary architect Milton Scott. Scott created many well-know buildings during his career including the Dr Pepper Museum, First Baptist Church, and the Cooper House. He started his career in 1906 and kept working right up until he died in 1933. Many of Scott's structures are still standing today.
Learn more about Milton Scott on wacohistory.org.
About the Waco History Podcast
The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of Waco architect Roy E. Lane. He’s also a former American Forces Network Radio DJ and is currently the host of the Charity Champions Podcast.
Stephen heads the Oral History Institute at Baylor University. He’s authored several books and created and developed WacoHistory.org, a website and free mobile app for learning more about Waco’s history.
Together they’re telling the known and unknown stories of Waco’s past.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Support the show on Anchor.
Album artwork courtesy of the Texas Collection.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this episode
Returning to the podcast, Cindy Little tells us how a paranormal investigation took her on a historic journey. While investigating a paranormal sighting related to a photo, Cindy posted the pic on a Facebook group. Turns out, Cindy's ghost was a very well known local lady.
About the podcast
The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of Waco architect Roy E. Lane. He’s also a former American Forces Network Radio DJ and is currently the host of the High Performance Leadership and Charity Champions Podcasts.
Stephen heads the Oral History Institute at Baylor University. He’s authored several books and created and developed WacoHistory.org, a website and free mobile app for learning more about Waco’s history.
Together they’re telling the known and unknown stories of Waco’s past.
Find out more at wacohistorypodcast.com.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wacohistorypodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wacohistorypodcast
Support the show here: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Sponsor
The Waco History Podcast is sponsored by Brotherwell Brewing. Fall is the air, and that means the return of their Percy Porter. Named after the Percy Medicine Building, the first place they brewed their delicious beer! It’s also rumored that Babe Ruth hit a homer that bounced off the roof! Go enjoy a pint in their spacious outdoor beer garden. The safest way to beat those COVID blues! That’s Brotherwell Brewing on historic Bridge Street.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Eric S. Ames joins us again to talk about his new book, Hidden History of Waco. You may remember him from our tornado episode. We discuss stories from the book including the man with two tombs, one of the longest books every written, and the church built in a day!
You can find Eric’s book in bookstores near you and online.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this episode
What do Babe Ruth, Teddy Roosevelt, a one-legged pitcher, and a tornado have in common? They're all a part of Waco's baseball history! Listen as we separate fact from urban legend on this episode of the Waco History Podcast.
Learn more about Katy Park on WacoHistory.org.
Learn more about Andrew Lewis Cooper.
Thanks to our sponsor: Brotherwell Brewing
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Brotherwell Brewing: The Official Local Beer of the Waco History Podcast. Located on historic Bridge Street in Waco, swing by and pick up some of their Waco-themed brews, like “Hidden Heard”: a brown amber lager named for the mammoths that roamed this area tens of thousands of years ago. We talked about them on episode 10!
Visit brotherwell.com to learn more about their Growler Club. A year of fills for one low price.
About the show
The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of Waco architect Roy E. Lane. He’s also a former American Forces Network Radio DJ and is currently the host of the High Performance Leadership and Charity Champions Podcasts.
Stephen heads the Oral History Institute at Baylor University. He’s authored several books and created and developed WacoHistory.org, a website and free mobile app for learning more about Waco’s history.
Together they’re telling the known and unknown stories of Waco’s past.
Find out more at wacohistorypodcast.com.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wacohistorypodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wacohistorypodcast
Support the show here: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It's light as air, stronger than whiskey, and cheap as dirt! Stephen finally gets to talk about his love of...barbed wire. That's right! Learn about the technological innovation that changed the West and ended the Chisholm Trail.
Learn more at wacohistorypodcast.com/wired-west.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this episode:
Zach Burke joins us to talk about Keep Waco Loud's upcoming podcast series on Wacoan and Iconic Music Producer Tom Wilson. Wilson was instrumental in developing the sounds of many famous artists throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Wilson’s legacy was cemented when he changed history by producing two songs now considered among the greatest in rock and music history. He also reunited a legendary band and acted as the man behind the curtain for a pop art icon’s music career. Tom Wilson worked with The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, and more.
Subscribe to the Invisible Icon: The Tom Wilson Story so you won't miss the first episode on July 7th! You can also subscribe to Keep Waco Loud's podcast feed. Rogue Media Network produces the podcast. Check out all the other great shows they produce.
About the podcast:
The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of Waco architect Roy E. Lane. He’s also a former American Forces Network Radio DJ and is currently the host of the High Performance Leadership and Charity Champions Podcasts.
Stephen heads the Oral History Institute at Baylor University. He’s authored several books and created and developed WacoHistory.org, a website and free mobile app for learning more about Waco’s history.
Together they’re telling the known and unknown stories of Waco’s past.
Find out more at wacohistorypodcast.com.
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/wacohistorypodcast
Instagram: instagram.com/wacohistorypodcast
Support the show here: anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
No doubt kids back in the 1930s were as bored as kids during COVID-19! Their answer: tree sitting. That's right, kids in the 1930s tried to see how long they could stay up in a tree. One Wacoan, Jack Kellner Jr., briefly held the world record by staying in a tree off Homan Ave for more than 156 hours! Listen as Stephen and Randy take a trip into Waco's past:
The Waco History Project has more on this moment in time:
At 1 p.m. July 16, 1930, Frank Kellner Jr., 12, climbed the cottonwood tree in the backyard of his home, 2324 Homan Ave. — launching the craze in Waco.
The News-Tribune reported that the youngster, a 94-pound Boy Scout who looked like he was "out to try anything for glory," had a support team made up of pals Sidney Carlisle, Keith Burns and Maynard G. Darden. The trio sent up three meals a day, made by Frank's enthusiastic mother, in a basket on a rope. Some even climbed up to his quilt-lined and book-laden platform to play a board game to help him while away the hours.
Frank's father told reporters that he'd offered his son a $1 per day incentive for each day past the record Frank could make it.
A day later, two female rivals took to the branches. Frances Coates, 11, and Mildred Fraser, 13, with a black and white kitten for company, climbed a tree at 502 Dallas St. and nestled among blankets and pillows stuffed in the crotches of a box elder. Their support team was composed of friends Mildred Yarbrough and Marie Stewart.
Learn more at wacohistory.com/tree-sitting
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this episode:
Waco’s Legend Bearer: Helen Marie Taylor. She comes from a long line of Wacoans. Her family’s history in the area dates back before the Civil War. Miss Taylor talks about growing up in Waco, acting on Broadway and in Hollywood, and starting the Taylor Museum of Waco History. And now, join us on a trip into Waco’s past.
Learn more about Helen Marie Taylor's Museum on WacoHistory.org
About the podcast:
The Waco History Podcast is co-hosted by Randy Lane and Dr. Stephen Sloan. Randy Lane is the great-grandson of Waco architect Roy E. Lane. He’s also a former American Forces Network Radio DJ and is currently the host of the High Performance Leadership and Charity Champions Podcasts.
Stephen heads the Oral History Institute at Baylor University. He’s authored several books and created and developed WacoHistory.org, a website and free mobile app for learning more about Waco’s history.
Together they’re telling the known and unknown stories of Waco’s past.
---
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waco-history-podcast/support
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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