Dr. Julia Brookins discusses her work on 19th century German Texas settlement in her presentation “The Collision of Race and Nationalism in early Texas: The Veramendi Case of New Braunfels,” facilitated and co-sponsored by Eddie Wolsch of the German Texas Heritage Society and Dallas Goethe Center.

Author Charles Petrie Jr. discusses his new book Dark Texas in February's Texas Talk. Brought to you by the Texas State Historical Association.

"Texas Almanac 2026-2027" editors Brett Regan and Sofia Treviño discuss the making of the most recent edition of the Almanac.

Rudi Rodriguez discusses his work preserving Texas's extensive Hispanic history with his organization Texas Tejano.

Author and historian Cynthia Leal Massey discusses her new book "Wells of Deception" with in our monthly Texas Talks! Brought to you by the Texas State Historical Association.

TSHA’s Director of Publications Dr. Richard B. McCaslin, will discuss our newest TSHA Press release, Texan in Blue: Captain Francis Asbury Vaughan of the First Texas Cavalry, USA. Discover the remarkable story of Vaughan, a Texan who fought for the Union during the Civil War and left behind a detailed record of his experiences. You will also have a chance to ask Dr. McCaslin any questions you may have during a Q&A. We hope to see you there!

The Witte Museum, where nature, science and culture meet! The Witte Museum inspires people to shape the future of Texas through relevant and transformative experiences in nature, science and culture. As San Antonio’s most-visited museum, the Witte reaches a diverse audience of hundreds of thousands from within Bexar County and beyond.

Eli Jackson Cemetery Association is a non-profit organization created to raise funds for historic preservation of the Eli Jackson Cemetery.

With Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis. May, 2025

Dr. Christopher Wickham and Dr. Daniel Gelo will discuss their new book The German Texan Frontier in 1853, and the role of Ferdinand Lindheimer, the “Father of Texas Botany,” in helping his fellow immigrants adapt to the physical and social environments of antebellum Texas through his editorship of the Neu-Braunfelser Zeitung thereby beginning creation of a unique German Texan identity. Both authors are professors emeriti at the University of Texas at San Antonio; Dr. Wickham in German and Dr. Gelo in anthropology who specialized in Comanche culture and linguistics. Their publications on German Texan and Comanche relations include Comanches, Captives, and Germans, and Comanches and Germans on the Texas Frontier: The Ethnology of Heinrich Berghaus about an attempted development of a Comanche alphabet stemming from the 1847 Meusebach-Comanche Treaty. This session is sponsored jointly by the German Texan Heritage Society, the Dallas Goethe Center, and the University of Texas – Arlington.

Don’t miss the next Texas Talks on February 18, 2025, at 7:00 PM, where we’ll explore the fascinating history of El Camino Real de los Tejas. This historic route, spanning over 2,500 miles, connected Spanish settlements in Mexico with those in Texas, crossing cultural, geographical, and historical boundaries. Join us as we dive into its role in trade, communication, and the spread of European influence, and learn how this National Historic Trail continues to shape our understanding of Texas and the American Southwest. Register now to be part of this engaging conversation! ------------------------------- About the Presenter A native of Texas, Steven Gonzales obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Geography with a minor in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. His studies focused on Spanish missions and presidios on the Northern Frontier of New Spain. Steven later earned a Master of Applied Geography degree from Texas State University at San Marcos. His research focused on case studies of national scenic and historic trails from across the country and the measures they took to get their trails on the ground. In addition to serving as executive director of El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association, Steven is a board member of the Partnership for the National Trails System and is its National Historic Trails representative for the country. He also served as a member of the advisory committee for the Connecting Trails to Parks project between the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and NPS National Trails office, and he was an advisory committee member for the Texas Historical Commission’s Hispanic Heritage Guide of Texas.

Holiday Food Traditions with Pilar ZazuetaJoin us for a flavorful edition of Texas Talks with historian Pilar Zazueta as she explores the shared holiday food traditions of Mexico, Latin America, and the American Southwest. From the origins and cultural significance of tamales to regional variations and festive preparations, Pilar will dive into how these culinary staples connect communities across borders. With her expertise in food history and nutrition policy in 20th-century Mexico, Pilar brings fascinating insights to the table—don’t miss this engaging discussion! ------------------------------- Bio: Pilar Zazueta is a historian and Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently the associate director of Undergraduate Studies at the Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies. Her research focuses on the history of the processed food industry and nutrition policies in 20th-century Mexico. Pilar holds a B.A. in International Relations from the Colegio de México and a Ph.D. in History from Columbia University in New York. Her most recent article is “Consumer Activism, Ultra-Processed Food Marketing and the Meaning of Healthy Eating in Mexico: A Diachronic Study” in Food Marketing and Selling Healthy Lifestyles with Science: Transhistorical Perspectives, ed. Lauren Alex O'Hagan and Göran Eriksson (Routledge, 2024). In addition to her academic work, Pilar has collaborated with Telemundo, Univision, and publications such as Dallas Morning News as a guest columnist and filmmaker Karen Akins in her documentary “El Susto” about the diabetes epidemic in Mexico