We’ve all heard the proverb about one man’s trash being another’s treasure. Well, for generations of a family now living in Texas, the treasure in question was an old box found discarded many years earlier. Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong has the story.
mystery
More Bodies
(Episode 8) Thousands of people died under the convict lease system in Texas, and its effects can still be seen and felt today. Their descendants hope the truth leads to healing and understanding.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
You Better Walk Right
(Episode 7) How did the remains of 95 people in unmarked graves end up in Sugar Land to begin with? How one man’s remarkable life and tragic death revealed the truth about convict leasing in Texas.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Gatekeepers
(Episode 6) Four years after the cemetery was discovered, the Sugar Land 95 still haven’t been identified. The group in charge of researching their remains has made little progress, but refuses to cede control. Is it conspiracy or negligence?
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
‘That’s typical, you know?’
(Episode 5) Fort Bend ISD says it’s not going to fund any more research on the Sugar Land 95, so a familiar group takes control. But is that group the best for the job? Plus, we start our own genealogical journey.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
This Man Shall Be Remembered
(Episode 4) The fight over how to memorialize the Sugar Land 95 has taken its toll on activist Reginald Moore. As his health declines, momentum slows. Research on the cemetery is finally made public, and the findings aren’t just surprising — they’re unbelievable.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Center of the Ring
(Episode 3) The fight of the century is unfolding in Sugar Land. Should the bodies be moved so construction could continue, or should they be reburied where they were found? Alliances are made and broken, Reginald Moore leads a coup, and in the end, one side claims a clear victory.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
The Story the Bones Tell
(Episode 2) As archeologists uncover more graves, a new person is added to the team. Catrina Banks Whitley specializes in studying human remains. And after a few months, she thinks she knows who these people might be.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Who’s Buried Here?
(Episode 1) The Fort Bend Independent School District is set to start building a new school in the sweet city of Sugar Land, Texas. After years of planning, contractors finally break ground on the site. But the very next day, someone shows up with a warning: Be on the lookout for bodies.
Archival audio in this episode is courtesy of Sugar Land Heritage Foundation and provided by Texas Archive of the Moving Image.
The full transcript and a collection of materials, letters and reports are available on our Sugar Land podcast website.
Trailer: Sugar Land
Sugar Land, Texas, is a city with a sweet reputation … but it’s hiding a dark secret. The suspected remains of 95 convict laborers were discovered during the construction of a new school. Who are they and why are they there?
What happened to Brian Vargo almost 50 years ago? His niece is still looking for answers.
Brian Vargo was 20 years old when he disappeared in 1976. The UT Austin student seems to have simply vanished.
The Mysteries Of Space
Do you ever see a headline about a new discovery in space? It seems so exciting — so extraordinary — but is your mind even capable of really understanding? That’s the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Marfa Lights
Visitors to far West Texas usually make a point to visit Big Bend, the McDonald Observatory and to try to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Marfa Lights. Those unexplained lights were the inspiration for this week’s poem from the Typewriter Rodeo.