Do you have a favorite W.F. Strong story? Here are our top 10

Do you know what’s special about 2025? It’s Texas Standard’s 10th birthday! And we decided that even though the day isn’t coming up until March, we’re going to celebrate all year long.

We’ll be sharing birthday messages, asking you to join in, and having birthday parties and special swag – more details on all that to come.

We’ll also be looking back on 10 years of covering Texas – and one way we’re going to do that is with top 10 lists. We’re starting by counting down our top 10 Stories from Texas from commentator W.F. Strong.

(We put this list together very scientifically – by asking some staffers about their faves and examining a few web stats. Enjoy!)

10. How three gifts to UT gave all Texans a fourth: the gift of the stars

At No. 10, we have a story about three gifts to one institution that led to a fourth gift for all.

9. Out-Texas me this

Texans are noted for a certain personal pride in being, well, Texan.

It’s something W.F. has often explored in his commentaries – like this one from 2018, which he identified as one of his own favorites.

If you’ve been in Texas for any amount of time you’ve likely seen the “Native Texan” bumper sticker on more than a few vehicles … but more Texan than W.F.? You might want to take that up with him directly.

8. My Valentine

After New Year’s, the next big holiday on the calendar is Valentine’s Day. It’s not everyone’s favorite, but love can come in many forms.

Here, W.F. explores one unexpected way love entered his life. This was another story he identified as one of his favorites.

7. Atrocious but efficient: How ranchers used barbed wire to make phone calls

Some of W.F.’s stories are about his loved ones, others are about what makes Texas unique, and still others explore his own particular sense of history.

No. 7 falls in that category – and was nominated for this list by W.F.’s longtime editor, Managing Producer Laura Rice. It’ll have you looking at things differently on your next drive around some ranch land.

6. The story behind Texas’ favorite butter

When you’re working on a story about butter, there’s little margarine for error – especially when that butter comes in a package labeled “a Texas Tradition since 1909.”

What? You don’t know about this tradition?

In another one of his favorites, W.F. helps spread the history of Falfurrias Butter.

5. Some of the best Texans have been Californians – on the silver screen, at least

Since the Standard began in 2015, the anti-California rhetoric may only have increased.

But as W.F. points out, some of the finest Texans we’ve ever had have been Californians … at least on film. This story was a favorite of Managing Editor Gabrielle Muñoz.

4. Texas used to be smaller

This next story represents one of W.F.’s specialties: unique and under-appreciated bits of Texas history … like how the state became nearly 1,000 square miles bigger. Managing Producer Laura Rice also nominated this one for the list.

3. That time Uncle Dale made us a baseball field

Some of W.F.’s most endearing Stories from Texas have been personal.

This is actually one of the first he ever put together for Texas Standard, way back in May of 2015. But this story, in which Strong looks back on his days on the baseball diamond, stuck with him and with Texas Standard Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar, who nominated this commentary for the list.

2. Anglo settlers were Texas’ original undocumented immigrants

This one from 2017 was inspired by the attention on the border and immigration from the first Trump administration.

And, just like No. 3, it was one of the favorites of both Wells Dunbar and W.F. himself.

1. Top 12 quotes from ‘Lonesome Dove’

To be honest, there was no competition for No. 1. It’s been clear since 2015 that W.F. hit on something special when he put together this Story from Texas.

This story consistently shows up as one of the most popular on our website, despite its age. It was first done to celebrate 30 years since Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call sprung from the mind of author Larry McMurtry.

And two words of warning: There may be a little grown-up language here … and if you’ve been under a rock in Ogallala for the last four decades, there might be a spoiler or two.

Honorable mentions

Since W.F. joined Texas Standard as a regular commentator in 2015, he’s produced more than 200 Stories from Texas. Picking just 10 of our favorites was tough, so we’ve also included a few honorable mentions.

– Almost on the list, a story about W.F.’s brother: Things Redneck Dave said on our drive across Texas.

– Managing Producer Laura Rice nominated The backbreaking work of watermelon season.

– Haven’t you ever wondered about the meaning of Llano Estacado?

– W.F.’s story about getting a colonoscopy inspired Managing Producer Laura Rice to ask her own dad if he had gotten one.

– Reporter/producer Michael Marks nominated this recent story about a phenomenal coincidence.

Three more W.F. said he always hears about from fans:

– Ten songs about loving Texas

– The time it never rained

– Missing Whataburger

W.F.’s latest commentary also seems like an instant classic: Fronters and backers.

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