“Texas” is a 1970s educational film series produced by KHOU-TV. From Spurs to Spindletop, hosted by revered Houston newsman Ron Stone, focuses on the history of Texas after the Civil War. Part II discusses the rise and fall of several Texas cities, from ghost towns like Helena and Indianola to the bustling hubs of Abilene and Dallas. It also highlights two turning points in Texas industry: the introduction of barbed wire fence and the discovery of oil at Spindletop.
Called “perhaps the most popular and revered news anchor the city [of Houston] has ever known” by the Houston Chronicle, Ron Stone was born in Hannah, Oklahoma on April 6, 1936. He began his career as a broadcaster in Ada, Oklahoma in the 1950s, working as a radio disc jockey and television news anchor. In 1961, Stone caught the attention of Houston newsman Dan Rather, who hired Stone as an anchor and reporter for KHOU-TV. In 1973, Stone moved to Houston’s KPRC-TV, where he worked as a news anchor for 20 years.
After retiring from television news in 1992, Stone formed his own production company, Stonefilms, Inc., with his son. In 1999, he took over hosting the regional television series The Eyes of Texas, which focused on unique people, places, and events across the state. Stone also authored several books on Texas history, including The Book of Texas Days, Disaster at Texas City, and Houston: Simply Spectacular.
Stone died of cancer on May 13, 2008.
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