Popular culture

Texans had more leisure time. Listening to radio programs and watching movies became common pastimes. Radio brought music, news, sports, and entertainment into homes. WBAP in Fort Worth broadcast a country music variety show. Moviemakers used the state’s cowboy culture to make silent movies that thrilled audiences across the country.

Sports also gained popularity. In 1914, the Southwest Conference organized football, basketball, and track competitions among colleges and universities.

In 1877-78, the first telephone line was constructed, the first switchboard was created and the first telephone exchange was in operation. Three years later, almost 49,000 telephones were in use. In 1880, Alexander Graham Bell (in the photo below) merged his company with others to form the American Bell Telephone Company and in 1885 American Telegraph and Telephone Company (AT&T) was formed; it dominated telephone communications for the next century.

One of the main opponents of the Texas Klan was Governor Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson. In 1924 the wife of impeached governor James Ferguson entered the race for governor against Klan candidate

Felix D. Robertson. Her anti-Klan feelings were supported by many. Ferguson did little, however, to help the cause of women. “Ma” Ferguson entered the governor’s race because her husband, James “Pa” Ferguson, had been banned from holding any public office. With “Ma” as governor, “Pa” could run the governor’s office behind the scenes. On the campaign trail, the pair claimed voters would get “two governors for the price of one.” “Ma” Ferguson defeated Robertson in the Democratic primary by more than 100,000 votes. She then defeated the Republican candidate. Ferguson became the first female governor of Texas and one of only two female governors in the country. Like her husband, Ferguson created few reforms and offended many people. She was criticized for pardoning more than 2,000 prisoners and for granting highway contracts to her supporters. In 1926 she lost the governor’s race to Daniel J. Moody, who would guide Texas through tough times.

During the early 1900s, more women joined the workforce. The growing number of schools in the state created a demand for teachers. Women filled many of these teaching positions. The growth of industry also created more job opportunities for women. Some women found jobs as dressmakers in Dallas, for example. Others found jobs as telephone operators, as office workers, and in sales.

http://www.earlyamericanautomobiles.com/

In the early 1900s, many Texans still lived as they had since the end of the Civil War. Most people lived in the rural areas of the state, where they farmed and ranched. Still, changes were starting to occur that would transform Texas. One of the biggest changes was the size of the state’s population.

In 1900, more than 3 million people lived in Texas. By 1930, that number had almost doubled. The state had become the fifth largest in the Union. Immigration accounted for most of that growth. Cheap land attracted people from other parts of the United States and from Europe.

Many people also came from Mexico. In 1900, about 71,000 Mexican Americans lived in Texas. By 1930, that number had reached more than 680,000. African Americans also made up an important part of the population. In fact, one out of every five Texans was of African descent.

The growing population in the state led to an increased demand for food. As a result, crop prices rose. Farmers began to grow more food to keep up with demand. In time, they grew a surplus, or more food than people needed. This caused crop prices to drop. For example, wheat prices went from $2.04 per bushel to $0.33 per bushel.