Ranger Thomas and Nolichucky Fred reunite with Isaac White (Crockett Tavern, Morristown) and Dalton Wade (Friends Group VP) to debrief their 9-day, 2,700-mile road trip retracing David Crockett's journey from his Tennessee birthplace to the Alamo; arriving in time for the 190th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo on March 6th.

The Route:

• Murfreesboro, TN — Crockett's early political career
• Lawrenceburg, TN — David Crockett State Park, the magistrate's office reconstruction, and a lakeside cabin (everything else: under renovation)
• Memphis, TN — Filmed the "Y'all can go to hell, I'm going to Texas" speech on the DeSoto Bridge; released as Gone to Texas
• Little Rock, AR — The "David vs. Davy" debate at the riverfront, inspired by the 1835 Arkansas Gazette
• DeKalb, TX — Filmed on school property; the cop who showed up ended up asking for a photo and screaming "Remember the Alamo!" out his window
• Nacogdoches, TX — Old Stone Fort Museum, site of Crockett's Oath of Allegiance; battled city buses, school groups, and a kid who mistook Fred for Indiana Jones
• Crockett, TX — Dinner at the Davy Crockett Grill (in-house pork rinds, a coonskin cap on the door, and a two-pound "Mr. Crockett" burger)
• San Antonio, TX (3 days) — Held a first-edition Narrative with Crockett's handwritten letter; watched Alamo: The Price of Freedom; visited the San Fernando Cathedral; ran the mobile homestead exhibit all day at the 190th dawn ceremony; Isaac stood with Crockett descendants for the wreath-laying; bagpipes played Amazing Grace; Ranger Thomas gave an epic speech and bestowed the Crockett stone to the alamo... and yes, the boys sparred (verbally) with Santa Anna
• San Felipe de Austin, TX — One of the best stops: living history interpreters, a printing press, touch-screen exhibits, and Travis's legal paperwork
• San Jacinto, TX — The monument, Charlton Heston's intro film, Jean Lafitte's sword, and filming in the oak grove on the Texian encampment site
• Lafayette, LA — Crawfish étouffée at Prejean's; survived a hurricane warning, a broken elevator, and a flooded parking lot (and rescued a mama crawfish!)
• Fort Mims & Tallushatchee, AL — Creek War sites; left a sweet potato memorial in honor of Crockett's infamous taters; Fred nearly knocked down the fort
• Montgomery, AL — Final overnight; and... Fred got his McDonald's

Highlights A French tourist called Fred a hillbilly. Fred accidentally flipped off half of Arkansas. A man in Crockett, TX assumed Fred owned the restaurant. Isaac stood beside Crockett descendants at the Alamo dawn ceremony. The trip's soundtrack: Fat Bottomed Girls, Free Bird, and Another One Bites the Dust — every. single. day.

Park Update: ~$62M approved for the David Crockett Birthplace rebirth. Funds unlock July 2026. Groundbreaking expected late 2027/early 2028. Follow all road trip videos on the park's Facebook and Instagram.

Links:

• Friends of David Crockett Birthplace State Park – Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/479055350053156/
• Park website: tnstateparks.com → David Crockett Birthplace
• The Crockett Tavern: https://crocketttavernmuseum.org/

"Be always sure you're right, then go ahead." – David Crockett

Ranger Thomas and Nolichucky Fred are hitting the road to San Antonio! Joined by Isaac White (Crockett portrayer of the Crockett Tavern Museum) and Dalton Wade (Vice President of the Friends of David Crockett Birthplace State Park), they preview their nine-day pilgrimage retracing Crockett's footsteps from his Tennessee birthplace to the Alamo.

In this episode:

• 2026 marks the 190th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, Crockett's 240th birthday, and America's 250th anniversary
• Full itinerary: Birthplace → Crockett Tavern → Murfreesboro → Lawrenceburg → Memphis → Little Rock → Nacogdoches → Crockett, TX → Washington-on-the-Brazos → San Antonio
• The park will gift a piece of the birthplace to the Alamo, cementing the bond between the two sites
• Discussion of Crockett's real life: his opposition to the Indian Removal Bill, his falling out with Andrew Jackson, and what drove him to Texas
• The rebirth of David Crockett Birthplace State Park after Hurricane Helene (Sept. 2024) — the mobile homestead trailer as a symbol of frontier resilience
• Plans to raise funds for museum interpretation via the Go Ahead Fund

Links:

• Friends of David Crockett Birthplace State Park – Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/479055350053156/
• Park website: tnstateparks.com → David Crockett Birthplace
• The Crockett Tavern: https://crocketttavernmuseum.org/

"Be always sure you're right, then go ahead." – David Crockett

The Wild Frontier Podcast – Episode 5: The Alamo & David's Legacy

Recorded on location at David Crockett Birthplace State Park, Limestone, Tennessee

Hosts: Ranger Thomas & Nolichucky Fred

Episode Summary

Ranger Thomas and Nolichucky Fred follow David Crockett on his final journey — from his famous "Y'all may all go to hell, I'm going to Texas" speech in Memphis to the fateful morning of March 6, 1836. They explore the Texas Revolution, the legends and mysteries of the Alamo, and Crockett's enduring legacy in American culture.

Topics Covered

• The Texas Revolution – Conflict between Anglo-American settlers, Tejanos, and Santa Anna's government, fueled by the abolition of the 1824 Constitution, immigration restrictions, and religious tensions.
• David's Journey to Texas – Crockett's celebrated stop in Little Rock (November 1835), where newspaper accounts of Sam Houston's call to arms may have changed his plans from land-seeking to revolution.
• Into Texas – Crockett names the town of De Kalb, hunts buffalo near Clarksville, and writes home calling Texas "the garden spot of the world."
• The Oath of Allegiance – In Nacogdoches (January 1836), Crockett refuses to sign until the oath is amended to guarantee a Republican government.
• The Alamo – Crockett arrives with a small band, joins Travis and Bowie, and gives a speech pledging to defend "the liberties of our common country" as a "high private."
• The 13-Day Siege – Santa Anna lays siege. Travis notes Crockett was "seen at all points animating the men." The hosts discuss Louis Rose — reportedly the one man who left — and the mystery of how many defenders actually remained.
• The Fall (March 6, 1836) – The pre-dawn assault ends the siege. Conflicting accounts of Crockett's fate — fighting to the last, captured, or executed — mean the full truth may never be known.
• David's Legacy & Pop Culture – From the 1848 fictionalized Colonel Crockett's Exploits (panned by Edgar Allan Poe) to the Davy Crockett almanacs, and the explosion sparked by Disney's King of the Wild Frontier (1955). Films discussed include the 1960 John Wayne Alamo and Billy Bob Thornton's 2004 version.

Coming Up

The crew heads to San Antonio to retrace Crockett's steps for the 190th Anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo. Next episode features the road trip crew ahead of the pilgrimage.

Connect with the Park

• Join the Friends of David Crockett Birthplace State Park – Facebook: Friends of David Crockett Birthplace State Park

https://www.facebook.com/groups/479055350053156/

• Park Website: tnstateparks.com → David Crockett Birthplace

"Be always sure you're right, then go ahead." — David Crockett