Who I AM

A river historian slightly smiles for the camera.

I am a river historian who tells stories about how rivers have made us into the people we are today. I earned a PhD in American History from Columbia University, but my personal experiences also inform my research on the Trinity. As a boy, I spent countless hours shooting trash in the river or discovering fossils buried in its muddy streambed.

The Trinity has been a site of incredible achievement, unbearable suffering, and inspiring resilience. These stories are all the more important in a place like Texas, with its sprawling cities that give the impression that there is no history older than a few decades. Watching the Trinity flow by can be a comforting sight, but it is also a connection to our history and all of the people who have called the river home.

A river historian poses for the camera.

Learn about My Work

  • Since they tell me no one makes money writing books anymore, historical consulting ensures I get compensated as a historian. Do you need in-depth historical research and a thoughtful perspective for your business or institution? Then visit me at the Oxbow History Company.

  • Interested in the history of rivers other than the Trinity? Then click here.

  • I’ll be posting regular updates on YouTube here.

  • If you want to see the hundreds of books I read for my PhD or the venues I’ve published in, from the Journal of Southern History to the Dallas Morning News, then click here to visit my professional site.

  • Lectures, book signings, and river paddle events will be posted here as they are scheduled.

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