Shows
Rooted in the PlainsWhen Fences Became Phone LinesIn the 1890s, Great Plains farmers faced a problem: they desperately needed telephones, but the Bell Telephone Company thought rural areas were too expensive and unsophisticated to serve. So, farmers built their own system—using barbed wire fences. By 1920, these homemade networks had made farmers more connected than city dwellers. This is the story of whiskey bottle insulators, party line eavesdropping, and how the devil's rope became a lifeline across the isolated prairie.Want to see more? See historical photos and more glimpses of prairie life on Instagram: @rootedintheplainsWant to learn more?"A...
2026-01-2119 min
RadioNemo Guest InterviewsExploring the Devil’s Rope Barbwire Museum with Leigh Anne Isbell | Road Gang RadioOn this episode of Road Gang Radio, hosts Lindsay Lawler and Jimmy Mac sit down with Leigh Anne Isbell, Curator and Manager of the Devil’s Rope Barbwire Museum in McLean, Texas.Learn about the fascinating history behind the museum, which has been preserving the world’s largest collection of barbed wire and Texas Route 66 memorabilia for over 30 years. Leigh Anne shares how the museum began, thanks to the dedication of Barbwire Collectors Delbert and Ruth Trew, and how it continues to serve as a free, nonprofit museum for visitors and history enthusiasts alike.
2025-10-0717 min
Route 66 Podcast55. Barbed Wire Museum, McLean, TX The Devil's Rope (Barbed Wire) Museum along Route 66 in Mclean, TX, is probably one of the most unusual museums along The Mother Road. Join host Anthony Arno, as he talks with 90 year old curator Delbert Trew all about his museum and collection of over 800 different types of barbed wire. Cited as one of the most important inventions during the Industrial Revolution, the museum features anything and everything related to barbed wire, including art, tools, medicines, books, and use during warfare. There are many interesting museums along Route 66, but perhaps one of the most...
2023-11-071h 04