You think moving a piano is a pain now: Try doing it over rough terrain ... with no moving van.
Some of the women who came with their families to Texas in the early days of the 1800's insisted on bringing their pianos with them. While many of these women came from more genteel Southern backgrounds, the rough and rugged environment in Texas did nothing to dampen their spirits or enthusiasm.
So says former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. She might be considered a trailblazing Texas women herself. In 1993, she was the first woman elected to the U-S Senate from the Lone Star State. In her new book Unflinching Courage: Pioneering Women Who Shaped Texas, Hutchison highlights Texas pioneers from Jane Long, also known as the Mother of Texas, to Oveta Culp Hobby, who left her mark on politics, the military and media.
Hutchison talked with KUT's Jennifer Stayton recently about the stories of these remarkable women, and the ways Texas today does - and does not- reflect their heritage and spirit. Click on the player on this page to hear that interview.