Clockmaster's Hour

Brandon Gray

A podcast connecting the past, present and future of Caldwell County through oral history. My name is Brandon Gray and I live in Lockhart, Texas.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 6 - Sandy and Cheryl Dozier

    Sandy and Cheryl Dozier talk about their roots in Lockhart, why it’s good not to be a jerk, and how photography connected them more deeply to their community. We also talk about Lockhart’s rapid change and why they’re not pulling their hair out about it.

    Episode 6 - Sandy and Cheryl Dozier

  2. Aug 5

    Episode 5- Doug DeGirolamo and the Cathedral of Community Theatre

    My guest today is Doug DeGirolamo. Doug is the Artistic Director of the Gaslight-Baker Theatre here in Lockhart and most recently directed its production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

    Episode 5- Doug DeGirolamo and the Cathedral of Community Theatre

  3. Jul 29

    Episode 4- Luca Newkirk: Lockhart's Clock Lady

    Today’s guest is Luca Newkirk. Luca apprenticed at Lockhart's now-closed Southwest Museum of Clocks and Watches from 2023 until its closure in 2025. She now operates Central Time Clock Repair Company alongside Lazarus Dugas, serving the horological needs of Caldwell County. Luca was also the star and central subject of my film Clockmaster, which documented the museum during its final year of operation. While many of these conversations on Clockmaster’s Hour are with old-timers, I'm just as interested in the threads that connect one generation to the next. Luca is part of that weave.

    Episode 4- Luca Newkirk: Lockhart's Clock Lady

  4. Jul 22

    Episode 3 — Two Generations: Roberto Mendez and Richard Mendez

    Roberto Méndez is 91 years old. He went from shining shoes on the Lockhart square as a boy to owning two buildings on it today. He is the son of Pablo and Frances Mendez, from San Luis Potosí, Mexico. This conversation is recorded in Henry's Restaurant, where Roberto drinks coffee every morning. And as a bonus, my conversation with Roberto is followed by a conversation with his son, Richard Mendez, age 61. Richard manages A-1 Bail Bonds with his sister, Belinda, in the building on Market Street that Roberto bought in 1969.

    Episode 3 — Two Generations: Roberto Mendez and Richard Mendez

  5. Jul 15

    Episode 2 – The Swearingen Family Legacy, the Murder of Carter Flowers, and the Graphic Novels of Jack Jackson: A Conversation with Jessamin Swearingen

    Today's guest is Jessamin Swearingen. Through her fourth great-grandfather, A. L. Brock, and the Swearingen family, her roots reach back to the foundational beginnings of Lockhart. Nearly 180 years after her ancestors first settled here, Jessamin became the first Swearingen in that direct line to be born outside of Texas. I was connected with Jessamin through her cousin, Philip Norman, who told me she had been researching her family's history with the goal of turning it into a graphic novel. That research became the starting point for our conversation. As a quick note, you’re gonna hear us mention Jack Jackson several times throughout this episode. Jackson was a Texas-born illustrator, historian, and pioneer of the underground comix movement. He created books such as Los Tejanos, Lost Cause, Commanche Moon, and The Alamo: An Epic Told from Both Sides. And you should check him out.

  6. Jul 9

    Episode 1- Segregation, The Navarro School, and the Two Spanish Movie Houses: Recollections from Velia Sanchez and Rose Marie Lockwood

    Welcome to the first episode of Clockmaster's Hour, a podcast connecting the past, present, and future of Caldwell County through oral history. My name is Brandon Gray and I live in Lockhart, Texas. In this first episode, I’m joined by cousins and lifelong friends Velia Sanchez and Rose Marie Lockwood. Velia is the daughter of Cruz Garcia Sanchez and Adela Mayo Sanchez. Rose Marie was raised by her grandparents, Monico and Dolores Cisneros. As children in the 1940s, they attended the Navarro School, Lockhart’s segregated school for children of Mexican ancestry and Spanish-speaking families. Before it became known as the Navarro School, it was simply called the Mexican School. It closed shortly following integration in the 1950s.

    Episode 1- Segregation, The Navarro School, and the Two Spanish Movie Houses: Recollections from Velia Sanchez and Rose Marie Lockwood
  • 6 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A podcast connecting the past, present and future of Caldwell County through oral history. My name is Brandon Gray and I live in Lockhart, Texas.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Gray
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Clockmaster's Hour