When directors of the Menard Chamber of Commerce wanted to have a really special banquet and awards ceremony in their beautiful new multi-purpose center, they knew they’d need a really special keynote speaker. They invited Bob Lewis, a.k.a. Tumbleweed Smith, and the event was a huge success.

There are probably a few people in the big cities of Texas who have never heard of Tumbleweed Smith, but he’s very well known in many of the smaller towns, where his radio show, newspaper column and personal appearances get enthusiastic reviews. A member of the Society of Earth Scientists called Lewis “the Mark Twain of the Texas Plain,” and the Texas State Legislature officially honored Tumbleweed “for creating a priceless resource of Texas folk tales, lore and wisdom.” Here’s how it all happened.

Bob Lewis was the son of a Fort Worth-area grocery store owner. He graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1953, and studied English and Drama at Baylor University. One of his professors was Paul Baker; “Mr. Theater in the 50s,” Lewis recalls. Baker and others inspired Lewis to pursue a career in show business.

After a stint in the Army during the late 50s, Lewis heard of a job selling advertising for a radio station in Big Spring. His first weekend on the job, he met Susan Zack; they were married in 1963.

While he was working as news director at KHEM radio in Big Spring, Lewis started recording interviews with all kinds of interesting Texans. “The Sound of Texas” became the state’s most widely syndicated Texas feature program, and Lewis’ library of recorded interviews became a treasure trove of Texas lore. He adopted the stage-and-pen name “Tumbleweed Smith” and began writing a newspaper column for dozens of smalltown papers.

In 1973, Tumbleweed began accepting invitations as an after-dinner speaker; at first, he did all the talking. “I told Texas jokes and stories. It was old, boring stuff” He s ...

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