Back in the ‘90s, in an off-the-grid neighborhood in the mountains of Far West Texas, a wannabe vintner started his own Wild West nation. He called it The Republic of Texas, and he wanted to secede from the United States. At first, his neighbors wrote him off as a joke, a local eccentric. Then, things got very, very serious.

In this six-part series, reporter Zoe Kurland drives the bumpy roads of the Davis Mountains to talk to neighbors, historians, eyewitnesses, and hostages about the real story of the Republic of Texas — and what happens when the myths of the frontier crash violently into reality.

Reported, written and produced by Zoe Kurland. Edited and co-written by Liza Yeager. Editorial support from Lindsey Hauck.