Waco, Texas
 |
Location of Waco, Texas |
Waco is the
county seat of
McLennan County,
Texas. As of the
2000 census, the
city had a total population of 113,726 (however, 2005 estimates place the population at 120,465[
1]). The Waco MSA consists of McLennan County and has a population of 222,439. It came to prominence in the 1990s after an
confrontation between a religious
cult and the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms resulted in the deaths of 74 people and spawned many
conspiracy theories about the role of the
U.S. government in the incident.
|
McLennan County Courthouse |
1824-1865
Prior to the founding of the town, a
Wichita Native American group known as the "Waco" or "Hueco" lived on the land of contemporary downtown Waco west of the
Brazos River. In 1824, on an expedition to the Waco village, Thomas M. Duke reported the following to
Stephen F. Austin: "[T]his town is situated on the West Bank of the River about half a mile from the River[. T]hey have a
spring almost as cold as Ice itself[. A]ll we want is some Brandy and Sugar to have Ice Toddy[. T]hey have about four hundred acres planted in corn beans pumpkins and melons and that tended in good order [sic.] I think they cannot raise more than One Hundred Warriors." After Austin aborted the first attempt to destroy their village in 1825, he made a treaty with them. The Wacos were soon forced to abandon their village due to a
Cherokee invasion in 1830 and moved upstream to what is now
Palo Pinto County (west of
Fort Worth).
Neil McLennan settled in an area near the South
Bosque River in 1838.
Jacob De Cordova bought McLennan's property and hired a former
Texas Ranger and surveyor named
George B. Erath to inspect the area. In 1849, Erath designed the first block of the city. Property owners wanted to name the city "Lamartine", but Erath convinced them to name the area Waco Village, in honor of the Native Americans who had lived there.
In 1845,
Baylor University was founded in
Independence, Texas, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of
Texas. It moved to Waco in 1886 and merged with
Waco University, becoming an integral part of the city. The university's
Strecker Museum was also the oldest continuously operating museum in the state until it closed in 2003, and the collections were moved to the new
Mayborn Museum Complex.
1866-1900
In 1866, the city embarked on an ambitious project to build the first bridge to span the wide
Brazos River. They contacted an architectural firm owned by
John Augustus Roebling in
Trenton, New Jersey to build the 475-foot brick
Waco Suspension Bridge, the longest span of any bridge west of the
Mississippi River at the time of its completion in 1870. Because it was one of the first
suspension bridges built in the
United States, it also was a pioneering engineering feat of the era. The bridge was used as a working prototype for Roebling's later famous work, the
Brooklyn Bridge. The economic effects of the bridge were immediate and large, attracting cattle runs from the nearby
Chisholm Trail and increasing the population of the city, as immigrants now had a safe passage for their horse drawn carriages to cross the river. The bridge is now open only to pedestrian traffic.
In 1873,
AddRan College was founded by brothers
Addison and
Randolph Clark in
Fort Worth. The school moved to Waco in 1895, changing its name to
Add-Ran Christian University and taking up residence in the empty buildings of
Waco Female College. Add-Ran changed its name to
Texas Christian University in 1902 and left Waco after the school's main building burned down in 1910. TCU was offered a 50-acre campus and $200,000 by the city of
Fort Worth to relocate there.
In the late 1800s a red light district called the "Reservation" grew up in Waco. Prostitution was regulated by the city. The Reservation was abolished in the early 1900s.
|
The Dr Pepper Museum is one of Waco's tourist attractions. |
In 1885, the
soft drink Dr Pepper was invented in Waco at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store.
In the 1890s,
William Cowper Brann published the highly successful
Iconoclast newspaper in Waco. One of his targets was
Baylor University. Brann revealed that Baylor officials had been importing South American children recruited by missionaries and making house-servants out of them. Brann was shot in the back by Tom Davis, a Baylor supporter. Brann wheeled, drew his pistol, and killed Davis. Brann was helped home by his friends, and died there of his wounds.
In 1894, the first
Cotton Palace fair and exhibition center was built to reflect the dominant contribution of the agricultural cotton industry in the region. Since the end of the
Civil War, cotton had been cultivated in the Brazos and Bosque valleys, and Waco became known nationwide as a top producer. Over the next 23 years, the annual exposition would welcome over eight million attendees. The opulent building which housed the month-long exhibition was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1910. In 1931, the exposition fell prey to the
Great Depression, and the building was torn down. However, the annual
Cotton Palace Pageant continues to the present day, hosted in late April in conjunction with the
Brazos River Festival.
1901-Present
During
World War I, Waco was the site of two major Army bases,
Camp McArthur and
Rich Field.
In 1923, the
Texas Legislature created the
Tenth Civil Court of Appeals and placed it in Waco. Today it is known as the
10th Court of Appeals.
In 1937, Grover C. Thomsen and R.H. Roark created a soft-drink called "Sun Tang Red Cream Soda". This would later become known as the soft drink
Big Red.
On
May 11,
1953, a
tornado hit downtown Waco killing 114.
As of 2004, it remains the
tenth deadliest tornado in U.S. history and tied for the deadliest in Texas state history.[
2]
In 1964 the
Texas Department of Public Safety designated Waco as the site for the state-designated official museum of the legendary
Texas Rangers law enforcement agency founded in 1823. In 1976 it was further designated the official Hall of Fame for the Rangers and renamed the
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.
In 1978, bones were discovered emerging from the mud at the confluence of the
Brazos River and the
Bosque River. Subsequent excavations revealed that the bones were 28,000 years old and belonged to a species of
mammoth. Eventually, the remains of at least 28 mammoths were found at the site, making it one of the largest findings of its kind in the world. Scholars have puzzled over why such a large herd had been killed all at once.
On
April 19,
1993 a
standoff between federal agents and
Branch Davidians ended in a fire that destroyed their compound located in
Elk, Texas, near Waco. Seventy-six people died in the assault.
Since the
2000 presidential election, Waco has been home to the various news bureaus covering the
Western White House in
Crawford, home of
US President George W. Bush, which is located approximately 25 miles west of Waco.
Waco is located at 31°33'5" North, 97°9'21" West (31.551516, -97.155930).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 247.4
km² (95.5
mi²). 218.1 km² (84.2 mi²) of it is land and 29.3 km² (11.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 11.85% water.Crawford actually is a suburb of Waco, and within the Waco MSMA.
As of the
census of 2000, there are 113,726 people in the city, organized into 42,279 households and 24,775 families. The
population density is 521.5/km² (1,350.6/mi²). There are 45,819 housing units at an average density of 210.1/km² (544.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 60.78%
White, 22.65%
African American, 1.38%
Asian, 0.51%
Native American, 0.05%
Pacific Islander, 12.38% from
other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. 23.64% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There are 42,279 households out of which 29.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% are
married couples living together, 16.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% are non-families. 31.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.49 and the average family size is 3.19.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 20.3% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 16.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,264, and the median income for a family is $33,919. Males have a median income of $26,902 versus $21,159 for females. The
per capita income for the city is $14,584. 26.3% of the population and 19.3% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.9% of those under the age of 18 and 13.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Major Waco attractions include:
* Armstrong Browning Library [
3]
* Art Center Waco [
4]
* Baylor University [
5]
*
Cameron Park Zoo[
6]
*
Dr Pepper Museum [
7]
* Historic Homes [
8]
* Homestead Heritage [
9]
*
Lake Waco [
10]
*
Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas [
11]
*
Mayborn Museum Complex[
12]
*
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum[
13]
* Texas Sports Hall of Fame [
14]
*
Waco Suspension Bridge [
15] [
16]
See also:
Neighborhoods of WacoThe
American Basketball Association has announced an expansion franchise for the 2006-2007 season, the
Waco Wranglers. The team is scheduled to begin play in November 2006 at
Reicher Catholic High School. The team practices at
Texas State Technical College.
Previous professional sports franchises in Waco have proven unsuccessful. The
Waco Marshals of the
National Indoor Football League lasted less than two months amidst a midseason ownership change in 2004. (The team became the beleaguered
Cincinnati Marshals the following year.)
The
Waco Wizards of the now-defunct
Western Professional Hockey League fared better, lasting into a fourth season before folding in 2000.
Both teams played at the
Heart O' Texas Coliseum, one of Waco's largest entertainment and sports venues.
See also: Baylor University: Notable AlumniSports
*
Lance Berkman, born in Waco, is a
Major League Baseball player for the
Houston Astros.
*
Kwame Cavil, born in Waco, is a
Canadian Football League wide receiver for the
Edmonton Eskimos.
*
Zach Duke, graduated from
Midway High School in Waco, is a
Major League Baseball player for the
Pittsburgh Pirates.
*
Andy Hawkins, born in Waco, is a former
major-league pitcher. A right-handed starter, Hawkins spent most of his career with the
San Diego Padres, and also played for the
New York Yankees and briefly for the
Oakland Athletics.
*
Sherrill Headrick, born in Waco, came to the
American Football League's
Dallas Texans as an undrafted linebacker. He went on to star for the Texans and the
Kansas City Chiefs.
*
Derrick Johnson, NFL football player for the
Kansas City Chiefs is from Waco. He received the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player and the
Dick Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker playing for The
University of Texas in 2004. His family lives in
Hallsburg, Texas, approximately 15 miles (24 km) from Waco.
*
Michael Johnson,
U.S. sprinter; graduated from
Baylor University in 1990.
*
Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco, is an
American football running back who currently plays for the
Indianapolis Colts.
*
Bill Rogers, born in Waco, is best known as the winner of the 1981
British Open.
*
LaDainian Tomlinson,
NFL football player for the
San Diego Chargers; born in
Rosebud, grew up in Waco, and went to
University High School.
*
Pro Baseball Players from Waco Kevin Belcher 8/8/1967 CF-RF MLB 1990-1990
Lance Berkman 2/10/1976 LF-RF MLB 1999-2006
Buzz Dozier 8/31/1927 P MLB 1947-1949
Louis Drucke 12/3/1888 P MLB 1909-1912
Boob Fowler 11/11/1900 SS MLB 1923-1926
Charlie Gorin 2/6/1928 P MLB 1954-1955
Donald Harris 11/12/1967 CF-RF MLB 1991-1993
Andy Hawkins 1/21/1960 P MLB 1982-1991
Al Jackson 12/25/1935 P MLB 1959-1969
Scott Jordan 5/27/1963 CF MLB 1988-1988
Rudy Law 10/7/1956 OF MLB 1978-1986
Dutch Meyer 10/6/1915 2B MLB 1940-1946
Arthur Rhodes 10/24/1969 P MLB 1991-2006
Schoolboy Rowe 1/11/1910 P MLB 1933-1949
Ted Wilborn 12/16/1958 OF MLB 1979-1980
Movies
*
Shannon Elizabeth, who was born in
Houston, grew up in Waco, and would later gain fame with the movie
American Pie.
*
Peri Gilpin was born in Waco, and raised in
Dallas, and is best known for her television character
Roz on the hit series
Frasier.
*
Thomas Harris, a student at
Baylor University, worked as reporter for the local newspaper, the
Waco Tribune-Herald, covering the police beat. He would later write
The Silence of the Lambs*
Jennifer Love Hewitt, an actress and singer, was born in Waco, and raised in
Killeen.
*
Steve Martin, the comedian, was born in Waco; his family moved to
California when he was around six years old.
*
Terrence Malick was born in Waco, and is a movie director (
The Thin Red Line)
*
Kevin Reynolds was born and raised in Waco and is a movie director (
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,
The Count of Monte Cristo)
* John Stewart was born and raised in Waco, he is a
Hollywood Movie Director and Actor
* The Movie
Where the Heart Is starring
Natalie Portman -
Ashley Judd and
Stockard Channing was filmed in Waco.
* Damon Crump was born and raised in Waco, he is a movie director.
*
Texas Guinan Hollywood Actress from 1917 to 1933 She was active in
vaudeville and theater, and was in many movies (often as the gun-toting hero in silent westerns, more than a match for any man) she also had successful career as the hostess in night clubs and
speakeasies in
New York City*
Jules Bledsoe When the Broadway premiere of
"Show Boat" was delayed in 1927 by Ziegfeld,
Paul Robeson became unavailable, so Jules Bledsoe stepped in. He played and sang the role of Joe, introducing
"Ol' Man River" his full name was Julius C. Bledsoe.
* The Movie Action U.S.A. was filmed in Waco in 1988
Music
* The
David Crowder Band emerged from students at
Baylor University. Their September 2005 release of
A Collision landed them the #2 spot on the
iTunes Music Store and the #39 spot on
Billboard 200 only one day after its release.
*
Pat Green,
Country music singer/songwriter, was raised in Waco and his parents still reside there.
*
Roy Hargrove, a
Grammy Award-winning
jazz trumpeter, was born and raised in Waco.
*
Hi-Five, a successful
R&B group who had hits in the 1990s including "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)", is from Waco.
*
Willie Nelson, country music singer/songwriter was born in nearby
Abbott, Texas and attended Baylor University for one year.
*
Ted Nugent, rock musician owns a ranch near Waco which served as the set of a Reality TV show on
MTV in 2004.
*
Bill Payne from the band
Little Feat was born in Waco.
*
Jessica and
Ashlee Simpson were raised in Waco and their grandparents still reside in nearby
McGregor.
*
Hank Thompson, was born in Waco and is a
country music singer who was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame and
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
*
Fisher Tull, classical composer.
Politics
*
Leon Jaworski, who prosecuted Nazi war criminals during the
Nuremburg trials and then was the
special prosecutor who brought down the
Nixon administration during the
Watergate scandal, was born and raised in Waco.
*
Ann Richards, former
governor of Texas and keynote speaker at the
1988 Democratic National Convention, was born in the Waco suburb of
Lacy-Lakeview.
Other
*
T. Berry Brazelton, born in Waco, is a noted
pediatrician and author. Major hospitals throughout the world use the Brazelton
Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS).
*
Heloise, of the "Hints from Heloise" column, was born in Waco. Her column addresses lifestyle hints, including consumer issues, pets, travel, food, home improvement, health and much more.
*
Doris (Dorie) Miller, born in Waco, was an
African American cook in the
United States Navy and a hero during the
attack on Pearl Harbor on
December 7,
1941. He was the first African American to be awarded the
Navy's second highest honor, the
Navy Cross. Actor
Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed Miller in the 2001 movie
Pearl Harbor.
*
C. Wright Mills, born in Waco, was a noted
sociologist. Among other topics he was concerned with the responsibilities of intellectuals in post-
World War II society, and advocated relevance and engagement over disinterested academic observation.
*Dr. Allen Bussey, a Waco resident, set a yo-yo world record with 20,302 consecutive loops on April 23, 1977. [
17]
*
Robert Wilson, born in Waco, is an internationally acclaimed stage director.
*
David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidians, died with 75 others during the famous
Waco Siege.
*
*
The Official Website of Waco, Texas*
The Great Waco Train Wreck
