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Waco, Texas

Everything Waco is known for

95 songs mention this city 71 artists from here

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Waco, Texas, located on the I-35 corridor between Dallas and Austin, boasts a diverse musical landscape. The city has been designated a "Music Friendly City" by the state. While known for attractions like the historic Waco Suspension Bridge and Baylor University, Waco also has a strong connection to music.

With 63 artists calling Waco home and 68 songs mentioning the city, its musical identity is evident. Notable artists from Waco include gospel singer Kari Jobe, hip-hop artist Wacotron, and jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. The city is also referenced in songs such as "George's Bar" by Pat Green and "The Man from Waco" by Charley Crockett.

Music in Waco

Songs About Waco

George’s Bar
Pat Green
96%
"My brother and I used to go down to Georges Bar"
Waco Drive
Wacotron
90%
"Waco Drive"
don't let me die in waco
croy and the boys
85%
Before You Reach Waco
Wilson Getchell
85%
wacko for waco
billy joe shaver
85%
The Man from Waco
Charley Crockett
83%
"The man from Waco"
Don’t Let Me Die In Waco
Croy and the Boys
83%
"Don't let me die in Waco"
Something’s Going Down in Waco
The Indelicates
83%
"Something’s Going Down in Waco"
'Cross the Brazos at Waco
Billy Walker
83%
"Cross the Brazos at Waco"
Cross The Brazos At Waco
Billy Walker
82%
"Cross the Brazos at Waco"
Waco
The Charlie Daniels Band
82%
"Waco"
Waco Kool-Aid
Andrew Duhon
82%
"Take a little sip of that Waco Kool-Aid"
Waco Express
The Waco Brothers
80%
"Get on board the Waco Express again"
The Waco Song!
The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns
80%
"Song about Waco"
Waco
Corbin
80%
"Song about Waco"
Waco* (Bonus Track)
The Mountain Goats
80%
"Song about Waco"
Waco Moon
Todd Snider
79%
"Yellow Rose, Waco Moon"
Waco TX (Bright Lines)
ForEach Loop
79%
"TITLE"
Waco: the White Man's Wounded Knee
Russell Means
79%
"Waco"
Wacko From Waco (Single)
Billy Joe Shaver
79%
"TITLE"

Showing top 20 of 95 songs · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Artists From Waco

K
Kari Jobe
gospel
A
Ashlee Simpson
pop
W
Wade Bowen
country
P
Pat Green
country
R
Roy Hargrove
jazz
H
Hi-Five
r-n-b
S
Steve Martin
other
S
Strange Fruit Project
hip-hop
J
Jennifer Love Hewitt
pop
W
Wacotron
hip-hop
K
Kristen Kelly
country
J
Jarrod Dickenson
americana
D
DogBite
punk
T
Tom Wilson
rock
C
Carolyn Hester
folk
B
Brian Wright
americana
J
James Hand
country
T
Tony Thompson
r-n-b
W
When Forever Ends
metal
T
The Changing Times
rock

Showing top 20 of 71 artists · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Rivers & Roads in Song near Waco

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Waco.

Interstate 35 45 songs Brazos River 43 songs

Musical Heritage

Billy Joe Shaver RoadyGoat

If you've heard Waylon Jennings' Honky Tonk Heroes, you've basically heard a Billy Joe Shaver record — Shaver wrote nearly every song on it. He lived up in Waco, he was right in the thick of Willie Nelson's exodus out of Nashville, and he wrote like a man with nothing left to lose. He also, famously, shot a man in the face at a bar down in Lorena — because Billy Joe Shaver was never just a songwriter; he was the character in the songs. Late in the game, he found a young singer's CDs sitting on his own merch table, gave them a listen, and started pushing Amanda Shires to keep writing. Shaver died in 2020. But every hard-luck outlaw ballad you've ever loved owes a little something to the man from Waco.

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Honky Tonk Heroes' by Waylon Jennings (1973) RoadyGoat

Here's a Waco story that's really a Billy Joe Shaver story. In 1973, Waylon Jennings put out an album called "Honky Tonk Heroes," and nine of its songs came from one pen — Shaver's, the hard-living poet long tied to Waco. That's rare air: a major country star handing most of a record to a near-unknown songwriter because the songs were just that good. It came out the same year as Willie Nelson's "Shotgun Willie," and here's the twist — neither one was a hit when it dropped. No charts, no fireworks. Just two records the rest of country music would eventually have to answer to. Waylon fought his own label to make this one his way. And the fellow who really won? The songwriter from Waco nobody had heard of yet.

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Elvis's Home Away From Home RoadyGoat

When Elvis Presley was drafted and stationed at Fort Hood in nineteen fifty eight, he spent a lot of his free time here in Waco, at a house on Lasker Avenue. It belonged to Eddie Fadal, a disc jockey who had met Elvis before he was famous. When Elvis played Waco's Heart O' Texas Coliseum in nineteen fifty six, Fadal got a message to him through the bodyguards and invited him over after the show, and Elvis and his band showed up at midnight with their instruments strapped to the roof of the car. Two years later, unhappy in the Army, Elvis became almost one of the family. The Fadals fixed up a den for him, painted pink and black and stocked with records, and Elvis's mother, Gladys, taught Mrs. Fadal how to cook his favorite dishes.

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The Waco Kid Who Plugged In Bob Dylan RoadyGoat

Tom Wilson grew up in Waco, in a church where his father directed the choir, and he went on to change rock and roll. After Fisk and Harvard he started a small jazz label, and then, as a producer at Columbia Records, he made early Bob Dylan albums, pushed Dylan toward an electric sound and produced Like a Rolling Stone. He also produced Simon and Garfunkel's first album, which went nowhere. Then, without telling them, he added an electric band to one of its songs, The Sound of Silence, and it became a smash. At another label he signed Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and made the first Velvet Underground album. He died in nineteen seventy eight, and he's buried back home in Waco.

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History of Waco

Waco, TX RoadyGoat

In 1916, a black teenager named Jesse Washington was tortured, mutilated, and burned to death in the town square by a mob that seized him from the courthouse. About 15,000 spectators, mostly citizens of Waco, were present. The Waco Horror drew international condemnation and became the cause célèbre of the nascent NAACP's antilynching campaign. In 2006, the Waco City Council officially condemned the lynching, and on the centenary of the lynching, May 15, 2016, the mayor apologized in a ceremony to some of Washington's descendants.

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Ice Toddy on the Brazos: The 1824 Scout Report RoadyGoat

1824

In June 1824, Stephen F. Austin sent Thomas M. Duke up the Brazos to look over the Waco village that stood where downtown Waco stands today. Duke came on hard business, asking after a killing and stolen horses and counting fighting men, but his report to Austin keeps sliding into admiration for the place: "This town is situated on the West Bank of the river. They have a spring almost as cold as ice itself. All we want is some Brandy and Sugar to have Ice Toddy. They have about 400 acres planted in corn, beans, pumpkins, and melons, and that tended in good order. I think they cannot raise more than One Hundred Warriors." -- Thomas M. Duke to Stephen F. Austin, June 1824, The Austin Papers The spring he wanted to build a drink around is why the city is here at all. It is the one Indian Spring Park is named for, on the west bank beside the suspension bridge.

Brann the Iconoclast RoadyGoat

In the eighteen nineties the most famous writer in Waco was William Cowper Brann, and his paper, the Iconoclast, reached something like a hundred thousand readers. His favorite target was Baylor University. In October of eighteen ninety seven, Baylor students kidnapped him and hauled him onto the campus to make him take it back, and days later a judge and two other men beat him. In November, one of Brann's allies, a former county judge named G. B. Gerald, fought it out on the street with the Harris brothers, who edited the Waco Times-Herald. Both brothers were killed. Then, on the first of April, eighteen ninety eight, downtown, a Baylor supporter named Tom Davis shot Brann in the back. Brann turned and emptied his own pistol at Davis, and both men died. Brann is buried in Oakwood Cemetery under a monument carved with the word Truth, and the stone profile of his face carries a bullet hole.

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Waco Tornado of 1953

1953

On May 11, 1953, an F5 tornado struck downtown Waco, killing 114 people and injuring 597. It was the deadliest tornado in Texas history.

Historical Marker →

Miller, Dorris

1941

Doris (Dorie) Miller was reared on a farm in McLennan County, Texas, and attended Waco's A.J. Moore High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the battleship "USS West Virginia" in 1940. The "West Virginia" was docked in Pearl Harbor when it was struck by a Japanese torpedo on December 7, 1941. Moments after the torpedo hit, an explosion on a nearby ship showered the "West Virginia's" deck with burning debris and flaming oil. Miller helped move his wounded captain to safety, then maneuvered through the flame-swept deck and took over a machine gun position. Though never trained as an aerial gunner, he confidently shot down four enemy aircraft. Miller reacted with such extraordinary skill and bravery in the defense of his ship that he became the first African American to receive the Navy Cross. Fellow Texan Admiral Chester Nimitz awarded him the Navy Cross on May 7, 1942. Miller died when his ship, the "USS Linscombe Bay," was torpedoed in 1943. The destroyer "USS Miller" was named in his honor in 1973. Miller, posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and honored by associations, cemeteries, parks, naval bases, and other organizations across the nation, is credited with helping break down the color barrier in the Navy.

Historical Marker →

Dr Pepper Company

1885

The Dr Pepper Company has operated in the Dallas area since being officially incorporated on July 6, 1923 under the State of Colorado. The company marketed Dr Pepper fountain syrups and sold soft drink concentrates to independent franchised bottlers. These licensed bottlers then added sweeteners and carbonated water, package the result, and sold the finished product in the surrounding market. Dr Pepper is currently part of a network of soft drinks under the umbrella company Keurig Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper was first made in Waco, Texas, in 1885. Wade B. Morrison, owner of Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store, employed a pharmacist named Charles Courtice Alderton, who, when not filling prescriptions, often mixed soft drinks for customers from the soda fountain. Alderton enjoyed experimenting with various combinations of fruit extracts and sweeteners. One combination of twenty-three flavors proved enormously popular with drugstore patrons. This drink was originally called a Waco, and later Morrison would name it Dr Pepper. There are many different myths about how the drink got its name, but all are unsubstantiated, and no one knows exactly why Morrison chose the drink name. As the consumption of Dr Pepper increased, Morrison's drugstore could no longer produce a sufficient quantity of the beverage. In an effort to satisfy the demand, Morrison, along with Waco beverage chemist Robert S. Lazenby, started the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company in 1891. On September 8, 1898, the Southwestern Soda Fountain Company of Dallas purchased the rights to produce and sell Dr. Pepper fountain syrups. On September 25, 1902, Southwestern Soda Fountain changed its name to Dr. Pepper Company. In 1904, the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company took Dr Pepper to the world stage at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. The company purchased a plot of land at the corner of 5th and Mary Street in Waco for $6,000 in July 1905, and selected Milton Scott, a local architect, to design their state-of-the-art Richardsonian-Romanesque company headquarters building. The production of Dr. Pepper and other beverages began in 1906 at this location, now known as The Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute. The Southwestern Soda Fountain Company of Dallas moved to Waco in 1907 into the new facility that included both syrup and bottling production. The Circle "A" Corporation founded by Robert S. Lazenby purchased the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Works in 1920 to become the only bottler of Dr Pepper concentrate. On June 12, 1923, because of rising commodity prices and high bottling taxes, Circle "A" Corporation went bankrupt. Less than a month later, the remnants of the old Dr. Pepper Company and Circle "A" Corporation officially incorporated as the Dr. Pepper Company on July 6, 1923, in Dallas. Lazenby's son-in-law, John B. O'Hara, was named general manager of the firm. In those early years, the struggling firm developed a small but loyal following in the South and Southwest. The company prospered on Second Avenue in Dallas using prolific advertising to propel the beverage to the front of the soft drink industry. The “10-2-4” logo and slogan developed during the 1920s. Dr. Walter H. Eddy conducted a study on the human body’s fatigue at Columbia University. He found that a human blood sugar fell to the lowest levels around 10:30am, 2:30pm and 4:30pm, which left them feeling tired and hungry. At the time, the Dr Pepper Company employed the Tracy-Locke-Dawson (TLD) agency for their advertising. In 1926 after learning of Dr. Eddy’s study, the company asked employees to develop a new slogan for the brand. Earle Racey of TLD suggested “Drink a Bite to Eat at 10, 2 and 4.” He received a $25 bonus for developing the slogan and Dr Pepper used different versions of the logo until the 1970s. The company slogan gained new meaning during World War II as the United States rationed sugar as a prominent ingredient for explosives. The sugar r

Tsha Handbook →

Jaworski, Leon

1973

Leon Jaworski, lawyer, was born in Waco, Texas, on September 19, 1905, the son of Polish and Austrian immigrant parents Rev. Joseph and Marie (Mira) Jaworski. The family lived for several years in Geronimo, Guadalupe County, where Reverend Jaworski pastored an evangelical church, before returning to Waco, where Leon finished high school. He graduated from Baylor University law school in 1925, then attended George Washington University and received the LL.M. degree in 1926 before returning to Waco to practice law. Jaworski moved to Houston in 1930 and practiced in the firm of Dyess, Jaworski, and Strong until April 1931, when he joined the firm of Fulbright, Crooker, Freeman, and Bates. He became a partner in 1935 and managing partner in 1948; his name was added to the firm's in 1954. Twenty years later, the firm name was shortened to Fulbright and Jaworski ( see FULBRIGHT, RUFUS CLARENCE ). By the time Jaworski retired in 1981 the firm ranked among the largest in the nation; it maintained offices in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Washington, and London. Jaworski was a leader in the legal profession and had held the presidencies of the American College of Trial Lawyers (1961–62), the State Bar of Texas (1962–63), and the American Bar Association (1971–72). In addition to private practice, he served in the United States Army judge advocate general's department during World War II and was made chief of the trial section of the war crimes branch in the late stages of the war in Europe. In this office he directed investigations of several hundred cases concerning German crimes against persons living and fighting in the American zone of occupation. He also personally tried two cases-the first having to do with the murder of American aviators shot down over Germany in 1944 and the second involving the doctors and staff of a German sanatorium where Polish and Russian prisoners were put to death. Jaworski had risen to the rank of colonel by the time he returned to civilian life in October 1945. He later wrote about his wartime experiences in After Fifteen Years (1961). Jaworski successfully represented Lyndon B. Johnson in the case that allowed Johnson to run for both the Senate and the vice presidency in 1960. After Johnson became president in 1963 he appointed Jaworski to important positions on the President's Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, and the Permanent International Court of Arbitration. Jaworski's most widely remembered public service occurred in 1973 and 1974 when he headed the Watergate special prosecution force charged with uncovering the facts surrounding the Republican break-in at the national Democratic party headquarters during the presidential campaign of 1972. In July 1974 he argued the case of United States v. Nixon before the United States Supreme Court and won a unanimous decision ordering President Richard Nixon to turn over to the district court magnetic audio tapes that implicated him and members of his staff in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Shortly thereafter, President Nixon resigned from office. Jaworski published his account of the Watergate prosecution as The Right and the Power (1976). In 1977 Jaworski was called back to Washington to serve as special counsel to the United States House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. In what the press referred to as "Koreagate," he developed cases of misconduct in an influence-buying scandal that resulted in disciplinary action against six members of Congress and two private citizens. Jaworski became a trustee of the M. D. Anderson Foundation in 1957 and was later on the boards of the Texas Medical Center and the Baylor College of Medicine . He was the president of the Houston Chamber of Commerce in 1960 and a director of the Bank of the Southwest; Anderson, Clayton, and Company; Southwest Bancshares; and Coastal States Gas Producing Corporation.

Tsha Handbook →

Jesse Washington Lynching

1916

Of the 492 lynchings that occurred in Texas between 1882 and 1930, the incident that perhaps received the greatest notoriety, both statewide and nationally, was the mutilation and burning of an illiterate seventeen-year-old Black farmhand named Jesse Washington by a White mob in Waco, Texas, on May 15, 1916-an event sometimes dubbed the "Waco Horror." Washington was arrested on May 8, 1916, and charged with bludgeoning to death fifty-three-year-old Lucy Fryer, the wife of a White farmer in Robinson, a small community seven miles south of Waco. After confessing that he had both raped and murdered Mrs. Fryer, Washington was transferred to the Dallas County Jail by McLennan county sheriff Samuel S. Fleming, who hoped to prevent mob action at least until the accused could have his day in court. Washington's trial began in Waco on May 15, in the Fifty-fourth District Court, with Judge Richard I. Munroe presiding over a courtroom filled to capacity. After hearing the evidence, a jury of twelve White men deliberated for only four minutes before returning a guilty verdict against the defendant and assessing the death penalty. Before law officers could remove Washington from the courtroom, a group of White spectators surged forward and seized the convicted youth. They hurried him down the stairs at the rear of the courthouse, where a crowd of about 400 persons waited in the alley. A chain was thrown around Washington's neck, and he was dragged toward the City Hall, where another group of vigilantes had gathered to build a bonfire. Upon reaching the city hall grounds, the leaders of the mob threw their victim onto a pile of dry-goods boxes under a tree and poured coal oil over his body. The chain around Washington's neck was thrown over a limb of the tree, and several men joined to jerk him into the air before lowering his body onto the pile of combustibles and igniting a fire. Two hours later several men placed the burned corpse in a cloth bag and pulled the bundle behind an automobile to Robinson, where they hung the sack from a pole in front of a blacksmith's shop for public viewing. Later that afternoon constable Les Stegall retrieved the remains and turned them over to a Waco undertaker for burial. Though lynching violated Texas law, no members of the Waco mob were prosecuted. However, the foreman of the jury that convicted Washington criticized local law officers for failing to prevent the lynching, and a special committee of Baylor University faculty passed resolutions denouncing the mob. A Black journalist, A. T. Smith, editor of the Paul Quinn Weekly , was arrested and convicted of criminal libel after he printed allegations that Lucy Fryer's husband had committed the murder. Other Blacks in the Waco area condemned the Fryer killing and remained conciliatory toward the White population. Although the Nation , the New Republic , and the New York Times severely condemned the lynching, only a few Texas newspapers denounced the Waco mob. The Houston Post , Houston Express , Austin American , and San Antonio Express printed critical editorials, but the Dallas newspapers made few comments. The Waco Morning News expressed regret for the incident but resented the "wholesale denunciation of the South and of the people of Waco" by the national press. The most important demonstration of outrage emanated from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , which launched a full-scale investigation of the affair and employed the incident as a cause célèbre in the organization's crusade for a federal antilynching bill. A photographer's pictures of the lynching strengthened the argument. Although the American entrance into World War I delayed the NAACP campaign until 1919, the "Waco Horror" remained a vivid indication that though the frequency of lynchings had begun to decline in the United States after 1900, those incidents that still occurred often were characterized by extreme barbarity.

Tsha Handbook →

The Waco Siege, Mount Carmel Center — Elk, Texas, 1993

1993

Eleven miles east of Waco, on a flat stretch of land off a two-lane road, stood the Mount Carmel Center — home of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect led by David Koresh. On February twenty-eighth, nineteen ninety-three, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms attempted to serve a search warrant. Four agents were killed in the initial raid. A fifty-one-day standoff began. On Ap…

Curated → · 4.3 mi away

Things to Do in Waco

food 17.8 mi away
The Czech Stop

In 1983 Bill Polk opened a little convenience store off I-35 in West Texas and started selling kolaches he bought from a nearby bakery. The pastries moved so…
historical 22.7 mi away
When the New York Giants Called Marlin Home

From 1908 to 1918 manager John McGraw brought the New York Giants all the way down to tiny Marlin Texas for spring training. It was the first permanent spring…
food
Magnolia Market at the Silos

Chip and Joanna Gaines' Fixer Upper empire. Shopping food trucks and shiplap everything.
historical 22.6 mi away
The 147-Degree Gusher That Built a City

In 1892 the folks in Marlin drilled a well hoping for drinking water. What they got was a 75-foot geyser of scalding 147-degree sulfur water shooting out of…
historical 22.6 mi away
When 80000 Pilgrims Sought the Healing Waters

By the 1930s word had spread so far that 80000 visitors a year were pouring into Marlin to soak in the hot mineral springs. Bathhouses lined the downtown…
historical 22.7 mi away
Conrad Hiltons Eighth Hotel and Its Secret Tunnel

In 1929 Conrad Hilton was still building his hotel empire one town at a time. He chose tiny Marlin for his eighth property — an eight-story tower with 110…
historical 22.7 mi away
The Morgan Massacre of 1839

On New Years Day 1839 a band of Anadarko raiders descended on the Morgan cabin near present-day Marlin. Young Isaac Marlin arrived to find his mother and the…
historical 0.9 mi away
Waco, Texas - 1953 Tornado Aftermath
day trip
First Day Trip to Waco 🐻 (FULL EPISODE) S1 E1

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Sports in Waco

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 4A · Football · 2018

La Vega Pirates — 2018 UIL 4A Division 1 Football State Champions

Most recent: 35-21 over Liberty Hill · 2018 4A Division 1 final

Waco, Texas, is home to La Vega High School, a Class 4A football program with a significant achievement in state competition. The Pirates have demonstrated their skill on the field, bringing pride to their community through their athletic endeavors.

La Vega has also seen some of its own go on to higher levels of competition. Notable alumni Beasley Reece and Dax Swanson have continued their football careers beyond high school, representing the talent fostered within the program.

State titles
2018
Most recent
2018, 35-21
Class
4A
Key Players
  • Beasley Reece — , former NFL football player
  • Dax Swanson — , NFL football player
The moment

La Vega secured a state championship in 2018, defeating Liberty Hill 35-21 in the 4A Division 1 title game.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
⭐ HOMETOWN LEGENDS Class 5A · Football

University Trojans — University — a college & pro athletic pipeline

3 alumni who reached major-college or pro sports

Waco's University High School, a Class 5A institution, has a proud history of sending its athletes to the highest levels of competition. The Trojans' athletic programs have been a springboard for several individuals who went on to major college and professional sports. These athletes represent the dedication and talent cultivated within the halls and on the fields of University High.

Among the notable alumni are Perrish Cox, who played as a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, and LaDainian Tomlinson, a TCU football star and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Juliana Yendork, who attended as a freshman, became an Olympic Long Jumper. These former Trojans have certainly made their mark in the world of sports.

Pro/D1 alumni
3
Class
5A
Founded
1946
Key Players
  • Perrish Cox — , cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks
  • LaDainian Tomlinson — , TCU football star, NFL single-season touchdown record-holder, Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • Juliana Yendork — , attended as a freshman. Olympic Long Jumper, later National High School Record holder in
The moment

LaDainian Tomlinson holds the NFL single-season touchdown record.

Sources: Wikipedia · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 4A · Girls Basketball · 2023–2024

La Vega Pirates — UIL 4A Girls Basketball State Champions — 2 titles

Most recent: 2024 4A

La Vega High School in Waco, Texas, has established itself as a formidable force in Class 4A girls basketball. The Lady Pirates have secured back-to-back UIL State Championships, a testament to their consistent performance on the court. Their recent titles were earned in 2023 and 2024, showcasing a sustained period of excellence for the program.

The community in Waco takes pride in the achievements of La Vega High School's girls basketball team. These state championships highlight the dedication and hard work of the athletes and coaching staff within the Class 4A division. The success of the Lady Pirates brings a vibrant energy to local sports.

State titles
2 (2023–2024)
Most recent
2024
Class
4A
The moment

The 2024 Class 4A State Championship marked another significant achievement for La Vega High School.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 6A · Baseball · 2025

Midway Panthers — 2025 UIL 6A Division 1 Baseball State Champions

Most recent: 2025 6A Division 1

Midway High School, nestled in the heart of Waco, Texas, boasts a proud baseball tradition, competing at the Class 6A level. The Panthers have reached the pinnacle of Texas high school baseball, securing a UIL 6A Division 1 State Championship in 2025. This achievement highlights a consistent commitment to excellence on the diamond.

The program has also been a springboard for numerous athletes to advance to professional and major collegiate baseball. Notable alumni include Andy Hawkins, Brian Barkley, Zach Duke, Casey Fossum, Kramer Robertson, and Aaron Wilkerson. Their journeys underscore the foundational development and competitive environment fostered within the Midway baseball program, reflecting well on the community's support for its student-athletes.

State titles
2025
Most recent
2025
Class
6A
Key Players
  • Andy Hawkins — (class of 1978) — baseball pitcher, MLB
  • Brian Barkley — baseball pitcher, MLB
  • Zach Duke — (class of 2001) — baseball pitcher, MLB
  • Casey Fossum — (class of 96) — baseball pitcher, MLB
The moment

The 2025 UIL 6A Division 1 State Championship represents a landmark achievement for Midway High School baseball.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 6A · Softball · 2025

Midway Panthers — 2025 UIL 6A Division 1 Softball State Champions

Most recent: 2025 6A Division 1

Midway High School in Waco, Texas, stands as a proud Class 6A institution with a notable achievement in softball. The Panthers secured a UIL State Championship in 2025 in the 6A Division 1 conference. This accomplishment reflects the dedication and hard work within the program, bringing state-level recognition to the Waco community.

The school's athletic programs are a source of local pride, contributing to the vibrant sports scene in Central Texas. While specific alumni who have gone on to professional or major-college careers are not listed, the focus remains on the collective success and competitive spirit fostered at Midway High School.

State titles
2025
Most recent
2025
Class
6A
The moment

The 2025 6A Division 1 UIL State Championship stands as a high point for Midway High School softball.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Waco

607 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Waco, TX

    In 1916, a black teenager named Jesse Washington was tortured, mutilated, and burned to death in the town square by a mob that seized him from the courthouse. About 15,000 spectators, mostly citizens of Waco, were…

  • Ice Toddy on the Brazos: The 1824 Scout Report

    In June 1824, Stephen F. Austin sent Thomas M. Duke up the Brazos to look over the Waco village that stood where downtown Waco stands today. Duke came on hard business, asking after a killing and stolen horses and…

  • Brann the Iconoclast

    In the eighteen nineties the most famous writer in Waco was William Cowper Brann, and his paper, the Iconoclast, reached something like a hundred thousand readers. His favorite target was Baylor University. In October…

  • Bonnie Parker's First Crime

    Bonnie Parker's first crime happened here in Waco. She met a young Dallas car thief named Clyde Barrow in January of nineteen thirty, and a month later he was locked up. In March he was booked into the McLennan County…

  • The Halftime Riot

    In the nineteen twenties the Baylor and Texas A and M football game was played here in Waco, at the Cotton Palace stadium, and it had a history of fights. On the thirtieth of October, nineteen twenty six, not many…

  • Twin Peaks

    On the seventeenth of May, twenty fifteen, bikers from around Texas gathered at the Twin Peaks restaurant on the south side of Waco for a meeting of a coalition of motorcycle clubs. Members of the Bandidos and the…

  • Waco Tornado of 1953 · Historical Marker

    On May 11, 1953, an F5 tornado struck downtown Waco, killing 114 people and injuring 597. It was the deadliest tornado in Texas history.

  • Billy Joe Shaver

    If you've heard Waylon Jennings' Honky Tonk Heroes, you've basically heard a Billy Joe Shaver record — Shaver wrote nearly every song on it. He lived up in Waco, he was right in the thick of Willie Nelson's exodus out…

  • Honky Tonk Heroes' by Waylon Jennings (1973)

    Here's a Waco story that's really a Billy Joe Shaver story. In 1973, Waylon Jennings put out an album called "Honky Tonk Heroes," and nine of its songs came from one pen — Shaver's, the hard-living poet long tied to…

  • Waco's Legal Red-Light District

    Waco liked to call itself the Athens of Texas, for its colleges and churches, but it had another nickname, Six Shooter Junction, and for almost thirty years it had something few American cities ever did: a legal…

  • Katy Park's Second Act

    Katy Park, Waco's old minor league ballpark, had quite a run after Babe Ruth played there. In nineteen forty seven the Waco Dons had a pitcher with a wooden leg: Monty Stratton, a former Chicago White Sox All-Star who…

  • Elvis's Home Away From Home

    When Elvis Presley was drafted and stationed at Fort Hood in nineteen fifty eight, he spent a lot of his free time here in Waco, at a house on Lasker Avenue. It belonged to Eddie Fadal, a disc jockey who had met Elvis…

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  • The Immortal Ten

    On the twenty second of January, nineteen twenty seven, Baylor's basketball team left Waco by bus, in heavy rain, for a game at the University of Texas, along with team managers, yell leaders and a student reporter. In…

  • The Murder Trial Waco Watched on TV

    In December of nineteen fifty five, Waco stayed home to watch a murder trial. The case started in San Angelo that January, when a car bomb that prosecutors said was meant for a rancher named Harry Weaver killed his…

  • Shot in the Barber Chair

    On the sixth of January, eighteen seventy one, Waco's city marshal, Laban John Hoffman, was shot in the back of the head in a barbershop, the first lawman killed in the line of duty in McLennan County. Nobody ever…

  • The Baylor Basketball Murder

    In June of two thousand three, a Baylor basketball player named Patrick Dennehy disappeared. His car turned up in Virginia with the license plates taken off. In July his teammate Carlton Dotson was arrested in Maryland,…

  • Chisholm Trail Crossing · Historical Marker

    Over five million cattle walked this route, and the trail they wore into the prairie was sometimes a quarter mile wide. The Chisholm Trail ran from the brush country of South Texas to the railheads at Abilene and Dodge…

  • Dr Pepper Birthplace - Morrison's Old Corner Drug · Historical Marker

    A year before Coca-Cola existed, a young pharmacist in Waco was mixing flavored syrups behind the soda fountain at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store and stumbled onto something customers could not stop ordering. Charles…

  • Magnolia Market at the Silos · Things to Do

    Chip and Joanna Gaines' Fixer Upper empire. Shopping food trucks and shiplap everything.

  • The Waco Kid Who Plugged In Bob Dylan

    Tom Wilson grew up in Waco, in a church where his father directed the choir, and he went on to change rock and roll. After Fisk and Harvard he started a small jazz label, and then, as a producer at Columbia Records, he…

  • A Soldier's Bear

    Baylor has kept live bears on campus for more than a century, and it started with a soldier's pet. At the Baylor and Texas A and M game in November of nineteen seventeen, played at the Cotton Palace, a truck decorated…

  • The Light in the Attic

    For years, people on Austin Avenue wondered about the light that burned late every night in the attic of the Cooper house. Madison Cooper was heir to a Waco grocery fortune, but he dressed and lived like a man with no…

  • Spoiled Root Beer and Xanthan Gum

    Allene Jeanes was born in Waco on the nineteenth of July, nineteen oh six, and graduated from Baylor in chemistry. At a federal research lab in Illinois she worked on dextran, a substance that could extend blood plasma,…

  • The Texas Cotton Palace

    Waco once threw one of the biggest parties in Texas. The Texas Cotton Palace opened in November of eighteen ninety four, and in January a fire destroyed it. It took until nineteen ten to open again, but when it did, it…

  • Two Nights at Floyd Casey

    Baylor's old stadium had two nights nobody here forgets. In November of nineteen seventy four, Baylor trailed Texas twenty four to seven at halftime and stormed back to win thirty four to twenty four. The season before,…

  • Waco's Queen of the Speakeasies

    Texas Guinan was born in Waco in eighteen eighty four, the oldest child of Irish immigrants who ran a grocery business, and she went to Sacred Heart Academy here, where her classmates knew her as Mamie. She worked in…

  • East Waco's Stop on the Chitlin Circuit

    In nineteen forty five, a Black businessman named Herbert Walker, who already ran a taxi stand, opened a club in East Waco with a big dance floor, and for years it was the only place of its kind open to Black Wacoans.…

  • The Night Before Houston

    On the twenty ninth of July, nineteen seventeen, soldiers of the Army's Twenty Fourth Infantry, a Black regiment, arrived in Waco from El Paso to guard the construction of Camp MacArthur. That night, soldiers gathered…

  • They Moved the Headstones, Not the Graves

    Beside the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame is First Street Cemetery, the oldest public cemetery in Waco, dating to eighteen fifty two. It never had fences to mark its boundaries, nobody kept accurate burial records, and in…

  • The Girl on the Pink Bicycle

    In South Waco, a ten-year-old girl climbed onto her pink and white bicycle and rode toward a neighborhood grocery about three blocks from home. It was about eight thirty in the morning on Tuesday, October seventeenth,…

  • Two Knocks Near Lake Waco

    Just off Lake Shore Drive in Waco, near the lake, Orville and Ruby Loving were spending a quiet evening at home on May eleventh, two thousand one. He was eighty-nine, a retired railroad employee. She was eighty-six, a…

  • A Basket of Grapes

    On a Saturday afternoon, the twenty seventh of October, nineteen hundred, Waco police officer William Mitchell was riding home with a basket of grapes for his family. He'd been on the force six months. A man named Will…

  • H. & T. C. Railroad · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Waco, where the H. & T. C. Railroad made its mark. Imagine the excitement back on September 18, 1872! That was the day the tracks finally reached Waco, bringing the railroad to town for the very…

  • Pilots Over the Cotton Fields

    In the First World War, the Army turned six hundred ninety acres of cotton land on the west side of Waco into a flight school called Rich Field. It went up in the second half of nineteen seventeen, and cadets started…

  • Turned Away, Then Hired

    Vivienne Malone-Mayes was born in Waco in nineteen thirty two, graduated from high school at sixteen, and after Fisk University she chaired the math departments at Paul Quinn College and Bishop College. In nineteen…

  • The Sunday Morning Blast

    Early on a Sunday morning, the fourth of October, nineteen thirty six, the Liberty Building on Austin Avenue at Sixth Street exploded. The blast wrecked its lower office floors, destroyed Pipkin Drug and set the…

  • Sharpened at Waco High

    Ann Richards was born Dorothy Ann Willis in Lacy-Lakeview, just outside Waco, in nineteen thirty three, and she sharpened her famous wit at Waco High School, where she went to Girls State and won the state debate…

  • Mammoths Outlived the Great Pyramid

    Waco has a famous mammoth site, so here's a mammoth story from the other side of the world. Around eight thousand B.C., rising seas cut Wrangel Island, in the Arctic Ocean, off from Siberia, and stranded a small group…

  • The Real Bear Behind Winnie-the-Pooh

    Waco is home to the Baylor Bears, so here's the story of the most famous bear of all. On the twenty fourth of August, nineteen fourteen, a Canadian army veterinarian named Harry Colebourn was on a troop train headed for…

  • WACO Rhymes With Taco

    Waco shares its name with an airplane company that has nothing to do with this town. After the First World War, three men in Ohio started the Weaver Aircraft Company, and when George Weaver left, his initials stayed: W…

  • Ambush on the Posse

    In July of eighteen seventy three, several prisoners broke out of the McLennan County jail, and a posse rode after them. About three miles from Waco, the escaped men set up an ambush and opened fire as the posse came…

  • The Sims Cabin · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Sims Cabin, a testament to early Texas homesteading. Sterling Sims, who came from Georgia, built this oak cabin in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1852</say-as> in Freestone…

  • One Room Country Shack

    The blues pianist Mercy Dee Walton was born in Waco in nineteen fifteen, to farm workers in the Brazos bottoms, and he learned to play at house parties. He went on to have two hit records on the rhythm and blues charts,…

  • The Game of Life

    In nineteen fifty one, a Waco sportscaster at KWTX named Jarrell McCracken recorded a play by play of a football game between good and evil, called The Game of Life. Churches kept asking for copies, so he started a…

  • The Sun Kink

    On the eighteenth of June, nineteen eighteen, on a day when it hit a hundred and three degrees, a troop train carrying soldiers from Camp MacArthur derailed near Selby, about seven miles east of Waco. The heat had…

  • When the Brazos Came Into Town

    The Brazos has come into Waco more than once. In December of nineteen thirteen, after weeks of storms, the river flooded East Waco, destroying homes and businesses and killing two people, and it wrecked a lock and dam…

  • The Bootlegger's Well

    During Prohibition, on the eighth of August, nineteen twenty three, Waco police sergeant Charles Gantz was lowered into a dry well to search for hidden liquor. The air at the bottom was a deadly mix of carbon dioxide…

  • Lindsey Hollow Road

    Lindsey Hollow Road, out by Cameron Park, comes with a ghost story, and it's an old one. According to Baylor's Texas Collection, a version of the tale was in the Waco newspaper in nineteen twenty, set back in the days…

  • McLennan County · Historical Marker

    You're driving through McLennan County right now. It was officially created on January 22nd, 1850, and organized just a few months later, on August 5th. The county is named for Neil McLennan, who arrived in Texas way…

  • The Soda That Became a Word

    Waco is the birthplace of Dr Pepper, so here's another old soda, one that turned into a word. Moxie may have started, as early as eighteen seventy six, as a patent medicine, and by eighteen eighty five it was a bitter…

  • Rotan-Dosset House · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past a house that tells a story of Waco's rise from a frontier town to a center of commerce. Edward Rotan, a Confederate veteran, arrived here in 1867 and quickly made his fortune as a merchant and…

  • Saint Mary's Church of the Assumption · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the site of Saint Mary's Church of the Assumption. Founded way back in 1869, it's the oldest Catholic parish in Waco. Father Bussant led the original congregation, building…

  • Austin Avenue United Methodist Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Waco, and right here, you're passing the site of Austin Avenue United Methodist Church. Back in 1900, Waco's First Methodist Church was bursting at the seams. So, the denomination decided to…

  • Sturgis House, The · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Sturgis House in Waco, a beautiful example of refined Victorian architecture. Built in 1887 by James N. Harris, this home boasts bricks handmade from Brazos River sand, used in both the main…

  • Columbus Avenue Baptist Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the site of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. It all started on Christmas Eve, <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1900</say-as>, when a group of Baptists met at a home to…

  • The Day the Sky Fell: The 1953 Tornado · 0.5 mi

    On the afternoon of May 11, 1953, the sky over Waco turned a terrifying, greenish-black. An F5 tornado, one of the most powerful ever recorded, tore directly through the city's bustling downtown. In a matter of minutes,…

  • A Paleolithic Tragedy: The Waco Mammoths · 0.5 mi

    Right here on the banks of the Bosque River lies a world-class scientific treasure: the Waco Mammoth National Monument. In 1978, two men searching for arrowheads stumbled upon a massive bone. It turned out to belong to…

  • The Bridge That Tamed the Brazos · 0.5 mi

    The Waco Suspension Bridge you see crossing the Brazos isn't just a pretty landmark; it was the key that unlocked the Texas frontier. When it opened in 1870, it was the longest suspension span west of the Mississippi…

  • The Siege at Mount Carmel · 0.5 mi

    About thirteen miles northeast of the city, out toward Elk, a quiet piece of prairie became the site of a story that gripped the world. On February 28th, 1993, the Mount Carmel Center, home to a religious group called…

  • Doris Miller: A Hero from Waco · 0.5 mi

    In a park along the Brazos River, you'll find a powerful memorial to a Waco native and American hero, Doris 'Dorie' Miller. In 1941, Miller was serving as a Mess Attendant, Second Class, aboard the USS West Virginia…

  • The Waco: Birthplace of Dr Pepper · 0.5 mi

    Waco is the official birthplace of one of America's most iconic soft drinks: Dr Pepper. The story begins in 1885 at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store downtown. A young pharmacist, Charles Alderton, was fascinated by the…

  • The 'Magnolia Effect': How a TV Show Remade a City · 0.5 mi

    Just over a decade ago, Waco was a quiet Texas city, known more for its past than its present. Then came Chip and Joanna Gaines. Their HGTV show, *Fixer Upper*, premiered in 2013 and became a massive hit. It didn't just…

  • Austin Avenue Methodist Church · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Austin Avenue Methodist Church in Waco, a striking example of Gothic Revival architecture. Designed by R.H. Hunt, this substantial brick structure was built in 1925, during the ministry of Rev.…

  • The Legend of Lover's Leap · 0.5 mi

    As you pass through Cameron Park, you'll find a spot high on the limestone cliffs over the Bosque River called Lover's Leap. As the old Waco story goes, a maiden of the Waco people - Wah-Wah-Tee, in most tellings - fell…

  • First Presbyterian Church of Waco · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here, you're passing the site of the First Presbyterian Church. This congregation got its start way back in 1855 with just seventeen members. They built this current building in…

  • First Lutheran Church · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Waco, and right here is the site of the First Lutheran Church. Organized in 1884, this congregation was originally known as the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Ebenezer congregation, serving the…

  • Clifton, Albert Turner, House · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and to your right stands a beautiful example of Tudor Revival architecture. This was the home of Albert Turner Clifton, a prominent Waco businessman and civic leader, built for his family in…

  • Site of Old Texas Cotton Palace · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, the former "Cotton Capital of the South." Back in 1894, this city founded the Texas Cotton Palace. It was a huge annual exposition held each November to celebrate the end of the cotton…

  • Waco Springs, Site of the Waco Indian Village · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Waco Springs, where the Waco Indian village once stood. These were a semi-civilized tribe who made a treaty with Stephen F. Austin way back in 1824. Later, they were driven out, though…

  • Stratton-Stricker Building · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Stratton-Stricker Building in Waco, a testament to the city's early 20th-century commercial boom. In 1922, business partners Golladay Stratton and Henry Stricker bought this land for their…

  • Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Grand Lodge of Texas, a story that starts way back in 1828. Stephen F. Austin himself tried to get Freemasonry going in Texas, petitioning the Mexican National Grand Lodge. Political…

  • Waco Theatre · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    Hey road-trippers, look to your right as you roll through Waco! You're passing the site of the old Waco Theatre. It kicked off in 1914 as the Hippodrome, showing silent movies and hosting traveling Vaudeville acts.…

  • Waco, Texas - 1953 Tornado Aftermath · 0.9 mi · Things to Do
  • Bell's Hill School · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Bell's Hill in Waco, an area that owes its name to a groundbreaking moment in 1886. That's when Joseph D. Bell drilled the city's very first artesian well right here. Soon after, the local school…

  • Katy Park, 1929: Eleven Thousand People in a Four-Thousand-Seat Ballpark · 1.0 mi

    You're standing on what used to be Katy Park, a 4,000-seat ballpark that opened in March 1905 beside the M-K-T ("Katy") rail line and was home to the Waco Cubs, the city's Texas League club. On the afternoon of April 4,…

  • Waco Tornado, The · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here, you're passing the site of one of Texas's most devastating tornadoes. On the afternoon of May 11th, 1953, a massive twister ripped through downtown. It killed 114 people,…

  • Katy Park · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Katy Park, a place that was a hub for baseball in Waco for over 60 years. Designed by a former baseball player, it hosted everything from the Waco Tigers to the New York Yankees, even a…

  • Alico Building · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Alico Building in Waco, a skyscraper that once defined the skyline! Built in 1911 by Sanguinet & Staats and Roy E. Lane, this 22-story Beaux Arts beauty was the home office for the Amicable Life…

  • Ross Oak, The · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Ross Oak, a giant Live Oak that's seen a lot of Texas history unfold. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1839</say-as>, Shapley Prince Ross and his family camped here overnight on their…

  • The Courthouses of McLennan County · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the story of McLennan County's courthouses. It all started back in 1850 when the county was created. Their first courthouse was a simple two-story log building, finished in…

  • McLennan County Courthouse · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here stands the McLennan County Courthouse. This impressive building, the county's fourth, was built during the peak of Central Texas cotton wealth, a testament to the region's…

  • McCulloch,C.C., House, The · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former home of Champe Carter McCulloch, a prominent Waco figure. Around 1866, a local physician built a small house and kitchen right here. Then, in 1871, McCulloch bought the property. He was a…

  • New Hope Baptist Church · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of New Hope Baptist Church, one of Waco's oldest African American congregations. Before emancipation, Black Wacoans worshipped at the city's first Baptist church. But in 1866, the pastor…

  • Brann-Davis Shootings · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and just ahead, you're passing the site of a deadly feud born from fiery words. In the late 1890s, William Cowper Brann, publisher of 'The Iconoclast,' was known for his sharp criticisms,…

  • Gerald-Harris Shootings · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a deadly feud right here in Waco, sparked by words on paper. It was November 19, 1897. James Harris, editor of the 'Time-Herald,' had already won a fistfight against Judge George Gerald…

  • Mount Zion United Methodist Church · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Mount Zion United Methodist Church, a testament to the resilience of Waco's African American community. Founded in the years after Emancipation, this congregation began with eighteen…

  • Lusk House · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Lusk House in Waco, built back in 1866 by Captain R.W. Lusk. Fast forward to 1885, and a bit of family drama unfolds. Captain Lusk's widow, Margaret, marries her brother-in-law, Dr. W.R. Clifton.…

  • Forsgard House · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the Forsgard House, a testament to Swedish ingenuity. Samuel Johan Forsgard arrived from Sweden in 1855, eventually settling in Waco. He and his son, Edward, a world…

  • First Baptist Church of Waco · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the site of the First Baptist Church, established way back in 1851. Imagine this: for six years, they worshipped in the Methodist meetinghouse until they built their own…

  • Waco University · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Waco University, a key player in Texas higher education. Back in 1861, Dr. Rufus Burleson, a big name in Baptist education, left Baylor to lead the Waco Classical School, founded just…

  • Waco · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, a city founded way back in 1849 and named for the local Waco Indians. This place was a key spot on the Texas frontier, sending men to defend the state's edge and later fighting for the…

  • Branding the Brazos · 1.3 mi

    At the Indian Spring Park end of the Waco Suspension Bridge, a herd of bronze longhorns is headed for the river. It's called Branding the Brazos: three cowboys, one white, one Hispanic and one Black, driving twenty five…

  • De Cordova, Jacob · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the heart of Waco, a city whose very layout owes a debt to Jacob De Cordova. Born in Jamaica, he came to Texas in the 1830s and built a fortune as a land agent. By 1848, he was here, laying out this…

  • Waco Suspension Bridge, The · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Waco Suspension Bridge, The. In 1866 the Waco Bridge Company was granted a 25 year charter to build a toll bridge here. The charter guaranteed that no other bridge or ferry could be built within five…

  • Washington Avenue Bridge (Waco, Texas) · 1.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    You're driving across a piece of Waco history! The Washington Avenue Bridge, built in 1902, was once the longest single-span vehicular truss bridge in Texas. It stretches 450 feet over the Brazos River. It was built to…

  • The Cottonland Castle · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a Waco castle, built on the back of King Cotton! Stone contractor John Tennant started this place in 1890, right when Waco’s cotton economy was booming. He sold it unfinished in 1906 to a…

  • Johnson-Taylor House · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and just ahead, you're passing the Johnson-Taylor House. Built between 1873 and 1879 as a modest pink brick home for merchant Sanford Taylor, this place got a serious glow-up after it was…

  • Waco City Waterworks · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Waco's historic waterworks. Back in 1849, Waco's main street was laid out near natural artesian springs. For years, private companies supplied the city's water, but by the turn of the…

  • Rotan Drive · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving along Rotan Drive, a scenic road that opened in 1914 to connect Waco's downtown to William Cameron Park. Inspired by the City Beautiful movement, this grand boulevard was made possible by the land…

  • Earle-Harrison House · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Waco, and right here stands the Earle-Harrison House. Built between 1858 and 1859, this Greek Revival beauty was meant to be a symbol of culture for the growing town. Interestingly, only half of…

  • Earle-Napier-Kinnard House · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Earle-Napier-Kinnard House, a Waco landmark with roots stretching back to the 1850s. John Baylis Earle built the first two rooms right here, and his children were born within these walls. By…

  • East Terrance · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the East Terrace neighborhood in Waco, home to a house built in the 1870s by John W. Mann. Mann was a big deal in local business, and he even manufactured much of the brick used for the famous Waco…

  • St. James United Methodist Church · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past St. James United Methodist Church in Waco, a landmark that's been serving this community for over a century. Organized way back in 1874 by Father Anderson Brack, the congregation started in a house…

  • Castle Heights · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and look around at the streets. This is Castle Heights, platted in 1923 by W.T. Herrick and W.L. Wollett. It was named for Cottonland Castle and its high elevation. For six years, it was its…

  • Waco Springs · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Waco Springs. Application for Listing Non-State Historical Marker With the State included.

  • Baylor University · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Baylor University, the world's largest Baptist university! It all started way back on February 1st, 1845, when the Congress of the Republic of Texas issued its charter. Judge R.E.B. Baylor, a former…

  • Neff, Governor Patrick Morris · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of Patrick Morris Neff, a man who wore many hats in Texas. Born right here in McLennan County, Neff was a young Waco lawyer before heading to Austin. He served in the Texas House of…

  • Baylor, R.E.B. · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a true Texas legend, R.E.B. Baylor. He was a man of many hats: a soldier in the War of 1812, a congressman from three states, and a U.S. Senator. But here in Texas, he was a foundational…

  • William Cameron Park · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and you're passing through William Cameron Park. This massive park, now over 400 acres, started with a generous gift in 1910. The family of William Cameron, a prominent lumberman who died in…

  • Methodist Home, The · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Methodist Home in Waco. Back in 1890, Bishop Joseph S. Key, fresh from helping orphanages in Georgia, saw a big need right here in Texas. He and Reverend Horace Bishop secured this…

  • Truett, George W. · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the story of George W. Truett, a giant of Texas faith and finance. He arrived in Texas in 1889, just a young man from North Carolina. By 1890, he was ordained a Baptist minister. But Truett wasn't…

  • Dr. Andrew Joseph Armstrong · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, the home of a truly remarkable literary endeavor. Dr. Andrew Joseph Armstrong, a scholar of English poet Robert Browning, dedicated his life to collecting the poet's papers. After meeting…

  • Dr. David Richard Wallace · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of Dr. David Richard Wallace, a physician born in North Carolina way back in 1825. He came to Texas in the 1850s, teaching at Baylor University before serving in the Civil War. Wallace…

  • Texas Christian University, Old Site of · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the original home of Texas Christian University in Waco! Imagine this: a hundred faculty and students, fresh off the train on Christmas Eve 1895, marching three miles to this very spot. They were…

  • The Armstrong Browning Library · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Baylor University campus in Waco, home to the Armstrong Browning Library. It houses the world's largest collection of books, manuscripts, and art related to English poets Robert and Elizabeth…

  • Old Main · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Old Main, the very first building constructed on Baylor University's campus after its move to Waco. Completed in 1887, this landmark structure housed everything from classrooms and offices to the…

  • Hebrew Rest · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Hebrew Rest Cemetery in Waco. It started in 1869 when the Hebrew Benevolent Association bought this land for a Jewish burial ground. They named it Hebrews' Rest. The very first person laid to rest…

  • Second Baptist Church of Waco · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here, you're passing the site of the Second Baptist Church. On December 7th, 1879, twenty-one members of another church organized this congregation to serve the black community in…

  • Burleson Quadrangle · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Burleson Quadrangle at Baylor University, named for its first president, Rufus C. Burleson. This historic social area took its current shape as Baylor's first four buildings went up starting in…

  • George W. Carroll Science Hall · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past George W. Carroll Science Hall. GEORGE W. CARROLL SCIENCE HALL CARROLL SCIENCE HALL WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF BUSINESSMAN AND PHILANTHROPIST GEORGE WASHINGTON CARROLL, WHO GAVE TWO SEPARATE DONATIONS OF…

  • The Texas Collection · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past The Texas Collection. Established in 1923 when Dr. Kenneth Hazen Aynesworth donated books to Baylor University, the Texas Collection is a library and archives research center holding a vast…

  • University High School, Waco (LaDainian Tomlinson) · 1.7 mi

    The University High School campus on Bagby Avenue in Waco, TX is where LaDainian Tomlinson starred before his Hall of Fame career. Born in Rosebud with family roots near Marlin, Tomlinson was raised in Waco and, as a…

  • Texas Rangers and the Fence Cutters, The · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Texas, a land where for centuries, cattle roamed free across public lands. But after 1875, farmers started fencing off their crops with barbed wire, and the cattlemen weren't happy. Things got…

  • Waco, County Seat of McLennan County · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Waco, the county seat of McLennan County. Just about here, back on March 1st, 1849, they held the very first sale of town lots in Waco Village, once home to the Waco Indians. Shapley P. Ross, the…

  • Thomas Hudson Barron · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the story of Thomas Hudson Barron, a man whose life touched so many parts of early Texas. Born in Virginia in 1796, Barron fought in the Battle of New Orleans with the…

  • Carroll Library · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Waco's Carroll Library, a building with a long history at Baylor University. It started in 1901 when President Oscar Cooper pushed for a dedicated librarian, and James J. Carroll got the…

  • Proctor Springs · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Proctor Springs, a spot that's been quenching thirst and offering rest for centuries. Long before it was a city park, frontiersmen relied on these springs. Later, it became a favorite picnic spot for…

  • Samuel Johan Forsgard · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and you're passing the site of a fascinating life. Samuel Johan Forsgard arrived here from Sweden in 1855, part of the first big wave of Swedish immigrants. He married, settled down, and…

  • William McKendree Lambdin · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    Keep your eyes peeled as you pass through Waco. You're driving by the area where William McKendree Lambdin, a Methodist minister, settled in Texas back in 1857. He came here from Virginia, the son of a preacher, and…

  • General Richard Harrison · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a remarkable Texan family. General Richard Harrison, a physician and statesman, was one of three brothers who all reached general rank in the Confederate Army. He earned his commission in…

  • First Street Cemetery · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and you're passing the oldest public cemetery here, First Street Cemetery. It started in 1852 with five acres donated by George W. Edwards. Over the years, it saw burials disturbed, graves…

  • Beverly, TX · 1.7 mi

    The name Beverly, Texas, evokes a certain pastoral elegance, a sense of rolling hills and perhaps a quiet, tree-lined street. However, the true origin of the town's name is rooted not in a grand vision, but in a…

  • Seventh & James Baptist Church · 1.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Waco's Seventh & James Baptist Church. Back on June 26, 1898, a group of local Baptists decided to start a new congregation, calling it Third Street Baptist Church. Just a month later,…

  • Central Texas Baptist Sanitarium · 1.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a hospital that started as a community dream back in 1910. The Waco Baptist Association wanted a hospital, and with help from everyone – pastors, citizens, even doctors – they planned to…

  • Health Camp Burgers & Shakes · 1.9 mi · Things to Do

    Mid-century burger-and-custard stand on the Waco Traffic Circle, open since 1949. The neon sign and the carhop layout are untouched roadside Americana.

  • Elite Cafe · 1.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Elite Cafe in Waco. This spot opened in 1941, but its story starts earlier, in 1919, when the first Elite Cafe opened downtown. The Colias family, Greek immigrants, took over the…

  • Wesley United Methodist Church · 1.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Wesley United Methodist Church in Waco. It began in 1902 as the East Side Mission, serving the community from various locations before establishing Jones Chapel in 1911. The congregation…

  • Beverly Hills, TX · 2.0 mi

    Beverly Hills, Texas, a small community near Waco, holds a surprising connection to a figure whose name once echoed through American pop culture.

  • Engineering the Waco Circle · 2.0 mi

    Just west of Beverly Hills is a massive piece of 1930s traffic engineering that shaped this entire area: the Waco Traffic Circle. They built it out in the countryside in 1933, and for a while you could drive out to it…

  • Life in the Donut Hole · 2.0 mi

    Look at a map of Waco and you'll see a small hole in the middle of its south side. That hole is Beverly Hills. This is an enclave — a piece of territory completely surrounded by a larger one. It didn't get that way by…

  • Hogle Cabin · 2.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past a piece of Texas history, folks! This cabin, originally built in 1858, started its life over 100 miles away in Rusk County. It was constructed from hand-hewn yellow pine logs, a real testament to…

  • Miller, Dorris · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    Doris (Dorie) Miller was reared on a farm in McLennan County, Texas, and attended Waco's A.J. Moore High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the battleship "USS West Virginia" in 1940. The "West…

  • Robertson · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    Hey road trippers! Look to your left, just down the road a bit. You're passing the resting place of a remarkable father-son duo. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson commanded Hood's Texas Brigade during the Civil War, and his son,…

  • Congregation Rodef Sholom · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, home to Congregation Rodef Sholom, which means 'pursuing peace.' This historic Jewish congregation began forming back in 1869 with the Hebrew Benevolent Association, which later bought land…

  • Paul Quinn College · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Paul Quinn College, Texas' oldest liberal arts college for African Americans. It began way back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1872</say-as> in Austin as the Connectional High School and…

  • Oakwood Cemetery · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, a place with roots reaching back to a horse-racing track. Established in 1878, this 157-acre burial ground became the final resting place for many from Waco's oldest…

  • Butler, George Harrison, House · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the George Harrison Butler House in Waco. Built in 1869, this was one of the very first brick houses constructed east of the Brazos River. George Butler and his wife Emiline built it just two years…

  • Cobbs-Walker Cemetery · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Cobbs-Walker Cemetery, a quiet resting place with a surprising connection to Texas history. It began in 1853 with the death of an infant, but it also holds the stories of veterans from the Texas War…

  • Burleson, Dr. Rufus Columbs · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the resting place of Dr. Rufus Columbs Burleson, a true pioneer of education in Texas. Born in Alabama in 1823, he came to Texas and became a preacher and the president of Baylor University. He lived…

  • McLennan, Neil · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through McLennan County, named for a man who started his journey across the world to get here. Neil McLennan was born on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, way back on September 2nd, 1787. He made his way to…

  • First Church Building in Waco · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the spot where Waco's very first church building stood, right around 1850. It was a simple log house where folks gathered to hear Reverend Joseph P. Sneed, an itinerant Methodist preacher. His…

  • A.J. Moore High School · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the site of A.J. Moore High School. Back in 1875, Professor A.J. Moore saw a need. He started teaching Waco's Black children in his own home because there just wasn't a…

  • Earle, Hallie, M.D. · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is where Dr. Hallie Earle made history. Born on a local ranch, she earned degrees from Baylor and then her medical degree. In 1907, she became the very first licensed female…

  • Saint Luke African Methodist Espiscopal Church · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and just ahead is the site of Saint Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church. According to local lore, this congregation started way back in 1886, meeting as an evening Sunday school. By…

  • Canuteson, Ole · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Canuteson, Ole. Ole Knudson was born in 1832 to Knud and Anna Knudson in Norstrokke on Norway's Karmoy Island. In 1850, the family, changing their name to Canuteson, moved to Illinois, where Ole wed…

  • Sears, Dr. John Henry · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Dr. John Henry Sears's medical practice in Waco. A Virginian by birth, he studied medicine in South Carolina before heading to Texas in 1854. After serving as a Confederate surgeon in the…

  • Edward Ferdinant Forsgard · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Waco, passing the site of a truly remarkable Texan. Edward 'Fuzzy' Forsgard, born in 1870 to Swedish immigrants, was a child prodigy. By age eleven, he was touring the country as a marksman and…

  • Kellum Family Cemetery · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Kellum Family Cemetery, a quiet resting place for a family that helped settle this part of Texas. Edward Kellum, a veteran of the War of 1812, moved here from Virginia with his wife Karen and…

  • Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F.& A.M. · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the home of Waco's oldest organization, still in continuous existence! It started as Bosque Lodge way back in 1852, and changed its name to Waco Lodge in 1856. This Masonic lodge has been devoted to…

  • Waco State Home · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Waco State Home, established back in 1919 by the Texas Legislature. This wasn't just any orphanage; it was a dedicated home for dependent and neglected children, offering them care,…

  • Dr Pepper Company · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    The Dr Pepper Company has operated in the Dallas area since being officially incorporated on July 6, 1923 under the State of Colorado. The company marketed Dr Pepper fountain syrups and sold soft drink concentrates to…

  • Jaworski, Leon · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Leon Jaworski, lawyer, was born in Waco, Texas, on September 19, 1905, the son of Polish and Austrian immigrant parents Rev. Joseph and Marie (Mira) Jaworski. The family lived for several years in Geronimo, Guadalupe…

  • Jesse Washington Lynching · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Of the 492 lynchings that occurred in Texas between 1882 and 1930, the incident that perhaps received the greatest notoriety, both statewide and nationally, was the mutilation and burning of an illiterate…

  • Banton, Travis · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, Texas, the birthplace of Travis Banton, a Hollywood costume designer who defined the 'Paramount Look' during the Golden Age of cinema. Born in 1894, Banton moved to New York as a child but…

  • Beville, Alexander Archer · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, and right here, you're passing through the history of Texas dentistry. Alexander Archer Beville arrived in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1870</say-as>, and he's credited as the…

  • Bledsoe, Julius Lorenzo Cobb · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, Texas, the birthplace of Julius Bledsoe, a baritone whose voice would make an American classic out of "Ol' Man River." Right here, in Waco, this gifted musician got his start, eventually…

  • Boynton, Benjamin Lee · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, Texas, the birthplace of Benjamin Lee Boynton. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1898</say-as>, a future football legend was born. Boynton wasn't just any player; in…

  • Oscar, Gussie · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, a town that once defied the law for a good show! Gussie Oscar, a pianist and conductor, took over the Waco Auditorium in 1915. She brought stars like Houdini and Will Rogers to town, but she…

  • Shaver, John Edwin [Eddy] · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, Texas, the hometown of Eddy Shaver. Born in 1962, Eddy grew up surrounded by music, the son of legendary songwriter Billy Joe Shaver. By age thirteen, Eddy was already playing on his…

  • Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, Texas, and right here is the home of the legendary Texas Rangers. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum isn't just a building; it's the official state historical center dedicated to…

  • Thompson, Henry William [Hank] · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, Texas, the birthplace of Hank Thompson, a true innovator in country music. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Thompson returned to Texas and formed his band, the Brazos Valley…

  • Torrance, Edgar Lee · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, and right here, you're passing through the birthplace of the modern motel. Edgar Lee Torrance, born just up the road in Elk, Texas, was probably the first in the state to develop the concept…

  • Gay, George Henry, Jr. · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, maybe near Waco, where George Henry Gay, Jr. was born back in 1917. He was a Navy pilot flying a torpedo bomber in the Battle of Midway. On June 4th, 1942, his squadron took off from the…

  • Burton, Marvin [Red] · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through McLennan County, and right here, in the heart of Texas, you're passing through the territory of Marvin "Red" Burton, a Texas Ranger who wasn't afraid to stand up to the Ku Klux Klan. On October…

  • Lyons, Theodore Amar [Ted] · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Central Texas, maybe near Waco, where a baseball legend got his start. Ted Lyons wasn't just any pitcher; he was a star athlete at Baylor University, earning letters in baseball, basketball, and…

  • Waco, TX · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, a city with roots stretching back to an ancient agricultural village of the Waco Indians. Right here, in 1849, George Erath laid out the first block of this new town. It was a gamble,…

  • Coke, Richard · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Richard Coke, Texas governor and United States senator, son of John and Eliza (Hankins) Coke, was born near Williamsburg, Virginia, in March 1829. He entered William and Mary College in 1843 and in July 1848 was awarded…

  • Evans, Richard D. · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Richard D. Evans, noted African-American civil rights attorney and first president of the Texas State Conference of Branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), son of Col. Tom…

  • Moreland, Whitt L. · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Whitt L. Moreland, Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Waco, Texas, on March 7, 1930, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd W. Moreland. He entered the military service in Austin. Private First Class Moreland was an…

  • Malone-Mayes, Vivienne Lucille · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Vivienne Lucille Malone-Mayes, mathematician, civil rights activist, first Black woman with a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin , and first African American professor at Baylor University , was…

  • Greenwood Cemetery · 2.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is Greenwood Cemetery, established in 1875. It was set up with equal land for both the White and Black communities. Decades later, in the 1930s, folks like Mrs. Emma Norwood…

  • Camp MacArthur, World War I Training Camp · 2.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Camp MacArthur, a massive World War I training ground that dwarfed the nearby city of Waco! Founded on July 18, 1917, this camp was built to train the 32nd National Guard Division.…

  • Armstrong, A. Joseph · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, home to one of the world's most impressive collections of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning poetry and manuscripts. Right here, A. Joseph Armstrong, a dedicated English professor, spent…

  • Barnard, George · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, and right here, you're passing through a story of adventure and trade. George Barnard, a merchant from Connecticut, arrived in Texas in 1838. Just a few years later, in 1841, he joined the…

  • Barron, Thomas Hudson · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through McLennan County, and right here, you're passing near the heart of Texas Ranger history. Thomas Hudson Barron, a frontiersman who fought from the Mexican Texas period all the way through the…

  • Brooks, Samuel Palmer · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, the heart of Central Texas, and right here is where Samuel Palmer Brooks shaped a university for over thirty years. Born in Georgia, he came to Johnson County as a boy and eventually took…

  • Central Freight Lines · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Central Texas, and right here in Waco, a transportation giant got its start. In 1925, William W. Callan, Sr., fired up a single Model-T truck, founding Central Forwarding and Warehouse Company.…

  • Coke, Mary Evans Horne · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, the hometown of Mary Evans Horne Coke, the First Lady of Texas. When she was just fifteen, she met Richard Coke, who was so smitten by her foot and ankle that he declared he would marry her.…

  • Davenport, Jouett Harbert [John] · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Waco, Texas, where a Confederate regiment was organized in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1862</say-as>. Jouett Harbert Davenport, a local livestock raiser, was elected major of this unit,…

  • Davis, Mervyn Bathurst · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, Texas, a city that owes a debt to Mervyn Bathurst Davis. He arrived here in 1873, but Davis wasn't just a journalist; he was a passionate conservationist. In 1881, right here in Waco, he…

  • De Cordova, Jacob Raphael · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through the heart of Texas, and right here, you're passing through Waco. But did you know this city owes its very existence to a pioneering land agent and colonizer named Jacob Raphael De Cordova? Back in…

  • Friend, Kate Harrison · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is a place that remembers Kate Harrison Friend, known to many as Miss Kate. By age thirteen, she'd read all of Shakespeare! She founded the Waco Shakespeare Club in 1899, and…

  • Harrison, Thomas · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Central Texas, and right here in Waco, you're not far from the story of Thomas Harrison. He wasn't just any soldier; he rose to lead Terry's Texas Rangers during the Civil War. Harrison took…

  • Martin, Matthew Thomas · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what is now Smith County, Texas, a place where a theological controversy once brewed. Matthew Thomas Martin, a Baptist preacher, arrived here in Waco in the late 1800s. He taught a peculiar…

  • Methodist Home For Children · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, and right here is the site of the Methodist Home for Children. In 1890, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, wanted to unite its factions with a common project. They established this…

  • Miller, Horace Sherman · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through McLennan County, near Waco, where Horace Sherman Miller lived out his final years. Born in Walnut Springs in 1901, Miller had a varied early life, serving in the Navy and working for railroads.…

  • O'Hara, John Bernard · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, and right here, you're passing through the story of John Bernard O'Hara, the man who made Dr Pepper a national brand. He arrived in Waco back in <say-as interpret-as="date"…

  • Padgitt, Kate Ross · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, a city with a rich social history, and right here is where Kate Ross Padgitt lived and thrived. Born in 1851, she was a prominent figure, graduating from Waco University and becoming one of…

  • Pape, Eleanor Fay Jurney · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Waco, and right here, Eleanor Pape left her mark on this city. Born in 1888, Nell Pape was a philanthropist who poured her wealth back into her community. After her husband, Gustav, passed away in…

  • Patten, George W. · 2.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Central Texas right now, near Waco. Back in the late 1850s, the Patten family packed up their entire flour milling business from New York and hauled it all the way to McLennan County. They set up…

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