Exploring Waco Texas

Waco History

Before the Texas settlers came, Tonkawa, Tawakoni, Commanche, Cherokee, and Waco Indians roamed the land hunting, gathering, and warring. By the end of the 18th century only the Waco Indians remained. In 1837, the Texas Rangers established Fort Parker as a temporary outpost to protect the early settlers.

Waco was incorporated in 1857 and when the Waco Suspension Bridge was built in 1870 it was the longest single-span bridge west of the Mississippi and provided the only pedestrian and wagon span across the Brazos River. Waco began to grow when a Waco pharmacist first started making Dr. Pepper in 1885, when Baylor University moved to Waco in 1886, and when Waco claimed to be the largest inland cotton market in the world.

Waco gained attention when:

• Amicable Life Insurance built the ta
  llest building west of the Mississippi in 1911
• one of the deadliest tornadoes in Texas history struck in 1953 killing 114 people
• the Waco Mammoth site was discovered and became one of the most important palentological finds in the world, resulting in the skeletal remains of 23 mammals thus far
• when the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in 1993 ended in fire and took the lives of most of the adults and children living within the commune
• Baylor joined the Big 12 Conference in 1996
• President Bush's purchase of his 1600 acre Crawford ranch and 4000 square foot house and cottage in 1999 when he was still the governor of Texas

Waco was once a crucial gateway to settlers headed to the Texas frontier and remains a crossroads for people from around the globe seeking to discover the heart and soul of the Lone Star State. In 1837 the Texas Rangers established Ft. Fisher as a temporary outpost to protect the early frontier settlers. The town of Waco was incorporated in 1857 and Baylor University moved to Waco from Independence.

Waco Outdoor Activities

We typically viewed Waco from I-35 on our way to or from Austin and Dallas and all we knew was it was a good place to stop for fast food and gas. When we spent some time in Waco, we were pleasantly surprised with all the fun things to see and do - here you will find a list of sites and attractions.

Waco offers some fun outdoor activities, here is a list of some things to do:

Here are some other things to do in Waco:

Where to Stay, Eat, and Party In Waco

Waco Events

Waco Tourist Attractions Attractions

Nearby Waco Things To Do

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