Sightseeing in Waco, Texas

Waco, Texas

Weather: low 57 degrees, high 80 degrees, cloudy, light breezes

We had an early start ( for us), out by 0930. We stayed so busy we didn't get home until almost 1500 hours. The primary focus of today's trip was to visit downtown Waco so we could see some of the famous landmarks and get pictures of them. In addition, this trip was intended to familiarize us with Waco, and figure out how hard it is to get around. We think the town is laid out in such a way that it makes it easy to go wherever you want. By the end of the day, we had a pretty good idea of how to get just about anywhere we want to go.

Our first stop was in the free downtown parking just across from the Civic Center. We noticed that there seemed to be a high number of law enforcement officers, as well as some soldiers. The soldiers were using dogs to search vehicles and the bushes. Parked in the back of the center were several remote TV broadcast trucks with their satellite dishes deployed. I walked around the east side of the center on my way to the river to get some pictures, and noticed Mike Huckabee's bus parked in the parking lot. Aha, I thought. Huckabee is here for an appearance. Wrong, he was here yesterday. Eventually, I made my way around to where I could see a marquee for the center, and everything was explained. The wife of the past president of the US was due here at noon for an appearance, and all the security was for her safety. People were lining up with their signs and hats, even though it was still almost two hours before the junior senator from New York was due to arrive. We made sure we were finished with what we wanted to see in the area before the throngs made it crowded. That is, if there was a throng. I'm not sure how popular the junior senator is in this area.

First on my list of things to see was the ALICO Building, which was the tallest building west of the Mississippi and south of the Mason-Dixon line when it was completed in 1911. During the tornado of 1953 which destroyed much of Waco, this building came through with virtually no damage. The building is still in use today. I took a picture of the building, but my Internet connection is too slow to upload it. I'll try to pass the picture on when we have a better connection.

Next, we saw Waco's Suspension Bridge, which was the longest single span bridge west of the Mississippi at the time it was built in 1870. It provided the only pedestrian and wagon span across the Brazos River. At this time, it is only used for pedestrian traffic.

The McLellan County Courthouse was just down the street, and I took a picture of it's dome.

Some historical facts about Waco: The town was named after the Waco Indian tribe that lived in the area.

The town was incorporated in 1857, but lots were being sold as early as 1849 for $5.00 each.

Dr. Pepper was developed by pharmacist Charles Curtis Alderton in 1885.

Baylor University, the largest Baptist university in the world, was moved to Waco from Independence, Texas in 1886.

The area around Waco has very fertile soil, and it was renowned for the the amount of cotton grown. The first Cotton Palace Exhibition was held in Waco in 1894.

One of the deadliest tornadoes in Texas history struck Waco 5/11/53, killing 114 and injuring 1097, damaging 850 homes and destroying 96 buildings. Property damage totaled $51,000,000. Imagine how much that would cost now.

Prehistoric mammoth bones were discovered in 1978, with 24 mammoths excavated so far.

After visiting downtown, Carolyn wanted to visit a couple of craft stores. That took a couple of hours, after which we went over to Sam's Club to pick up a few things we needed. Then it was time to go rest. Later on, we took a short ride west of town on US 84 to see what was out that way. By the time we got back, it was time to settle in. Tomorrow, I want to go to the Dr. Pepper museum.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Crawford, Texas: Home of the Texas White House and President George W. Bush

Not all who wander are lost.