Random Stories
Fort House
Jeffie Conner
Jeffie Obrea Allen Conner was born in 1895 on her family’s farm in Harrison Switch, Texas. She was the oldest of three children born to Meddie Lilian and Jeff D. Allen. Harrison Switch, later known as Harrison, was a small African American community…
Milton W. Scott
Meticulous and exacting, prolific Waco architect Milton W. Scott crafted a legacy throughout the city that has withstood the test of time. Today, his historic buildings stand as hallmark pieces of Waco’s rich history.
Born in New Orleans on August…
James Connally Air Force Base
With the possible entrance into World War II on the horizon, McLennan County officials and local city leaders lobbied the federal government to build a military installation in the Waco area. By August 14, 1941, officials learned about the…
Jules Bledsoe
Julius “Jules” Bledsoe’s extraordinary musical talent transcended racial discrimination of the nineteenth century and established him as a pioneer in American music.
Bledsoe was born on December 29, 1897, to Henry and Jessie Bledsoe in Waco. Even…
Crush Holloway
Two popular amusements at the turn of the twentieth century—staged locomotive collisions and baseball—came together in the life of Crush Holloway. As the story goes, Holloway’s father went to see the Crash at Crush, only to be informed at the event…
Featured Stories
Cotton
For nearly half a century, cotton reigned as king of Waco's economy, establishing the once small frontier town as a thriving urban center known throughout the country.
The area later named Waco held a long history of agricultural pursuits…
McDermott Motors
The McDermott Motors building is a prime example of the way in which many of Waco’s notable architectural structures have been adapted throughout history in order to continually serve the city.
Wilford Dees McDermott opened a Buick dealership in…
Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Mill
Waco’s rapid development established it as one of the most significant urban centers of the South by the late nineteenth century. Home to one of the longest-spanning suspension bridges in the country, the once small frontier town owed a great…
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Historic Homes
7 Locations ~ Curated by Baylor University Institute for Oral History & The Texas CollectionHouses of Worship
10 Locations ~ Curated by Baylor University Institute for Oral History & The Texas CollectionHeart O' Texas Foodways
12 Locations ~ Curated by Baylor University Institute for Oral History & The Texas CollectionAfrican American History
30 Locations ~ Curated by Baylor University Institute for Oral History & The Texas CollectionWaco History Podcast
Dr. Stephen Sloan of Baylor’s Institute for Oral History talks with others about Waco’s known and unknown past. This is the Waco History Podcast.
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