Recent Stories
Robert Gilbert
Despite many obstacles, Robert Gilbert offered “no excuses” when he found himself at the forefront of enacting racial integration and advancing civil rights in Waco. His efforts left an indelible mark on the city and Baylor University. He was born…
Walker's Auditorium
Beginning in 1945, the sounds of big bands, the blues, and rock blended on the dance floor of East Waco’s Walker’s Auditorium.
Continually looking for ways to serve his community, African American entrepreneur Herbert Walker founded the club. Prior…
Ann Richards
On a hot Atlanta evening in July 1988, Ann Richards emerged from deep in the heart of Texas to address the Democratic National Convention as the keynote speaker. The Texas treasurer’s rousing and pointed speech—sprinkled with her characteristic…
Word Inc.
Founded in 1951, the Word label helped spark the multimillion-dollar genre of Christian Contemporary Music (CCM). And it was sportscaster and ministry student Jarrell McCracken who gave it a voice.
McCracken was working in radio to finance his…
Hammond Laundry
The Hammond Laundry Cleaning Machinery and Supply Company of Waco, Texas, began in East Waco on Elm Street in 1911 when Texas native William Hammond decided to try his hand at the laundry business. By midcentury, the Waco company boasted operations…
Rocketdyne
Since 1942, scientists, engineers, and production workers have been at work in McGregor, Texas, helping win wars, achieve spaceflights, and work towards lunar missions. In its early years, the McGregor facility was home to Bluebonnet Ordnance Plant,…
Featured Stories
Calle Dos
Calle Dos emerged in the early twentieth century as a haven for Mexican immigrants fleeing border violence and rapidly developed into a center of culture and community for Waco’s Hispanic population.
Prior to the establishment of Calle Dos, Mexican…
Brazos River
The Brazos River proved to be both a blessing and a curse for Waco, providing a constant water supply, means of transportation, and fertile farming ground, but also serving as a site of frequent flooding and destruction. This tension shaped the…
William Cowper Brann
Through his provocative writing career, William Cowper Brann proved that if the pen wasn’t mightier than the sword, it was at least as cutting.
Brann was born on January 4, 1855, in Coles County, Illinois, the son of Presbyterian minister Noble J.…
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African American History
20 Locations ~ Curated by Baylor University Institute for Oral History & The Texas CollectionHouses of Worship
9 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 CollectionWaco History
A project by Baylor UniversityWaco History is a free mobile app that puts the history of Waco and McLennan County at your fingertips. Waco History lets you explore the people, places, and moments that have shaped our community’s history. Learn about the region through layered, map-based, multimedia presentations, use social media to share your stories, and experience curated historical tours of Central Texas.
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