Recent Stories
Texas Guinan
In Prohibition-era New York City, a dose of Texas flair enlivened the city’s roaring nightlife. Larger than life in personality and style, actress “Texas” Guinan commanded the nightclub circuit with her saucy wit. She sensationalized her life,…
Leon Jaworski
In July 1974, Leon Jaworski argued to the Supreme Court that not even the president of the United States was above the law. As the special prosecutor in the Watergate proceedings, Jaworski sought tape recordings made by President Nixon. The…
Tom Wilson
Music producers generally work behind the scenes garnering little public recognition. Some, like Phil Spector and Quincy Jones, earned acclaim outside the industry; however, others faded into obscurity. Tom Wilson, one of these overlooked figures…
Richard D. (R.D.) Evans
Long before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, attorney Richard D. (R.D.) Evans waged the fight for civil rights from his Waco law office. As Waco’s first African American attorney, he became one of the most…
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…
Featured Stories
Percy Medicine Building
A proudly old-fashioned medicine in retro packaging that features a turn-of-the-twentieth-century tot is not only a vestige of Waco’s drug store past—it is a part of its present as well.
The preparation known since 1938 as Percy Medicine was born in…
Greenwood Cemetery
For over a century, Greenwood Cemetery has stood as a final resting place for many Wacoans and as an important marker for city history.
Established as a segregated cemetery in 1875, Greenwood sits just off of I-35 Business 77. Some of Waco’s most…
Doris Miller
Among the names of the many individuals who served valiantly during World War II, Waco’s own Doris Miller was a hero of national and international acclaim. Although many noted the valor he displayed during the war, some argue he still has not…
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Athens of Texas
4 Locations ~ Curated by Baylor University Institute for Oral History & The Texas CollectionBrazos River
10 Locations ~ Curated by Baylor University Institute for Oral History & The Texas CollectionHistoric Homes
7 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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