Waco Texas Walking Tour

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The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is the official, state-designated historical center that focus entirely on the famed law enforcement agency, the Texas Ranger Division. In operation since its founding in 1823, the Texas Rangers have become known around the world as a paramilitary force (before 1845) and as one of the most respected agencies for investigating crime, controlling riots, and working as detectives. Located off Texas Ranger Trail, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum commemorates this historic law enforcement agency by inspiring appreciation of the Rangers and their symbology with the American West. The museum also displays a myriad of permanent and changing exhibits and displays thousands of artifacts covering the entire history of the Texas Rangers. The Hall of Fame pays tribute and commemorates the service and sacrifices of 30 Texas Rangers who gave their lives in the line of duty or made significant contributions to the service. The Texas Ranger Research Center houses more than 300,000 items, including case files and personal files from Texas Rangers, books on Ranger history, and firearms and other pieces of equipment used by the Rangers. Every year, nearly 3,000 researchers visit the Research Center for information on ancestry, books, television shows, movies, and for other reasons. Since it opened in 1968, over 3 million people have visited the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

2. Texas Sports Hall of Fame

Founded in 1951, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame celebrates honors the accomplishments of over 300 of the state's sports legends. These include athletes, coaches, and administrators. Notable members include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, basketball player Shaquille O'Neal, baseball player Craig Biggio, and baseball pitcher Roger Clemens. Also at the museum is the Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame and Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. The organization opened its museum in Grand Prairie in 1981 and moved to Waco in 1993.

3. Earle-Napier-Kinnard House

The Earle-Napier-Kinnard House offers visitors and residents a way to experience and learn about the the early history of Waco. The home was built just prior to the Civil War, a time when Waco Village had less than 700 people. The historic house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, dates back to 1856, when it was just a double log cabin on five acres of land. By 1868, owners Dr. John Smith Napier and his wife Mary began constructing the current building, heavily focusing on the Greek Revival style and white, pillared porticos. The house changed hands a few times until its last private owner, Frances Duncan Nalle, handed the house over to the Waco Perpetual Growth Foundation in 1967. Four years later in 1971, the US National Park Service added the Earle-Napier-Kinnard House to the National Register of Historic Places, making it the third structure in Waco to receive the distinction. Nowadays, the Earle-Napier-Kinnard House is a public museum run by the Historic Waco Foundation.

4. Fort House

Fort House is a historic residence built in 1868 by its wealthy merchant and farmer Colonel William A. Fort. The home is a fine example of Greek Revival architecture and for many years was operated as a house museum by the Historic Waco Foundation; it is now privately owned. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

5. Dr. Pepper Museum

The Dr. Pepper Museum was founded in 1988. Dr. Pepper, believed to have been invented by pharmacist Charles Alderton, became available to the public in 1885. This museum is housed in an Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building which was established in 1906 and located in Waco. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the "Home of Dr. Pepper."

6. Praetorian Building

The Praetorian Building has been an important Waco landmark since it was constructed in 1915 by the Praetorian Insurance Company, which was based in Dallas. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building was designed by the architecture firm C.W. Bulger & Co. in the Chicago style. The building is also significant for its association with the company, which was a fraternal life insurance order established in 1898 called the Modern Order Praetorians; the Waco chapter was founded in 1911. The building now offers commercial, residential, and studio space.

7. ALICO Building

The ALICO Building is a whopping 22-story tall building. It is the common place for many scenic photos taken in Waco, Texas. The ALICO Building still remains one of the biggest focal points of Waco, Texas. The second one enters the downtown area, the beautiful, yet scenic red colored sign spells out ALICO, and one knows they are in Waco. Located in the center of downtown Waco off of Austin Avenue, it is currently occupied by the Amicable Life Insurance Company.

8. McLennan County Courthouse

The McLennan County Courthouse is considered one of the finest examples of Neo-Classical architecture in Texas. Built in 1902, it is the fourth courthouse to serve the county. The building features a large dome, portico, several and Corinthian columns. Viewed from inside, the dome is decorated with stained-glass art pieces. There are also a number of large statues. Atop the dome stands the Greek goddess of justice, Themis, who is holding a sword in her right hand and a pair of scales in her left. The other statues are Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice, and a torchbearer who resembles Lady Liberty. Around the base of the dome are several Roman eagles. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

9. McCulloch House

The McCulloch House is a beautiful two-story Greek Revival historic house museum operated by the Historic Waco Foundation. It was originally built in 1866 as a two-room cabin by Dr. Josiah H. Caldwell and later expanded to its current size by local merchant and mayor Champ Carter McCullough, who bought it in 1870. The McCullough family and descendants lived in the home until 1971. Inside, visitors will see original items on display that once belonged to the Caldwell and McCullough families. There are also watercolor paintings by English artist Charles H. Cox on display. The home, which is one of the last Greek Revival homes in the city, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

10. Waco Tornado of 1953

The Waco Tornado endures as one of the worst and deadliest tornadoes in recorded Texas history. As the only F5 tornado in a series of 33 tornadoes that broke out over a three-day period in 1953, the May 11th tornado that struck Waco delivered substantial damage, destroying much of the city and killing 114 people (out of the total 144 deaths caused by the 33 tornado outbreak). An old Huaco legend claimed that tornadoes could not touch down in Waco, and the bluffs surrounding the Brazos River made tornado touchdown very unlikely. At around 4:30pm on May 11th, an F5 tornado touched down southwest of Waco and began tearing through residential neighborhoods and moving toward the downtown area. In addition to the deaths, the tornado injured 600 people, destroyed 196 buildings, destroyed 150 homes and damaged 700 more, and damaged or destroyed 2,000 cars. The worst destruction, including 61 dead, occurred on the block between 4th and 5th streets and Austin and Franklin avenues.

11. Waco Texas lynching “Waco Horror”

This is the site of the Jesse Washington lynching. Washington had confessed to the rape and murder of Lucy Fryer, a farmer's wife. During his trial he was taken from the courthouse and burned alive while he was hanging from a tree.

12. Branding the Brazos Sculpture

Situated in Indian Spring Park along the base of the Waco Suspension Bridge, the Branding the Brazos public art sculpture paints a vibrant picture of Waco’s early history. The sculpture, which features three bronze cowboys on horseback and 25 bronze cattle, depicts a Chisholm Trail cattle drive. Named after Jesse Chisholm, who in 1864 paved a trail heading north from San Antonio, through Waco, and to a post north of modern-day Wichita, the Chisholm Trail was the main route for cattle and mustangs. In fact, more than five million cattle and one million Mustang horses passed along the trail until it officially closed in 1885, which made the trail one of the greatest migrations of livestock in world history. Because of a donation from local businessman Clifton Robinson and his wife, Betsy Robinson, and with the help of sculptor Robert Summers, the Waco Cultural Arts Fest was able to create the Branding the Brazos Sculpture. It now stands as an important piece of cultural heritage for Waco while providing an element of artistic beauty in Indian Spring Park.

13. The Waco Suspension Bridge

The Waco Suspension Bridge is Waco’s oldest single-span suspension bridge. The bridge is significant because played a central role in the city’s transformation from a Texas frontier village to a major commercial center. Connecting Indian Spring Park and Doris D. Miller Park, the bridge endures as a popular pedestrian walkway and Waco landmark. Built in 1869 with over 3 million bricks, the bridge spans nearly 475 feet over the Brazos River. Historically, the Brazos River was both a blessing and a curse for the early village. It provided essential resources to the community, but the river’s fast currents and deep waters proved dangerous for cattle drivers. Before the completion of the bridge, cattle drivers and others would have to travel further up the trail and ford the river at shallow points or use the ferry. Costing between $135,000 and $141,000 (equivalent to about $2.5 million today), the bridge was the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world at that time. Stagecoaches, cattle drives, and pedestrians frequently traversed the bridge in its early days, and the bridge continued operating until 1971. The Waco Suspension Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Waco Texas Walking Tour

Created by Clio Admin on July 22nd 2019, 9:43:21 pm.

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Description

This tour starts at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum and includes several other museums such as the Dr. Pepper Museum and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. The tour also includes landmark buildings, historical markers, and monuments such as the Waco Suspension Bridge and the Branding the Brazos sculpture. The tour also includes historic Texas homes such as Earle-Napier-Kinnard House which predates the Civil War and McCulloch House which was built immediately after the war's end.

Entries on This Tour

Waco Texas Walking Tour

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