Waco

Waco, a city and the county-seat of McLennan county, Texas, nearly in the centre of the state, on both sides of the Brazos river, about l00 m. S. by W. of Dallas. Pop. (1890) 14,445; (1900) 20,686, of whom 5826 were negroes; (1910 census) 26,425. Waco is served by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, and by other railways. Waco is the seat of Baylor University (co-educational) and of the Texas Christian University (Christian; co-educational). Baylor University was founded at Independence, Texas, by the Texas Union Baptist Association, in 1845, and was consolidated in 1886 with Waco University (Baptist, 1861, founded by Dr Rufus C. Burleson, a former president of Baylor University). It was named in honour of Robert E. B. Baylor (1793-1874), a representative in Congress from Alabama in 1830-1831, and one of its founders. In 1908-1909 it had 40 instructors and 1296 students (664 women), of whom 647 were in the college. The Texas Christian University was founded in 1873 at Thorp's Springs as a private school, chartered as Add Ran College, transferred to the Christian Churches of Texas in 1889, and removed to Waco in 1895. Its present name was adopted in 1902, the name Add Ran College being retained for the college of arts and sciences. In 1908-1909 the university had 26 instructors and 379 students (279 in the college of arts and sciences). Waco is situated in a fertile farming region. In 1905 the factory products were valued at $2,979,800. The city was named after the Waco (or Hueco) Indians (Caddoan stock), who had a large village here until 1830, when they were nearly exterminated by the Cherokees; in 1855 they removed to a reservation, and after 1859 became incorporated with the Wichita. The first white settlement was made in 1849. Waco was incorporated as a town in 1856; in 1909 the administration was entrusted to a mayor and four commissioners.