Timeline of Waco, Texas

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Waco, Texas, US.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

## 19th century

[edit]

Part of a series on the

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* 1830 - Hueco village sacked by Cherokees.[1]
* 1849 - Shapley Ross founds Waco
* March 1: "First sale of town lots at Waco village."[2]
* 1850
* Shapley Ross builds first hotel
* Shapley Ross becomes first postmaster
* Brazos River ferry begins operating.[2]
* Waco becomes seat of newly established McLennan County, Texas.[3][4]
* 1851 - Population: 152.[3]
* 1852 - First Street Cemetery established (approximate date).[5][6]
* 1854 - Waco Era newspaper begins publication.[3]
* 1856 - Town of Waco incorporated.[1]
* 1858 - Southern Democrat newspaper begins publication.[7][8]
* 1861 - Waco University founded.[1]
* 1865 - Waco Examiner newspaper begins publication.[9]
* 1866 - New Hope Baptist Church established.[5]
* 1870
* Waco Suspension Bridge opens.[2]
* Waco Tap Railroad begins operating.[10]
* Population: 3,008.
* 1871 - First Presbyterian Church built.[5]
* 1872 - Waco and Northwestern Railroad begins operating.[2][3]
* 1873
* Fletcher Cemetery established.[2]
* Sanger Brothers shop in business.[10]
* 1877 - Paul Quinn College relocated to Waco from Austin.
* 1878 - Oakwood Cemetery established.[11]
* 1879 - St. Paul's Episcopal Church rebuilt.[5]
* 1880 - Population: 7,295.
* 1881 - Rodeph Sholom Synagogue dedicated.[12]
* 1884
* Garland Opera House in business.[13]
* McClelland Opera House in business (approximate date).[13][14]
* 1885
* Slayden-Kirksey Woolen Mill in business.[15]
* Baylor University relocated to Waco from Independence.[1]
* Flavored beverage "Dr. Pepper first mixed at Old Corner Drug in Waco."[16]
* 1889 - "Hot artesian water...discovered beneath the city."[3]
* 1890
* C.C. McCulloch elected mayor.[17]
* Population: 14,445.
* 1892 - Geyser Ice Company in business.[10]
* 1894 - Cotton Palace Exposition begins.[10]
* 1895
* AddRan College relocated to Waco from Thorp Spring.[1]
* Floral Society formed.[18]
* 1897 - Waco Times-Herald newspaper in publication.[7]
* 1898 - April 1: "Brann-Davis shooting."[5]
* 1899 - Public library established.[16]
* 1900 - Population: 20,686.

## 20th century

[edit]

* 1901 - McLennan County Courthouse built.[19][page needed]
* 1906 - Dr. Pepper bottling plant built.[19]
* 1910 - Brazos Valley Cotton Oil mill in business.[10]
* 1911
* Amicable Life Insurance Co. building constructed.[19]
* Farmers' Improvement Bank founded.[3]
* Rex Theatre in business.[20]
* 1912 - Raleigh Hotel built.[19]
* 1914
* Hippodrome Theatre opens.[20][5]
* Kestner's store in business.[10]
* 1916 - May 15: Lynching of Jesse Washington.
* 1919 - Elite Cafe in business.[21][10]
* 1920 - Population: 38,500.
* 1922 - WACO radio begins broadcasting.[22]
* 1923 - July 30: Execution of Roy Mitchell.
* 1929 - Alamo Plaza Motor Hotel chain in business.
* 1930 - Population: 52,848.
* 1931 - St. Francis Catholic Church built.[19]
* 1936 - September: Flood.[10]
* 1937 - Blue Triangle Young Women's Christian Association formed.[23]
* 1945 - U.S. Veterans Administration Medical Center built.
* 1950 - Population: 84,706.
* 1953 - May: 1953 Waco tornado outbreak.[24]
* 1955
* KWTX-TV (television) begins broadcasting.[25]
* Cameron Park Zoo established.[26]
* 1964 - Urban renewal project begins.[16]
* 1965 - Flood control dam built on Brazos River basin.[2]
* 1967 - Historic Waco Foundation established.[1]
* 1974 - Oscar De Conge becomes mayor.[16]
* 1980 - Population: 101,261.
* 1982 - July: 1982 Lake Waco murders.
* 1983 - :Richard Grandy co-founded Easy Gardener Products, Inc.[27]
* 1993 - February 28 – April 19: Siege of religious Mount Carmel Center near Waco.

## 21st century

[edit]

* 2010 - Population: city 124,805;[28] megaregion 19,728,244.[29]
* 2012 - Malcolm P. Duncan Jr. becomes mayor.[30]
* 2015 - May 17: 2015 Waco shootout.
* 2016 - Kyle Deaver becomes mayor.
* 2023 - Former president Donald Trump holds the first rally of his successful 2024 presidential campaign.

## See also

[edit]

* Waco, Texas history
* List of mayors of Waco, Texas
* National Register of Historic Places listings in McLennan County, Texas
* Timelines of other cities in Texas: Arlington, Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, Lubbock, San Antonio

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Britannica 1910.
2. ^ a b c d e f Awbrey 2013.
3. ^ a b c d e f Bracken 2010.
4. ^ Scholl Center for American History and Culture. "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. Chicago: Newberry Library. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
5. ^ a b c d e f McLennan College 1986.
6. ^ Willis 2009.
7. ^ a b "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
8. ^ Lancaster, Frank H.; Birmingham, Ernest F. (March 27, 1915). "Evolution of the Daily Press of Texas". Fourth Estate. New York. OCLC 1569934.
9. ^ "United States - Texas - McLennan County - Waco". Portal to Texas History. Denton: University of North Texas Libraries. July 20, 2023.
10. ^ a b c d e f g h "WacoHistory.org". Baylor University. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
11. ^ Bill Harvey (2003). "Waco". Texas Cemeteries: The Resting Places of Famous, Infamous, and Just Plain Interesting Texans. University of Texas Press. pp. 250+. ISBN 978-0292779341.
12. ^ "Texas: Northeast Texas: Waco". Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. Jackson, Mississippi: Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
13. ^ a b "Texas". Harry Miner's American Dramatic Directory. NY: Wolf & Palmer. 1884.
14. ^ Waco Daily Examiner, December 24, 1885 - via U.S. Library of Congress
15. ^ "Handbook of Texas Online". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
16. ^ a b c d "Waco History Timeline". Waco History Project. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
17. ^ Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell Counties, Texas. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. 1893. ISBN 978-1403500205. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
18. ^ Directory 1902.
19. ^ a b c d e Jay C. Henry (1993). Architecture in Texas: 1895–1945. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0292730724.
20. ^ a b "Movie Theaters in Waco, TX". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
21. ^ Sheryl Smith-Rodgers (2000). Texas Old-Time Restaurants & Cafes. Republic of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1461625490.
22. ^ Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: Texas", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636
23. ^ "Timeline". Women in Texas History. Austin: Ruthe Winegarten Memorial Foundation for Texas Women's History. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
24. ^ "List of the top 10 worst tornadoes in Texas history". Amarillo, TX: National Weather Service. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
25. ^ Charles A. Alicoate, ed. (1960), "Television Stations: Texas", Radio Annual and Television Year Book, New York: Radio Daily Corp., OCLC 10512206
26. ^ Vernon N. Kisling, Jr., ed. (2001). "Zoological Gardens of the United States (chronological list)". Zoo and Aquarium History. US: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1420039245.
27. ^ Froderman, Carly (March 24, 2022). "In Memoriam: Richard Grandy, Co-Founder of Easy Gardener, Inc". Hardware Retailing. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
28. ^ "Waco city, Texas". QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
29. ^ "Megaregions: Texas Triangle". America 2050. USA: Regional Plan Association. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
30. ^ "City of Waco Mayor and Council 1895-present" (PDF). City of Waco, Texas. Retrieved June 28, 2016.

## Bibliography

[edit]

### published in 19th c.

[edit]

* Sleeper and Hutchins, ed. (1876). Waco and McLennan County.
* "Waco". Texas State Gazetteer and Business Directory. St. Louis: R.L. Polk & Co. 1884 - via Internet Archive.
* "Waco". Texas State Gazetteer and Business Directory. Detroit: R.L. Polk & Co. 1890 - via Internet Archive.

### published in 20th c.

[edit]

* Directory of the City of Waco. Galveston: Morrison & Fourmy. 1902 - via University of North Texas Libraries.
* "Waco" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). 1910. p. 225.
* James H. Mackey, ed. (1914). Municipal Hand Book of the City of Waco.
* Ellis A. Davis; Edwin H. Grobe, eds. (1926). "(Waco)". New Encyclopedia of Texas. Dallas: Texas Development Bureau. pp. 76–79 - via Internet Archive. circa 1926? (fulltext)
* Federal Writers' Project (1940), "Waco", Texas: A Guide to the Lone Star State, American Guide Series, New York: Hastings House, hdl:2027/mdp.39015002677667 - via HathiTrust`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) \+ chronology
* Roger N. Conger. Highlights of Waco History. Waco: Hill Printing and Stationery Co, 1945.
* Dayton Kelley (1972). Handbook of Waco and McLennan County, Texas. Texian Press.
* William R. Poage (1981). McLennan County, Before 1980. Texian Press.
* Patricia Ward Wallace (1983). Waco: Texas Crossroads.
* Historical Markers of McLennan County. Waco: McLennan College. 1986. OCLC 14699197 - via Waco History Project. (fulltext)
* Agnes Warren Barnes (1999). Waco, Texas: A Postcard Journey. Arcadia. ISBN 978-0738502977.
* Patricia Ward Wallace (1999). Waco: A Sesquicentennial History.
* Garry H. Radford, Sr. (2000). African American Heritage in Waco, Texas. Austin: Eakin Press.

### published in 21st c.

[edit]

* Selected Publications with Some Mention of Waco and the Waco Area (PDF), Waco History Project, 2009 (bibliography)
* T. Bradford Willis (2009), Some Notable Persons in First Street Cemetery of Waco, Texas (PDF) - via University of North Texas Libraries (fulltext)
* Sharon Bracken (2010). "Waco". Historic McLennan County: An Illustrated History. San Antonio: Lammert. pp. 7–15\. ISBN 978-1935377221.
* Betty Dooley Awbrey; Stuart Awbrey (2013). "Waco". Why Stop?: A Guide to Texas Roadside Historical Markers (6th ed.). Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 480+. ISBN 978-1589797901.
* David G. McComb (2015). "Railroad Towns: Waco". The City in Texas: a History. University of Texas Press. pp. 130+. ISBN 978-0292767461.
* Eric Ames (2016) [2009]. Waco. Images of Modern America. Arcadia. ISBN 978-1467115520.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waco, Texas.

* "Waco City Directories, 1878–1923" - via Baylor University. (fulltext)
* "Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Waco". Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.
* "Waco". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, TX.
* "'Must Have' Books on Waco History". Waco History Project. (bibliography)
* "HIS 3300 Methods in Public & Oral History: Waco, McLennan County, and Texas Histories". Research Guides. Baylor University Libraries.

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