"Waco-Texas" Top 5 Page for this destination Waco by viajeras2

Waco Travel Guide: 118 reviews and 205 photos

Baylor University - Waco
Baylor University

Founded in 1849 along the Brazos River, Waco is located between Dallas and Austin on Interstate Highway 35. Waco has big city advantages, without big city hassles.

Over 120,000 people call Waco home with over 100,000 more in the surrounding areas.

Waco's Historic Suspension Bridge

In the mid-1800s, Texans began to focus their attention on a future that had been dramatically altered by the devastation and economic upheaval of the Civil War. Settlers were moving west, businesses began to flourish and cattle drives became a common sight.

Civic leaders decided a bridge across the Brazos was needed. It took 2.7 million bricks from Wacoan J.W. Mann and $135,000 to build the 475-foot span, which was finished in January of 1870. It was the first bridge built across the Brazos River.

Upon completion, the Suspension Bridge brought the Texas section of the Chisholm Trail straight through Waco. A year later, the railroad was extended into Waco, and the city became a flourishing trade center. Following the bridge's completion, a toll was charged for each person and each head of cattle. On September 1, 1889 the toll charge was eliminated.

The Suspension Bridge showed its sturdy engineering when, during the devastating 1953 Waco tornado, it held fast. The tornado destroyed much of downtown Waco and killed 114 people.

The historic Suspension Bridge is the centerpiece of present-day Waco and is surrounded by lovely city parks. Indian Spring Park is on the west bank and Martin Luther King, Jr. Park is on the east bank. A beautifully landscaped riverwalk connects the bridge to the Waco Tourist Information Center and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum at Fort Fisher. West of the bridge is the beautiful 416-acre Cameron Park.

Brazos River
Bridge - Waco

Bridge

The Brazos proper begins at the confluence of its Salt Fork and Double Mountain Fork (two tributaries of which rise west of Lubbock and pass through that city) flowing 840 miles through the middle of Texas. Its main tributaries are the Clear Fork Brazos River, which passes by Abilene and joins the main river near Graham; Bosque River; Little River; Yegua Creek; and Navasota River. Initially running east towards Dallas-Fort Worth, the Brazos turns south, passing through Waco, further south to near Calvert, Texas then past Bryan and College Station, then through Richmond, Texas in Fort Bend County, and into the Gulf of Mexico in the marshes just south of Freeport

Waco Hall.
Waco Hall - Waco

http://www.baylor.edu/wacohall/

Waco Hall was built in the late 1920's with the help of the Waco Community assuring Baylor University's permanent location in Waco, TX.

  • Last visit to Waco: Jun 2006
  • Intro Updated Aug 24, 2011
  • Add to Trip Planner (?)
  • Report Abuse

Reviews (11)

Real Tortilla Factory - Waco Real Tortilla Factory Restaurants (4)

Very colorful place...very niceeeeeeee, perfect decoration the more pure mexican style. Mexican food is served there ,... more travel advice

Nice Grill Bar - Waco Nice Grill Bar Restaurants (4)

The place is nice , and really busy during the weekend, and amazing way during the week too. The food is ok, they have... more travel advice

Waco Performing Arts Company Season 07-08 - Waco Waco Performing Arts Company Season... Things to Do (5)

"Twenty Years Young" The Waco Performing Arts Company is celebrating its Twentieth Anniversary this season, and we they... more travel advice

WHATS GOING ON IN WACO?!!! - Waco WHATS GOING ON IN WACO?!!! Things to Do (5)

THIS IS THE CALENDAR OF THE EVENTS FOR THIS SUMMER more travel advice

Comments (4)

viajeras2's Related Pages

Waco Travel Guide

 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
viajeras2's Profile Photo

viajeras2 Used To Live Here!

viajeras2

“Everything in life can be overcome, and good memories are stored like treasure.”

Online Now

Female

Top 5,000 Travel Writer
Member Rank:
0 1 9 0 9

Badges & Stats in Waco

  • 11 Reviews
  • 37 Photos
  • 0 Forum posts
  • 3 Comments
  • 1,438PageViews
  • See All Stats
  • See All Badges (4)

Have you been to Waco?

  Share Your Travels  

Latest Activity in Waco

Photos in Waco

See All Photos (37)

Top 10 Pages

See All Travel Pages (86)

Friends

See All Friends (12)

Travel Interests

See All Travel Interests (4)

Latest Waco hotel reviews

Hawthorn Suites Ltd. - Waco
21 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 30, 2013
Fairfield Inn & Suites Waco North
108 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 28, 2013
Days Inn Waco
16 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 21, 2013
Victorian Inns Waco
16 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 4, 2013
Hilton Waco
138 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 5, 2013