Marker
Location: 3600 Blk. of Hillcrest Dr., Waco.
This small family cemetery was begun in 1853 upon the death of Missouri
V.Cobbs, infant daughter of County Judge John Allen Cobbs and his wife
Eleanor.
The Graveyard contains one section with twenty-one graves of the cobbs
and
related families, and another section with several unmarked graves of
former
slaves. Also interred here are two veterans of the Texas War for
Independence,
William Collett Walker (1818-1896), husband of the Cobb's daughter,
Rebecca;
and his father James, F. Walker, Jr. (1793-1873, who served at the
Battle of
San Jacinto. (1988)
In white rock cemetery, 1 mile W. of Ross on Ross Rd. (located in rear
of
cemetery.)
Marker Text: Arkansas native John Silas Edens (b. December 15, 1820)
arrived in
present-day Houston County, Texas, in 1831. He served in the republic
of Texas
Army in 1836 then joined the Texas rangers and participated in several
Indian
campaigns in 1841. He returned to farm and ranch in Houston County
where he and
his first wife Amanda Adams reared a family of 7 children. He served in
the
confederate Army during the Civil War then returned to his Houston
County home
and established the area's first school. In 1868 the Edens moved to
McLennan
County and settled in the Leroy Community. Edens died at his Leroy home
on July
3, 1892. (1995)
715
Columbus (between 7th and 8th on Columbus), Waco.
The first attempt to establish freemasonry in Texas occurred in 1828
when
Stephen F. Austin and a group of Masons petitioned the Mexican National
Grand
Lodge for a Lodge Charter. Due to the political upheaval of the time,
nothing
became of the petition. Five Master Mason met in Brazoria in March 1835
and
sent a petition to Grand Master John H. Holland of Louisiana asking for
a
charter to form a lodge in Texas. The charter was delivered to Anson
Jones, who
carried it during the battle of San Jacinto. Holland Lodge was located
in
Houston and by 1837 was joined by Milam Lodge in Nacogdoches and
McFarland
Lodge in San Augustine. On December 20, 1837, the three lodges met in
convention and created the grand lodge of the Republic of Texas. Sam
Houston
presided at he convention, and Anson Jones was elected First Grand
Master. The
Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston presided at the
convention,
and Anson Jones was elected first grand master. The Grand Lodge met in
various
locations before permanently locating in Waco in 1902. Masons were at
the
forefront of Texas History. Twenty-two of the signers of the Texas
Declaration
of Independence were masons. Members of the organization defended the
Alamo and
fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. All of the presidents and vice
presidents
of the Republic of Texas were Masons. (1987)
Marker
Location: From Waco take Hwy. 1860 about 1/4 mi. from the intersection
of Hwy.
6.
Marker Text: Named for confederate general James E. Harrison, Kinsman
of U.S.
president Wm. Henry Harrison and close friend of confederate president
Jefferson Davis. Born in South Carolina. Early settler, political
leader and
landowner in McLennan and Falls counties. Member of the Texas secession
convention. As an adopted son of Chickasaw Indian Tribe, headed special
Civil
War Missions in Indian Territory. As a stockholder in Waco tap railway,
gave
right-of-way and site for Harrison station, town had post office,
school,
stores, churches, gins, and gristmills. (1965)
From
Waco take N. 19th St. about 1 mi. to Rock Creek Rd., turn east, marker
is
located in Bosqueville Cemetery.
Fought at San
Jacinto, 1836. Escaped
the Dawson Massacre 1842. Born in North Carolina 1810. Died April 5,
1856.
(1936)
Marker
Location: From Waco 1 mile N. on N. 19th St. turn east on Rock Creek
Rd.
(cemetery is across from Methodist church) grave is in NE corner,
Bosqueville.
In 1834 Alexander McKinza moved to Nacogdoches, Texas, from his native
Alabama.
During the Texas War for Independence, he joined the Sabine volunteers
under
Capt. Benjamin F. Bryant and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto, April
21,
1836. McKinza married Clarrissa Brewer on March 14, 1839. He had a
store near
Douglass until 1857 and served as Justice of the Peace for Nacogdoches
County
from 1853 to 1857. He settled in McLennan County about 1860. (1976)
2
mi N. Waco, US 81.
Created January 22, 1850. Organized August 5, 1850. Named in honor of
Neil
McLennan 1787-1867 came to Texas in 1835 located on the Bosque River in
1840.
Built the first dwelling a log Cabin, in McLennan County Waco, the
County Seat.
(1936)
In
backyard of Waco Child Care Infant Center Admin. Office - 613 S. 9th
St., Waco.
This large Live Oak tree is named for the Pioneer family of Shapley
Prince Ross
(1811-89), who camped here overnight while migrating from Missouri in
1839.
They returned to this area in 1848,with Ross at the head of a Texas
Ranger
Company. When Waco was founded in 1849, Ross bought the land around the
Oak
Tree. He became postmaster, Ferryman, and Hotel owner in the town. He
and wife,
Catherine (1812-86), were parents of Robert (b.1848) and Kate (b.1851)
Ross,
first children born to permanent Anglo-American settlers in this area.
Another
son, Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1838-98), was governor of Texas, 1887-91)
(1975)
Address:
1020 Sleepy Hollow; Waco
Designations: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
On private property in the Woodway Neighborhood.
Built 1852 in Freestone County by Sterling Sims (d. 1882), settler from
Georgia. With family and 17 slaves, Sims journeyed up the Trinity from
Galveston, then by ox-wagon from Navarro Crossing to 490-acre farm he
had
bought. He and skilled slave carpenter built oak cabin as permanent
home. The
18-foot (14"x14") sills weigh more than a ton each. Moved to Waco,
1930s; damaged by fire, 1959; cabin has been restored by Robert E.
Davis.
Torrey's
Trading Post No. 2
Year Marker Erected: 1966
Marker Text: Site of greatest Indian council in Republic of Texas.
There
President Sam Houston made famous 1844 peace talks to assembled chiefs.
A
"listening post" for frontier; aided in peacekeeping. Built 1844 and
run by Geo. Barnard for the Torrey Brothers. In 1849 the post was moved
to Waco
by Barnard.
Site
of Torrey's Trading Post
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Text: Established in 1843 by John F. Torrey and brothers and
managed by
George Barnard the post was on the line separating the Indian and white
settlements;
Here the Indians signed treaties and received presents until 1854 when
they
were settled on reservations on the Upper Brazos.
Marker
Title: Waco Springs, Site of the Waco Indian Village
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker is located behind Taylor Museum of Waco History, between 7th and
6th on
Waco Drive, Waco.
On this site stood the village of a semi-civilized tribe, the Waco
Indians who
made a treaty with Stephen F. Austin in 1824 but were driven out by
Comanches
about 1837. From them the city of Waco, laid out by Major George B.
Erath in
1849, takes its name.
At
Texas Ranger Museum at entrance to Fort Fisher (University Parks Avenue
and
I-35N), Waco.
Marker Text: Within sight of this spot March 1, 1849, occurred the
first sale
of town lots at Waco Village, former home of Waco Indians. Shapley P.
Ross,
first settler, started Brazos Ferry in 1850. McLennan County was
created same
year, named for Neil McLennan, pioneer Scot whose cabin on the South
Bosque
River became first Anglo-American home in the area (1845). Waco, county
seat,
grew steadily as a center of trade, education, and industry for rich
farm and
ranch area. Completion of first Brazos River Bridge, 1870, and coming
of first
railroad, 1872, set city on the road to industrial expansion. At the
turn of
the century, Waco was one of Texas' major inland cotton exporters.
Three Texas
Governors have resided in the city: Richard Coke (1874-1876), Sul Ross
(1887-1891), and Pat M. Neff (1921-1925). Baylor University moved to
Waco,
1886, and Texas Christian University was located here 1896-1910.
Military
training (1917-1918 and 1941-1966) made Waco famous in faraway places.
Camp
McArthur and aviation schools at Rich Field, Blackland, Waco Army Air
Field,
and Connally Air Force Base have been located here. Flood control dams
on
Brazos Basin (built 1954-1965) assure future water supply of the area
and have
opened much land for development in metropolitan Waco. (1967)
Location:
Corner of Stanfield Road and Business 77 feeder road (also called 491),
in
front of Stanfield-Walker Cemetery, Waco.
Widow of Jacob Walker, said to have been last man to die in the Alamo.
Born in
Louisiana in 1811. Married and came to Texas 1829, and to this area
1844.
Received Republic of Texas Land Grant No. 1, Sabine County, a league
and labor
E. of the Brazos. Once rode horseback 300 mi. to warn Gen. Sam Houston
of an
impending Indian attack. Her burial site, about 100 ft. to the south,
set aside
in perpetuity by her grandson, George Anthony Stanfield. This marker
erected by
her descendants, through McLennan County Historical Survey Committee,
1965.
William
McKendree
Lambdin
Location: First Street Cemetery
(January
16, 1811 -
September 11, 1867) A native of Virginia, William McKendree Lambdin was
the son
of a Methodist minister. In 1834, he married Phebe G. Lamb, and after
her death
in 1849 he married Susan A. Thompson (1830-1910) in 1855. Two years
later, the
Lambdins moved to Texas and settled in Waco. Ordained in the Methodist
church,
Lambdin began his ministry in Texas as president of Waco Female College
in
1857. He later served churches in Bosqueville, Houston and Waco, and
was
presiding elder of the Fort Worth district from 1860 to 1864. He died
of yellow
fever in 1867. (2001)
A.J.
Moore High
School
Location: University Drive and Brazos River
In
1875 professor
A.J. Moore of Paul Quinn College, concerned over the lack of quality
education
for Waco's Negro population, began teaching small groups of children in
his
home. The first schoolhouse, a frame building that had been relocated
east of
this site, had formerly served as a hospital. In1923, the frame
schoolhouse was
replaced with a brick building. The school was renamed for its founder,
A.J.
Moore,who served as principal from 1881 to 1905. As the first school in
Waco
desingated to educate the city's negro youth, A.J. Moore High School
was an
important institution in the community. Until 1952, Moore High housed
students
from grades one through twelve from 1952 to 1971 it served grades seven
through
twelve only. Moore High was closed in 1971. More than 4,000 students
were
graduated form A.J. Moore High School during its nearly 100 years of
service.
Many of them have mad significant contributions in the fields of
education,
medicine, religion, law, public health, business, engineering, law
enforcement,
social services, theater, sports, and military service. (1985)
The
Bagby House
Location: 1825 So. 8th
St.
In
1864, James Henry
and Mary Franklin in Bagby moved their family to Waco Village where
J.H. Bagby
became a farmer and cotton broker. They built this home on their
100-acre farm
probably in the late 1980s. Originally a one-story l-shaped house, it
features
late Victorian architectural styling with some Queen Anne influences.
Interesting features include the fish scale shingles in the gables and
the
corner Jigsaw woodwork. (1983)
Thomas
Hudson
Barron
Location: First Street Cemetery
(March
8, 1796 - February
2,1874) Thomas Hudson Barron, the son of John M. and Susan Mattingly
Barron,
was born in Virginia. The family moved to Kentucky in 1805. Thomas
joined the
Kentucky Militia in November 1814 and participated in the Battle of New
Orleans. He married Elizabeth Carnall in 1820 in the Arkansas
Territory. They
joined the Austin colony and came to Texas in 1822, staying one year
before
returning to Arkansas. The Barrons settled permanently in Texas in 1830
and are
listed in Stephen F. Austin's 1831 Registry of Families. The home the
Barrons
built in Independence was later purchased by Sam Houston. Thomas and
Elizabeth
Barron joined the Sterling C. Robertson colony in the mid-1830s. Barron
was the
Ranger captain in charge of establishing Fort Fisher on the Brazos
River in
1837. Elizabeth died after giving birth to twelve children. Thomas
married Mary
Jane Shelton in 1846 at Falls-on-the-Brazos. They became the parents of
ten
children and were among the earliest settlers in the area that became
Waco.
Barron was clerk of the first McLennan County Court in 1850 and of the
first
District Court in 1851. He built Waco's first steam mill in the 1850s.
A
street, school and creek in Waco were named for Barron, who served as
McLennan
County Tax Assessor in the 1860s after moving to Falls County. Barron
died at
Masterville (later Bruceville). He was interred at the Tom Cox Cemetery
in that
area. His grave was moved to this site in 1976. (1999)
Robert
Emmett
Bledsoe Baylor
Location: Pat Neff Hall at Baylor University
Robert
Emmett
Bledsoe Baylor 1791-1873 Founder of Baylor University under the
Republic of
Texas 1845 donor of the fist thousand dollars to the institution
president of
the first board of trustees, Professor in the first law faculty. He
exemplified
in his life the motto of Baylor University Por Ecclesia Pro Texana.
(Right)
CONSTRUCTIVE STATESMAN-JUDGE BAYLOR Was a member of the Kentucky
legislature
Congressman form Kentucky Congressman form Alabama United States
Senator from
Alabama. He served five years as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
of the
Republic of Texas. Twenty years as district judge for the state courts.
As
commander of a company in the war of 1812 and as a soldier in the creek
and
Indian war. Mexican War and the Texas-Indian War. RELIGIOUS
LEADER-JUDGE BAYLOR
Organized the Union Association. The first Baptist organization in
Texas.
Presented the first report in behalf of Christina Education in Texas.
He was
the first president of the Texas educational society sponsor of a free
public
school system. Preacher and lawyer. He preached the first sermon and
held the
first court in Waco Giving Direction and destiny to Texas by upholding
the law
and proclaiming the Gospel. Erected by the state of Texas 1936 with
funds
appropriated by the federal government to commemorate one hundred years
of
Texas Independence. (1936)
Bells
Hill
School
Location: 22nd and Cleveland St. Waco
In
March 1886,
Joseph D. Bell drilled Waco's first artesian well, and the area around
the well
became known as Bell's Hill. The Waco School District opened the Sixth
District
School at 6th and Franklin streets in 1889; it was moved to a new
structure at
15th and Burnett by 1904. All district schools were given official
names in
1906. The Sixth District School became Bell's Hill School. The school
building
collapsed in 1923 because the soil beneath it was unstable. A new
structure was
erected at the former location of the Bell Water Company's well in
1925. The
facility was expanded in 1954, with further expansions and additions
made in 1988.
In 1998 the school served approximately 600 students. (1998)
Bosqueville
Cemetery
Location: Across from Bosqueville Methodist Church
Burials
began here
as early as 1850 on 10 acres given by Little Berry White for a school
and
cemetery. A log schoolhouse at this site in 1853-54 served the
Methodist and
Baptist Churches as a meeting place. Some of the unmarked graves were
those of
slaves. The first marked graves dated 1856, were those of David Smith
Kornegay,
a veteran of San Jacinto, and his mother-in-law, Bridget Lamb McGary.
Another
San Jacinto soldier, Alexander McKinza, and thirty-one veterans of the
confederate army are buried here. In 1908, heirs of Dr. N.J. Wortham
gave 1.5
acres. (1979)
Site of
Brann-Davis Shootings
Location: 4th & Austin Sts., Waco (on 4th St.
Between Austin &
Franklin St.)
The
city of Waco in
the 1890s divided into two armed camps over the caustic criticisms of
William
Cowper Brann (1855-1898) in his magazine, "The Iconoclast". A gifted
writer, Brann attacked many organizations, especially Baptists and
Baylor
University. This controversy sparked a duel in 1897 between Judge
George Bruce
Gerald and James W. Harris. A Baylor partisan, Tom E. Davis, met Brann
here,
within a half block of the earlier fight, and shot him with a Colt .45
revolver. Brann returned the fire. Both men died the following day from
their
wounds. (1978)
Dr.
Rufus
Columbus Burleson
Location: Oakwood Cemetery, Waco
Pioneer
preacher,
president of Baylor University. Born in Alabama August 7, 1823. Died
May 14,
1901. His wife Georgia J. Burleson born September 23 1833, died June
11, 1924.
(1936)
George
Harrison
Butler House
Location: 1018 Taylor St., Waco
One
of first brick
houses east of Brazos River. Built by land buyer Butler and his wife
Emiline,
in 1869--before east side became part of Waco in 1871. Historic Guests
here
have included Governor Pat Neff.
Camp
MacArthur,
World War I Training Camp
Location: 3801 N. 19th St.; Waco
Named
for and
dedicated by Lt. Gen Arthur MacArthur, U.S.A., veteran of Civil War,
outstanding officer in Phillipines, 1898-1902, Father of Gen. Douglas
MacArthur. Founded July 18, 1917, to train 32nd division, National
Guard, in
First World War. Capacity was 45,074--at time when Waco had a
population of
32,000. First had troops from Michigan and Wisconsin; later, Arkansas,
Missouri, New Mexico, Texas. The 32nd went to France in Feb. 1918.
MacArthur
became an infantry replacement and training camp and officers training
school.
Demobilized 11,000 in Dec. 1918. (1966)
Watt
Caufield Ranch
Location: On Private
Property off Hwy 84 and Church Rd.
This
two-story ranch
house was erected about 1888 for Watt W. Caufield (1860-1935) and his
wife,
Kate McLennan Caufield (1861-1957), granddaughter of pioneer Neil
McLennan, for
whom McLennan County was named. Caufield's uncle, surveyor and
contractor
Watson Caufield, who came to Texas from Ireland, constructed the
residence of
lumber hauled from Houston. It was built near a spring and creek on
land given
to Caufield by his father, Henry J. Caufield, a prominent rancher.
Later
enlarged and remodeled, the structure is owned (1976) by Caufield
descendants.
(1976)
Central
Texas
Baptist Sanitarium
Location: 3000 Herring Ave.; Waco
The
Waco Baptist
Association authorized a committee to build a Baptist hospital in Waco
in 1910.
With ecumenical support from local pastors, congregations, citizens and
physicians, the Central Texas Baptist Sanitarium was slated to be built
atop
McArthur Hill, the highest point in the county, named for a World War I
army
installation base north of the building site. Construction was delayed
by World
War I, but on May 25, 1920, the hospital opened under the ownership of
the Waco
Baptist Association. Seven rail lines put it within easy reach of four
neighboring counties. The institution began a tradition of community
involvement during the Depression era, when residents held fundraisers
and
other activities to keep the hospital open. In 1938, the name was
changed to
Hillcrest Memorial Hospital because of the increasing number of
memorial gifts
from the community. The hospital took an active role in the polio
epidemic of
the 1930s, establishing a physical therapy program. More than 150 cadet
nurses
received training here during World War II, and victims of the Waco
tornado of
1953 were brought here for treatment. In 1963, the hospital's name
changed to
Hillcrest Baptist Hospital to signify its affiliation with the Baptist
General
Convention of Texas; in 1982, the name became Hillcrest Baptist Medical
Center
to reflect the hospital's approach to health, preventive medicine and
education. Modern facilities include one of the early magnetic
resonance
imaging services in Texas, a neonatal intensive care unit, and
specialized
cancer and wellness centers. The hospital continues a tradition of
pioneering
medicine in Waco and caring for the community. (2000)
China
Spring
Cemetery
Location: FM 1637 in China Spring
The
China Spring
Community was originally settled about 1870. It was named for a large
grove of
Chinaberry trees and nearby trees and nearby in family cemeteries. An
association was formed by local citizens in 1902 to establish a
community
burial ground. They purchased the initial tract of five acres. At one
time,
sheep were used to keep grass trimmed but the experiment failed when
they began
to stray. An unusual grave is that of Isaac Brock (1787-1909) who lived
in
three centuries. Many of the area pioneers are buried here. (1979)
Albert
Turner
Clifton House
Location: 2600
Austin St., Waco
Built
in 1921 for
the family of prominent Waco Businessman and Civic leader Albert Turner
Cliftton (1879-1948), this house is a fine example of the Tudor revival
style
of architecture. Outstanding features of the house include its steeply
pitched
roof, central gable with decorative half-timbering and verge board, and
a
prominent three-bay brick and wood porch with Tudor arches. The home
remained
in Clifton family until 1950. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (1991)
Cobbs-Walker
Cemetery
Location: 3600 Block of Hillcrest; Waco
This
small family
cemetery was begun in 1853 upon the death of Missouri V.Cobbs, infant
daughter
of County Judge John Allen Cobbs and his wife Eleanor. The Graveyard
contains
one section with twenty-one graves of the Cobbs and related families,
and another
section with several unmarked graves of former slaves. Also interred
here are
two veterans of the Texas War for Independence, William Collett Walker
(1818-1896), husband of the Cobb's daughter, Rebecca; and his father
James, F.
Walker, Jr. (1793-1873, who served at the Battle of San Jacinto. (1988)
The
Cottonland
Castle-
Location: 3300
Austin Ave; Waco
Stone
contractor
John Tennant began this house in 1890, when Waco's cotton-based Economy
flourished. In 1906 Tennant sold the structure to Ripley Hanrick, a
cotton
broker, but it remained unfinished. With plans drawn by architect Roy
Lane
(1884-1956), "The Castle" was eventually completed in 1913 as a
residence for businessman Alfred Abeel (1845-1922). Limeston detailing
decorates the sandstone edifice. Fine materials such as marble and
Mahogany
Embellish the interior. The house later became a focal point for the
castle
heights area. (1977)
John
Bunditt
Crain
Location: McGregor
Serving
as
sergeant-Major of Gen. Sam Houston's victorious army, accepted sword of
Gen.
Santa Anna's Chief of Staff, Almonte, in Texas war for independence.
Moved to
Texas from Tennessee in 1834. Lived in San Augustin, Nacogdoches, Rusk,
and
McLennan Couties. Received head right (a league and labor) plus 960
acres of
land or military service. Married daughter of Gen. James Smith, for
whom county
was named. The Crains had 8 children.
The
Crash at
Crush
Location IH-35 between Elm Mott and West
A
head-on collision
between two locomotives was stagedon Sept. 15, 1896, as a publicity
stunt for
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad. Over 30,000 spectators
gathered at
the crash site, named "crush"for" Mkt passenger Agent William G.
Crush, who conceived the idea. About 4 p.m. the trains were sent
speeding
toward each other. Contrary to mechanics' predictions, the steam
boilers
exploded on impact, propelling pieces of metal into the crowd. Two
persons of
metal into the crowd. Two persons were killed and many others injured,
including Jarvis Deane of Waco, who was photographing the event. (1976)
Jacob De
Cordova
Location: Suspension
Bridge next to Waco Civic Center
Born
to a Jewish
family in Spanishtown, Jamaica, British West Indies, Jacob De Cordova
immigrated to Philadelphia about 1830. After a brief return to Jamaica
where he
founded a newspaper, he became engaged in trade between New Orleans and
Texas.
He and his brother Phineas (1819-1903) opened a shop in Galveston in
1837, the
Jacob moved to Houston to establish a highly successful land agency.
When
Galveston's John S. Sydnor (1812-1869) acquired a large tract of land
here on
the Brazos River's West Bank in 1847, De Cordova was retained to survey
and
sell the property. He turned hired George Bernard Brath (1813-1891) to
conduct
the survey. By 1848 De Cordova obtained control of the tract and
journeyed here
with Erath to lie out the town of Waco. About 1849 De Cordova also was
retained
to sell a vast tract near here on the East Bank of the Brazos. De
Cordova
donated several lots to the new town, including this Waco Spring site,
the
Common Square, and sites for numerous schools and churches. He died
while
formulating a scheme to industrialize the Brazos River Valley and was
buried at
Kimball in Bosque River Valley in Bosque County (about 45 mi. nw). In
1935 De
Cordova's remains were moved to The Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
(1986)
Deverle-Fall
House
Location: 917 Old Oglesby Rd.; Waco
William
W. Deyerle
(1853-1920) banker, rancher, and miller, came to central Texas from
Virginia.
With his wife Willie (Christie), he hired master stonemason Henry
Wissman to
build this house. Wissman cut and hauled the limestone himself, placing
each
stone according to his own plan. Striking architectural features of the
house
include a hipped roof, arched windows, a central porch with turned
columns, and
a bracketed cornice. The home was completed in 1892. William Deyerle
died in
1920, and after Willie Deyerle and her new husband Camden Sanborn were
killed
in 1926, her sister, Mary Fall, inherited the house. The home remained
in the
Fall family until 1975. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
(1998)
Hallie
Earle,
M.D.
Location: Oakwood Cemetery; Waco
Harriet
(Hallie)
Earle was born on her family's ranch near Waco. She earned
undergraduate and
graduate degrees from Baylor University, and a medical degree from
Baylor
College of medicine. In 1907 Dr. Earle became the first licensed female
physician in McLennan county and had her own practice in Waco from 1915
to
1948. After her retirement she farmed and was a weather observer for
the U.S.
Department of Commerce. (1996)
Earle
Harrison
House
Location: 1901 N. 5th St.; Waco
Built
in 1858-59,
this handsome Greek revival house symbolized culture to early Waco,
although
only half was ever completed. Local post oak, plantation-made brick,
Cypress
siding, and heart pine flooring were used by the builder, an unknown
shipwright. Owner B. W. Earle, a physician, died in 1859, but his wife
Eliza
Earle lived and entertained here for years. Her brother, Gen. Thos.
Harrison, a
civil war veteran and lawyer, bought in 1872. (1970)
Earle,
Napier,
Kinnard House
Location: 814 So. 4th St.; Waco
Original
two rooms
were built in 1850's by John Baylis Earle. He married Emma C. Nelson;
their
children--J.B., JR., Henry S., Nelson, Anne--were born here. Earle
manufactured
confederate uniforms in mill built in 1861. Main house was built in
1868 by
J.S. Napier and wife Mary, who with seven children moved here from
Alabama. The
Rev. D.C. Kinnard married Sarah Napier; Mary, the Kinnards' daughter,
lived
here until her death, 1957. (1969)
East
Terrace
Location: 100 Mill Ave.
(on the Brazos River)
Built
in 1870s by
John W. (1838-1909) and Cemira Twaddle Mann (1847-1934). Mann, a local
business
and Civic Leader, manufactured much of the brick used to build the
famous Waco
suspension bridge. Brazos River sand colored the brick he made for his
own
house. The Italian villa styling was probably chosen by Mrs. Mann, a
native of
New York. Galleries were added in Texas fashion. Millwork bought in
Galveston
gave distinction to the house. (1962)
John
Silas Edens
Location: Whiterock
Cemetery (Ross)
Arkansas
native John
Silas Edens (b. December 15, 1820) arrived in present-day Houston
County,
Texas, in 1831. He served in the republic of Texas Army in 1836 then
joined the
Texas rangers and participated in several Indian campaigns in 1841. He
returned
to farm and ranch in Houston County where he and his first wife Amanda
Adams
reared a family of 7 children. He served in the confederate Army during
the
Civil War then returned to his Houston County home and established the
area's
first school. In 1868 the Edens moved to McLennan County and settled in
the
Leroy Community. Edens died at his Leroy home on July 3, 1892. (1995)
The
Elite Cafι
Location: On the Circle
(Business 77 and IH-35) Waco
The
first elite cafe
opened in downtown Waco in 1919 and was acquired by the Greek immigrant
Colias
family in 1920. The Colias brothers opened this elite cafe in 1941 on
"The
Circle," A traffic hub built on Wacos suburban edge in the
early 1930's.
A highly recognized local landmark, and one of the best remaining
regional
examples of mid-20th century roadside architecture, the building
exhibits a
distinctive Spanish colonial style popular in the southwest. (1995) ed
note:
this restaurant has been closed for remodeling for several years.
Evergreen
Cemetery
Location: East of FM 3047 on Oliver Farm (Private Farm)
Pioneer
settlers
William and Margaret Oliver gave land in 1860 for a church, school, and
this cemetery.
From 1866 to 1907, families from the surrounding area assembled here
for camp
meetings -- times of worship, singing, and fellowship. In 1941 the
meetings
were resumed, as annual reunions of the pioneers' descendants. In 1957
Evergreen was incorporated as a private cemetery. Major Fred N. Oliver,
grandson of the donors, started a trust fund for perpetual care. The
restored
cemetery now is a place for memorial services to honor pioneers of this
region.
(1976)
Fletcher
Cemetery
R.O.W. of Hwy 77 in Robinson
This
cemetery began
with the 1868 burial of early settler Sample Carrigan, who is interred. In an unmarked burial site
is that of
Clinton A. Mahoney (1860-1868). The graveyard was used chiefly by the
Carrigan,
Needham, and Harris families until Catherine Carrigan Fletcher set
aside three
acres as a public Cemetery in 1873. The burial ground served residents
of
several McLennan and Falls County communities, including Golinda,
Mooreville,
Robinson, Rosenthal, and Satin. A number of Civil War Veterans are
buried here.
(1985)
Flowers
House
Location: 600
W. Third; Eddy
This
was the home of
local cotton gin operator Felix A. Flowers (1870-1950) and his wife
Lucinda
Mixson flowers (1875-1949), a local social and civic leader. The house
was
designed by Missouri-born Roy E. Lane (1884-1956), a prominent Central
Texas
architect who designed many structures in Waco between 1907 and 1936.
Completed
in 1910, the house reflects craftsman influences evident in much of
Lane's work
and is a reminder of the economic prosperity that cotton brought to the
area in
the early 20th century. The house remained in the Flowers family until
it was
sold in 1957. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1998
Gholson
Cemetery
Location: Off of 1858 in
Gholson
This
site was first
used as a cemetery in 1871 when the infant daughter of pioneer area
settlers
Thomas W. and Charlotte Rozell was buried here. The oldest marked grave
is that
of Sarah Kiker (1802-1877). In 1885 W.F. Umberson, who settled in the
area
before the Civil War. Set aside two acres here as public burial ground
for the
Gholson Community. Located on the property was a one-room building, The
Kellum
School, which was also used for local church services. A cemetery
tabernacle
was built in 1925 and additional land was acquired in 1950. (1981)
Goodall
Cemetery
Location: Off FM 1637 on
Goodall Farm; Valley Mills area
In
1846, W.H.
Everett of Yellville, Marion County, Arkansas, settled on this 320
acres. He
set aside this cemetery at the death of Sarah Hornbeak (1847-1851),
daughter of
Samuel and Harriet Hornbeak. In 1853 Everett brought his sister Nancy
Everett
Goodall, widow of William Goodall, and her eight children from
Yellville. On of
those children, W.B. Goodall (1849-1922), purchased this property from
his
uncle. There are 30 marked and about nine unmarked graves in this
burial
ground. Goodall cemetery association has established a perpetual care
fund.
(1978)
Grand
Lodge of
Texas A.M. and A.F.
Location: 715 Columbus Ave; Waco
The
first attempt to
establish freemasonry in Texas occurred in 1828 when Stephen F. Austin
and a
group of Masons petitioned the Mexican National Grand Lodge for a Lodge
Charter. Due to the political upheaval of the time, nothing became of
the
petition. Five Master Mason met in Brazoria in March 1835 and sent a
petition
to Grand Master John H. Holland of Lousiana asking for a charter to
form a
lodge in Texas. The charter was delivered to Anson Jones, who carried
it during
the battle of San Jacinto. Holland Lodge was located in Houston and by
1837 was
joined by Milam Lodge in Nacogdoches and McFarland Lodge in San
Augustine. On
December 20, 1837, the three lodges met in convention and created the
grand
lodge of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston presided at he convention,
and
Anson Jones was elected First Grand Master. The grand Lodge of the
Republic of
Texas. Sam Houston presided at the convention, and Anson Jones was
elected
first grand master. The Grand Lodge met in various locations before
permanently
locating in Waco in 1902. Masons were at the forefront of Texas
History.
Twenty-two of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence were
masons.
Members of the organization defended the Alamo and fought at the Battle
of San
Jacinto. All of the presidents and vice presidents of the Republic of
Texas
were Masons. (1987)
Greenwood
Cemetery
Location: Corner of Price and Earle St.; Waco
The
city of Waco
established Greenwood Cemetery in 1875, with equal acreage allocated
for the
white and black communities. In the 1930s, Mrs. Emma Norwood and others
began
the care now given this part of by people's cemetery association.
Church,
Masonic, and Political leaders lie here beside people from many walks
of life.
The most famous is the Great American Baritone Jules Bledsoe
(1899-1943), a
native of Waco. Bledsoe studied abroad, starred in Grand Opera, and
gave a
classical to the world when he sang "Old Man River" in the original
cast man River" in the original cast of "Showboat", a popular
Drama. (1976)
Groppe
Barn
Location: 2 Miles out on
Cemetery Rd.; West
In
1874, German
immigrant August Groppe, Sr., purchased this land and began a family
farm.
Groppe, a founder of West's German community, bought additional
farmland in
1883 and hired local building Joseph Huber to construct this barn in
1886. An
excellent example of a late 19th century barn, it features an angled
opening
below the cross, brace-frame timber construction, open bays on one
side, and a
hay door in the cross gable. (1991)
Groppe
Building
Location: Corner of Oak
and Main St.; West
One
of the first
German settlers in the area, August Groppe, Sr. (1840-1919) had this
structure
built in 1892, the year the town of West was incorporated. A prominent
cotton
farmer and businessman. Groppe hired local brick masons and used bricks
that
were made near West to construct the first brick building in the town's
business district. The late 19th-century structure has housed numerous
businesses, including a dry goods store, grocery, and drugstore. (1983)
HT
& C
Railroad
Location: McLennan County
Waco
& Northwestern
Railroad (a subsidiary of Houston & Texas Central) was built
under charter
given Waco group in 1866. When tracks reached Waco, Sept. 18, 1872, W.
&
N.W. president John T. Flint was master of ceremonies as the area's
first
merchant of the 1840's, George Barnard, drove Gold Spike into the last
rail.
Then came the First Train. The railroad moved cotton and other goods
out and
in, enabling Waco to serve greet volumes of traffic drawn from area by
the
Brazos River suspension bridge, built 1868-1870, also by Flint and
other
Civic-minded men. (1966)
Harris
Creek
Baptist Cemetery
Hwy 84 and Harris Creek; McGregor area
The
Haley, Crain,
Caufield, and Jones Families were the first to arrive in this area in
the
1850s. They established the community of Harris Creek, which takes its
name
from the nearby water source. This cemetery marks the burial place of
those
early settlers and other who have lived in the community since
its founding.
The earliest marked grave in the Harris Creek cemetery is that of
Hattie Timmons,
who died in 1865 at the age of eighteen. She was the niece of Joel and
Sarah
Crain, who settled here on land granted to Joel for his services in the
Battle
of San Jacinto (1836). Joel (d. 1887) and Sarah (d. 1902) are buried
here, as
is their daughter Patience, whose grave, dated 1869, is the second
oldest in
the cemetery. In 1872, Aquilla and Delilah "Dillie" Jones formally
set aside 1.5 acres of their land for the burial ground. Part of that
acreage
was also to be used for a church and schoolhouse. Both of the land
donors are
buried here in marked graves. The graves are maintained by the Harris
Creek
Cemetery Association. The burial ground is a good reflection of the
history of
the Harris Creek community and of this part of McLennan County. (1985)
General
Richard
Harrison
Location: IH35, 10 Miles North from Waco (at Park)
One
of a trio of
brothers--great grand-nephews of U.S. president WM. Henry Harrison--who
all
gained rank of general in the confederate army during the Civil War.
Richard
Harrison was a physician and statesman prior to Army service. Won his
general's
commission in Jan. 1865 in Mississippi. Moved to Texas, 1866, settling
near old
brother, Gen. Jas. E., and Younger brother, Gen. Thos. Harrison.
Practiced
medicine farmed, helped rebuild Texas Economy, was a church leader. A
trustee
of Waco University, a forebear of Baylor University. (1965)
Old
Harrison
Location: On Hwy 1860 just
off of Hwy 6; Waco
Named
for
confederate general James E. Harrison, Kinsman of U.S. president WM
Henry Harrison
and close friend of confederate president Jefferson Davis. Born in
South
Carolina. Early settler, political leader and landowner in McLennan and
Falls
counties. Member of the Texas secession convention. As an adopted son
of
Chickasaw Indian Tribe, headed special Civil War Missions in Indian
territory.
As a stockholder in Waco tap railway, gave right-of-way and site for
Harrison
Station, town had post office, school, stores, churches, gins,
gristmills.
(1965)
Hebrew
Rest
Location: University Parks
and IH 35; Waco
Jews
settled in Waco
in the 1850s. In 1869 the Hebrew Benevolent Association (HBA) was
formed to
assist the needy and provide interment in accordance with the laws and
rites of
Judaism. That year, the HBA acquired this property as a Jewish burial
ground.
It was named Hebrews' rest. The first burial was of an 18-month old
infant,
Bessee Lyans, in July 1869. Hebrew rest cemetery was enlarged with
purchases of
additional land in 1893 and 1922. Many early leaders of Waco's Jewish
community
and prominent Wacoans are interred here. (1986)
Hill
House
Location: 901 Ave E.;
Moody
George
Hill
(1878-1958) came to Texas from Tennessee as a child. His family settled
in
moody and he worked on family farm. He began working in a local
hardware store
when he was nineteen and later purchased the store. Hill had this home
built
for his family in 1904 and sold it to his brother Charles in 1910. The
Bungalow, which exhibits Queen Anne Style influences, in typical of
those built
by many families at the turn of the century. (1989)
Hogle
Cabin
Location: Cameron Park
Rice St. On Private Property.
Originally
situated
on and patented in Rusk county about 1853 to Matilda Holye (later Mrs.
Purviance Williams). Built 1858 of hand-hewn and saw notched native
yellow pine
logs. After 1880, cabin was owned for many years by family of Eli
Benjamin
(1845-1911) and Julia Kilgore Snelgrove (1850-1928) and their son John
B. and
his wife Georgia Ann Waldrop Snelvgrove. Purchased 1955, moved to Waco,
and
restored by Roger N. Conger. (1963)
The
Howard House
Location: 800 Avenue E;
Moody
A
resident of Moody
when the town was founded in 1881, Charles Howard (1862-1915) operated
a
general store and became a prosperous businessman. He built this
elegant
residence for his family in 1900. A St. Louis architectural firm drew
the house
plans and local contractor Elmo Routh supervised the construction. The
Queen
Anne detailing includes a Turret and decorative fish scale shingling.
The
Howard family owned the property until 1973. (1978)
Martin
Irons
Location: IH 35 Rest area
near Bruceville
A
native of
Scotland, Martin Irons (1833-1900) came to the United States at the age
of
fourteen as a machinist's apprentice. After learning the trade, he
lived and
worked in numerous places throughout the country. By 1884,he was
employed as a
machinist in the Missouri Pacific Railway shop in Sedalia, Missouri. A
firm
believer in organization as a means by which individual could improve
their lives;
Irons became an active participant in groups such as the Knights of
Phthises
the grange. While working in Sedalia, he became interested in an early
union
society known as the knights of labor and was instrumental in
organizing
workers employed by Jay Gould's network of southwester railroad lines.
The
railroad Union, known as district assembly 101, went on strike in 1886.
Irons,
the chairman of the executive committee, came into prominence as its
leader.
The strike was marked by violence, and when it ended, Irons was
blacklisted. He
retired in nearby Bruceville but remained active in social reform
movements
until his death. Iron's grave in the Bruceville Cemetery is marked by a
monument, placed in 1911 by the Missouri Federation of Labor. (1984)
J.H.
Janes Home
Location: East of Leroy on
FM 2311 (Southside) Private Property
This
board and
batten house was constructed in 1885 by Kentucky native W.H. Janes (b.
1841)
and his wife Sue (Webb) (d. 1929). A veteran of the Civil War, Janes
worked as
a rancher and businessman, and was elected to one term as county
commissioner
in 1898. He moved to Leroy (2 mi. W) in 1902 and later established a
bank there
with his son D. T. Janes. Built overlooking Tehuacana Creek, this home
rests on
a foundation of oak and cedar blocks. (1980)
Johnson
Taylor
House
Location: 1705 N. 5th St.; Waco
Erected
1873-79 by
merchant Sanford Taylor as a simple, two-story pink brick residence,
and this
house acquired its grand manner after sale (1912) to P.G. and Eva
Carter
Taylor. The Taylors made basic architectural changes, adding
a north wing and
portico with handsome French Doors, fan lights with fine tracery, and
other
embellishments. Purchased in 1957 for Waco council of Garden clubs,
this is now
the Nell Pape Garden Center. (1963)
Kellum
Family
Cemetery
Location: 2001 J.J. Flewellin Rd; Waco
A
native of
Virginia, Edward Kellum (1787-1863) was a soldier in the Tennessee
Militia
during the war of 1812. He married Karen H. Tabor in November 1812, and
they
moved to Alabama and Mississippi before eventually settling in McLennan
County,
Texas, in 1854. The parents of ten children, the Kellums bought land
along the
Brazos River and established a farm. This location was chosen as the
site of a
family graveyard sometime before 1863. When Edward Kellum died on
February 23,
1863, he became the first family member interred here. Karen Kellum was
buried
next to her husband in 1869. Other family members buried her include
Edward and
Karen's sons, William Riley Kellum (1817-1890) and Thomas Smith Kellum
(1823-1873). Of the twenty-five know burials, fourteen are marked with
Illegible sandstone markers. All twenty-five graves are believed to be
those of
Kellum Family members. The last person buried here was Mary Elizabeth
Jurney
Kellum, widow of William R. Kellum. Following her death in 1895, her
will
provided for the maintenance of the cemetery. Originally encompassing a
one-acre rural site, the graveyard has been surrounded by the growing
city of
Waco and now contains one-half acre of land. (1989)
David
Smita
Kornegay
Location: at Bosqueville Cemetery Rock Creek Rd.
Fought
at San
Jacinto, 1836. Escaped the Dawson Massacre 1842. Born in North Carolina
1810.
Died April 5, 1856. (1936)
Kuydendall
House
Location: Corner of Rice
and Ave F; Moody
In
1881 Dr. P.M.
Kuykendall (b. 1855) bought this land, which once belonged to Joseph
Naler.
This Victorian residence with Queen Anne style detailing and fish scale
shingling was built in 1900 using plans ordered from a St. Louis
architect. A
prominent physician, Dr. Kuykendll helped found Moody Masonic Lodge and
served
on the Jefferson Academy Board. He and his wife Ella Naylor (McLeod)
and their
four children occupied this home. (1979)
Lone Oak
Cemetery
Location: Just off FM 2957
in Mart
This
community
burial ground originally served the pioneer settlers of the surrounding
area.
Trustees of the Lone Oak School purchased the site in 1880 from A.C.
Neil and
L.M. Cravens. Although set aside for a church and school, it was used
as a
cemetery by September 1881 when the infant son of J.C. and S.D. Goodman
was
buried here. Also interred here are several confederate veterans and
one Union
veteran of the Civil War. The Lone Oak Cemetery Association was
established in
1949 and a perpetual care trust fund was started in 1967. (1980)
Lorena
City
Cemetery
Location: Front St. in Lorena
The
original
two-acre tract of this burial ground was set-aside for the pioneer
settlers of
the area by Daniel Aerl, who is interred here. The establishment of the
cemetery of December 12, 1881, was in conjunction with the sale of
sixty acres
of land to financier Gen. Grenville M. Dodge. He had the property
platted for
the town of Lorena, which developed along a line of his Missouri,
Kansas and
Texas Railroad. Dodge named the village for Lorena Westbrook Robertson
(1861-1952), also buried here, who was the daughter of local land owner
C.A.
Westbrook. The first burial at this site was that of Lemuel Crook, the
infant
son of S.J. and G.S. Crook, who died in 1882. The cemetery was next
used two
years later of the interment of a nine-year-old boy, Jacky Pool. Other
graves
include those of pioneer area families, early leaders of the community,
and may
veterans of military action. Additional land for the cemetery was later
acquired from the Westbrook families, and from the family of Walter
Evans, Sr.
The Lorena Cemetery Association was established in 1914 to provide
funds for
the maintenance of the site and in 1970 a perpetual care trust fund was
set up
by the organization. (1981)
Lusk
House
Location: 301 Jefferson;
Waco
This
house was built
in 1866 by Capt. R.W.Lusk. In 1885, his widow, Margaret Henry Lusk,
married her
brother-in-law, Dr.W. R. Clifton, a pioneer Waco businessman, who lived
here
until 1925, when the property was purchased by the Franciscan Fathers
for a
Monastery. (1965)
John
Wesley Mann
House
Location: 100 Mill St.; Waco
The
John Wesley Mann House is a two-story rambling brick residence. The
first
section of the house was built in 1873, 74 Wings were added in 1878,
and 1880, and
a final addition was made in 1885. The 1873-74 portion of the house was
built
in an L-plan with a three-story entrance tower at the reentrant angle.
The
tower has a mansard roof with convex profile and four dormers with
arched
gables. This roof forms an attic story on the tower. A large two-story
wing was
added at the center of the back in 1878. This wing was flanked with
double
galleries. In 1880 an attached kitchen with a cook's room above was
added to
this wing. In 1885 still another large galleries two-story wing was
added a
right angles to the 1878 addition. The resulting structure took the
form of an
F in plan. The roof is gabled with the ridges running parallel to the
longer
sides, and of tin with standing-seams. The wide eaves are set with
paired and
staggered volute brackets. All the windows have round-arch heads and
are of the
two-over-two double-hung sash type. Each window has a fine brick hood
mold. The
front door is double, glazed, ad set in a heavy arched aedicule
enfacement.
The
Italianate style was only occasionally chosen for nineteenth century
Texas
homes, and then rarely in the fully developed type of the East Coast.
The John
Wesley Mann House in Washington is a fine Texas house and shows
Italianate
influence, but is no strictly Italian Villa style.
Dates
established through McLennan County mortgage records indicate that the
Mann
House was built in 1873-74. The house was built on a sand and clay
terrace on
the banks of the Brazos River (now downtown Waco), with brick retaining
walls.
Over the years floodwaters have silted in much of the terracing,
however the
Mann House is still locally called East Terrace. All of the brick for
the house
and walls was made in the Mann brick kiln, east of the house. A flour
and
gristmill was also operated on the property.
East
Terrace is a large two-story brick residence with a three-story
entrance tower
with a mansard roof and dormers adding a fourth level. There are wide
bracketed
eaves and around arched windows with brick hood-molds throughout the
building.
Extensive additions were made between 1878 and 1885 but all were in the
same
style as that of the original portion. Two-story galleries of slender
and light
proportions unite the various elements of the rambling structure.
John
Wesley Mann (1838-1909) was born in Tennessee, and a pioneer
industrialist,
businessman and banker. Among his activities was the manufacture of
bricks and
contracting of brickwork. Many fine Waco homes were built by Mann with
his
brother J.F. Mann. After Mann's death, East Terrace passed to his son
J.W.
Mann, Jr., who always retained a room in the house. After the son's
death in
1948 the home became the property of Young Brothers, Inc., Contractors.
It is presently
owned by Waco Perpetual Growth Foundation under the supervision of the
Historic
Waco Foundation (East Terrace Guild). The house was restored in 1966,
and in
1967 it was cited by the state of Texas with an Official Restoration
Award.
The
C.C. McCollough House
Location: 406 Columbus St.; Waco
Waco
Physician
Josian H.Caldwell (d. 1896) constructed a two-room house and detached
kitchen
on this site about 1866. Champe Carter McCulloch (1841-1907) purchased
the
property in 1871. Incorporating the existing structures, he built the
present
two-story Greek revival residence. A local merchant, he also served as
mayor of
Waco, 1890-1894. He and his wife Emma had ten children, and members of
their
family lived in the house until 1971. (1979)
Neil
McLennan
Location: Oakwood Cemetery; Waco
Pioneer
Texan for
whom McLennan County was named born on the isle of Syke, Scotland Sept.
2, 1787
came to Texas in 1834 died in 1867. Mrs. Neil McLennan Born in North
Carolina
August, 1797 died in 1871. (1936)
McLennans
Bluff
Location: From Rosebud,
take FM 1963 W. about 1.5 mi., then go north on CR 347 about .5 Mi.
(This is in
neighboring Falls County)
Once
known as
"Sugar Loaf," this bluff overlooking Pond Creek was a landmark to
early settlers in area. In 1835, Neil McLennan, a native of Scotland,
built his
home here, on land that had been granted to him as a member of Sterling
Clack
Robertson's Colony. The present town of Rosebud is located on part of
Neil
McLennan's land grant. McLennan's brother Laughlin settled his family
about one
mile north of this site. During the spring of 1836, Indians killed
Laughlin
McLennan, his wife and his mother, and captured three of his sons. As a
result,
the Neil McLennan family spent much of their ten years in Falls County
in the
nearby town of Nashville, a haven for settlers that had been begun by
Sterling
Robertson. In 1839, while a member of Capt. George Erath's scouting
expedition,
Neil McLennan first saw the territory that was to become McLennan
County. He
returned there in 1846, built a home, and lived there until his death
in 1867.
As part of the earliest Anglo settlement in this part of Texas, the
McLennan
family helped open the frontier for later immigrants. Their part in the
area's
history has been remembered with the naming of this bluff and the
neighboring
county. (1986)
The
Methodist
Home
Location: 1111 Herring; Waco
The
General
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, south, appointed the Rev.
Joseph
S. Key as Bishop for the northwest Texas Conference of the denomination
in
1890. Bishop Key, who had previously worked with Methodist orphanages
in
Georgia, saw an immediate need for a similar institution in Texas. With
the
help of the Rev. Dr. Horace Bishop, Pastor of Waco's Fifth Street
Methodist
Church (now First United Methodist), Key secured the 27-acre Emily W.
Martin
estate and large Miller Family residence at this site for an Orphanage.
The
Rev.W.H. Vaughn served as the Methodist Home's first Administrator. The
first
orphan was welcomed in April 1894, and by the end of that year the home
was
caring for twenty-six children. As the number of programs and residents
increased, the campus was enlarged and additional buildings were
erected. By
the 1920s the home instituted vocational and college training programs.
In the
later 1930s cottages replaced dormitory housing and a chapel was built
at the
highest point on the campus. An associated boys' ranch opened east of
the main
campus in 1971 and in recent years programs have expanded to include
community
counseling and foster care. (1990)
Doris
Miller
Location: In front of YMCA
1021 E. Live Oak; Waco
Doris
(Dorie) Miller
was reared on a farm in McLennan County, Texas, and attended Waco's
A.J. Moore
High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the
battleship
"USS West Virginia" in 1940. The "West Virginia" was docked
in Pearl Harbor when a Japanese torpedo struck it on December 7, 1941.
Moments
after the torpedo hit, an explosion on a nearby ship showered the "West
Virginia's" deck with burning debris and flaming oil. Miller helped
move
his wounded captain to safety, then maneuvered through the flame-swept
deck and
took over a machine gun position. Though never trained as an aerial
gunner, he
confidently shot down four enemy aircraft. Miller reacted with such
extraordinary
skill and bravery in the defense of his ship that he became the first
African
American to receive the Navy Cross. Fellow Texan Admiral Chester Nimitz
awarded
him the Navy Cross on May 7, 1942. Miller died when his ship, the "USS
Linscombe Bay," was torpedoed in 1943. The destroyer "USS
Miller" was named in his honor in 1973. Miller, posthumously awarded
the
Purple Heart and honored by associations, cemeteries, parks, naval
bases, and
other organizations across the nation, is credited with helping break
down the
color barrier in the Navy. (1993) ed note: Doris Miller
Cemetery is located
on Hwy 84 east of Bellmead)
Moody
Cemetery
Location: SH
317 in Moody
Soon
after Moody was
founded in 1881, area settlers developed plans for a community burial
ground
closer than the cemetery the Old Cemetery at the Old Perry town site
(2.5 mi.
Ne). Purchased from J. Parker Naylor, the original tract at this site
was first
used of the burial of Flora Welch (d. 1889), a 7 year-old girl.
Hackberry trees
here were transplanted from the banks of the nearby Leon River in 1890.
A
woman's federation, later the Moody Cemetery Association, was started
in 1929
and Miss Rob McCauley served as president for 35 years. Many early
pioneers of
moody are buried here. (1981)
Louis
Moore
Location: Moore Cemetery
On FM 933 South of FM 308; Waco
(May
25, 1817-May
13, 1894) Missouri native Louise Moore moved from Arkansas to Texas
about 1834.
He received a Mexican land grant and enlisted in the Texas Army in
April 1836. He
was among the troops who guarded baggage at Harrisburg during the
battle of San
Jacinto and later served with the Texas Ranger Company which
established Fort
Fisher. Twice married, he was the father of nine children. In his later
years
he lived in the Chalk Bluff Community. (1989)
Naler
Cemetery
Location: 9th
and Ave G; Moody
Joseph
Naler
(1803-1882) migrated to this area from Georgia in 1851. Originally part
of his
land, this site was first used as a cemetery in 1863 for the burial of
his wife
Polly (Pruitt) (b. 1813 Naler who died in Waco and was later
re-interred here.
The burial ground was chartered in 1900 and a cemetery association was
organized in 1947. The original 2-acre tract was later enlarged by the
addition
of adjoining land, the former site of a Cumberland Presbyterian Church
building. Started before the founding of Moody, the cemetery contains
the
graves of many pioneers settlers. (1981)
Governor
Patrick
Morris Neff
Location: Baylor Campus in front of Pat Neff Hall; Waco
Born
at nearby McGregor,
Texas, Pat M. Neff was the ninth child of Noah and Isabella (Shepherd)
Neff. He
was educated at Baylor University and the University of Texas Law
School. As a
young Waco Lawyer, Neff was elected to the Texas House of
representatives,
where he served three terms, 1899-1903, the last as speaker of the
house. He
later held the office of McLennan County Attorney, 1906-12. He was
elected as
Texas' 27th Governor in 1920 and inaugurated on Jan. 18, 1921. Gov.
Neff
supported improved roads and educational and prison reform. He
appointed the
first State Park Board beginning a park system. In 1922 he won a second
term in
the governors' office. In 1927 Neff was appointed to the federal
railway
mediation board and in 1928 was named chairman of the Texas Railroad
Commission. He resigned that post in 1932 to become President of Baylor
University, where he had been a trustee for 29 years. He presided over
the
growing institution until 1947. Neff was a prominent Baptist and Mason.
He was
married in 1899 to Myrtle Mainer (d. 1953) and had two children: Hallie
Maude
(Mrs. Frank Wilcox) and Pat M. Neff, Jr. Gov. Neff died in 1952 and was
buried
in Waco's Oakwood Cemetery.
Oakwood
Cemetery
Location: 2124 So. 5th
St; Waco
Before
Oakwood
Cemetery was established herein 1878, this tract of land contained a
fairgrounds and racetrack. The 157-acre burial ground is successor to
First
Street cemetery, oldest important cemetery in Waco. Many bodies from
early
graveyards were moved here in 1878 and later because of the better
maintenance
of these grounds. Since 1898 the Oakwood Cemetery Association, a
private group,
has operated this tract, although the land remains the property of the
city.
The Board of Directors of the association consists of women only, as
provided
in the original by-laws. Among the eminent Texans interred here are
three
governors: Richard Coke (1874-1876), L.S. "Sul" Ross (1887-1891), and
Pat M. Neff (1921-1925). Also, Neil Mclennan, Texas Pioneer of Scottish
birth
for whom McLennan County is named, is buried in Oakwood. In addition
there are
two old adversaries: Rufus C. Burleson, president of Baylor University,
and
William Cowper Brann, Crusading Editor of the "Iconoclast", who was
shot in 1898 by another man who resented Brann's Acid attacks on
Hypocrisy an
self-righteousness. Also interred in William Cameron, "Lumber King of
the
South." As of April 2, 1969, burials totaled 18,804.
(1969)
Paul
Quinn
College
Location: 1020 Elm St.; Waco
Texas'
Oldest
Liberal Arts College for Negroes. Originally connectional High School
and
Institute for Negro Youth; opened in Austin, April 4, 1872,by the
African
Methodist Episcopal Church, under Bishop J.M. Brown (1817-1893), who
served
1872-1876 as President. Founders were Bishop R. H. Cain, the Revs. J.H.
Armstrong, W.R. Carson, J.V. Goins, Abraham Grant, William Leake, and
Henry
Wilhite. Later known as Waco College and located at 8th and Mary
streets, the
school taught newly freed slaves blacksmithing, carpentry, tanning, and
the
like. In 1881 it was moved to present site and renamed for Bishop
William Paul
Quinn (1788-1873), an early Missionary to the Western States. The
expanded
curriculum was taught in the first building erected from a "ten cents
brick" campaign, expressing the dreams of a desperately poor people.
Additional
buildings arose as service and value of the college became apparent,
with
growth accelerated since 1962 under leadership of Bishop O.L. Sherma.
Illustrious Alumni and student honor the Paul Quinn Mott: "A past to
Cherish, a future to fulfill. (1972)
Old
Perry
Cemetery
Location: Original town site of Perry
This
cemetery was
established to serve the pioneer settlers of this Perry community. The
first
burial her was that of Jane Leach, a schoolteacher who died in 1854.
Perry was
the site of several stores, a gin, school, union church, and a post
office.
Following a destructive 1873 storm, the residents moved to the town
site of New
Perry (2 mi E). The settlement was relocated at the present site of
moody (2 mi
SW) in 1881 when Santa Fe Rail lines were completed to the area. Only
this
cemetery remains at the original site of the Perry Community. (1981)
Proctor
Springs
Location: Cameron Park;
Waco
One
of numerous
watering sites used by frontiersmen; a picnic spot for early Waco.
Deeded on
May 24, 1910, by Mrs. William (Flora B.) Cameron and family to city of
Waco as
original grant for William Cameron Park--named in Honor of the deceased
(1899)
Civic Leader and businessman. The original 125-acre park was increased
to 500
acres in 1920. In keeping with park's theme of "Natural scenic beauty
to
be preserved for the pleasure of the people", the Waco Garden Club in
1970
restored the bird sanctuary, arboretum, and native wild flower
preserve. (1971)
Robertson
Location: La Salle St.;
Waco
The
only father-son Generals
in the Civil War, except for Robert E. Lee and his son are buried 1
block
south. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson, Commander of Hood's Texas Brigade,
Nov. 1862
to Jan. 1864, died in Waco Jan. 7, 1890. His son, Gen. Felix H.
Robertson, Army
of Tenn., died in Waco on April 20, 1928.
Rotan-Dossett
House
Location: 1503 Columbus St.; Waco
A
native of
Tennessee and a Confederate veteran, Edward Rotan (1844-1932) came to
Waco in
1867. He became a successful merchant and banker and a civic leader. In
1889-91
he built this house with large halls, wide porches, stained glass, and
ornate
woodwork. Its combination of architectural styles is unusual for Texas.
In 1917
Rotan sold the residence to A. J. Dossett (1871-1921), who operated
cotton
warehouses from Waco to Galveston. (1978)
St
Marys
Cemetery
Cemetery Rd.; West
Early
Catholic
settlers northern McLennan County worshipped at St. Martin's Church in
Tours,
five miles southeast of present west. After more immigrant Catholic
families of
Czech, Moravian, Slovak, and German origin moved to the area in the
late 19th
century, a New Parish was established in west. St. Mary's church of the
assumption was built in 1892, and in 1893 Joseph and Maria Hromadka
sold land
at this site to the Catholic Diocese for development as a cemetery are
those of
Vaclav Masek (1838-1892) and Mary Cocek (1875-1893) Among the more than
2,700
persons buried here are pioneer settlers, immigrants, military
veterans,
members of several generations of some families, and priests who have
served St.
Mary's parish. The Rev. Monsignor Joseph Plenar (1865-1940), who led
the Parish
for forty years, is buried beneath the large stone cross in the western
section
of the graveyard. Many of the graves are marked with distinctive marble
tombstones or metal ornamentation; a large number of inscriptions and
Epitaphs
are in the Czech Language. The cemetery serves as a visible image of
the area's
rich cultural history. (1996)
Dr. John
Henry
Sears
Location: Oakwood Cemetery; Waco
(October
9,
1826-December 4, 1901) A native of Virginia, John Henry Sears received
his
medical education in South Carolina. Moving to Waco in 1854, he began
his
medical practice. After service as a Confederate surgeon during the
Civil War,
he returned to Waco and became a civic leader. Sears was instrumental
in the
organization of both the Waco Medical Association (1866) and the Texas
Medical
Association (1869). Dr. Sears and his wife Angie (Gurley) were the
parents of
three children. (1988)
St
Marys School
Location: Harrison St.;
West
St.
Mary's Catholic
Church was officially organized in West in 1892. Because parents wanted
a
Catholic education for their children, Father F. G. Sebik wrote to
Reverend
Mother Florence, Superior General of the Sisters of Divine Providence,
headquartered in Castroville. She soon sent Sister M. Pelagia and three
other
nuns to teach West's 132 Catholic children. The first school structure
included
three classrooms and living quarters for the sisters. As enrollment
grew the
Sisters began to accept boarding students. Interest was so high that by
1909
they were forced to turn boarders away. A new brick schoolhouse with
six
classrooms and an auditorium erected in 1917 accommodated more
students. By
1928 seven nuns were teaching at the school. Facilities continued to
change as
enrollment increased and more sisters arrived. Extracurricular programs
with
the West public schools ensured that St. Mary's students participated
in a
variety of activities. The school was fully accredited by the Texas
Catholic
Conference in 1967. With the economic and social changes of the second
half of
the 20th century, the number of Sisters able to teach for a stipend
instead of
a salary decreased and the cost of a Catholic education increased.
Enrollment
gradually declined over the next decades. The last Sister of Divine
Providence
left the school in 1984, leaving a legacy of the Catholic educational
tradition
in West. Parent-teacher initiatives and development ensured the
survival of St.
Mary's, which continues to serve the community. (1999)
Stanford
Chapel
Cemetery
Location: 6 mi. W of Waco on US 84; .7 mi. S on Fm 1695; 1.9 mi. W on
Chapel
Rd.
This
cemetery is
named for the Reverend Thomas Stanford, a pioneer Methodist minister
who moved
to Texas from Arkansas in 1862 with his wife and family. They, with the
E. R.
Barcus family, established a school, church and cemetery. The
Stanfords'
daughter and son-in-law, Martha and Thomas Richey, donated five acres
of land
for this graveyard in 1875. The first recorded burial occurred in 1875.
After
years of neglect the graveyard was restored in 1962, and by 1965 a
cemetery
association was formed to maintain the site. The cemetery continues to
serve
the community. (1997)
The
Sturgis House
Location: 1316 Washington;
Waco
Built
1887 by James
N. Harris in a refined Victorian style. Bricks handmade from Brazos
River sand
are used throughout entire structure and servant's quarters. Walls are
13-inch,
solid, with interior plaster directly applied. Roof is the original.
Bought
1912 by Mr. and Mrs. James H. Sturgis, whose children James, Jr.,
Carroll W.,
and Anna Elizabeth were brought up here. Structure is now preserved by
Mr. and
Mrs. Carroll W. Sturgis.
Isaac
Jackson
Teague Property
Location: From Moody 1/2 mile s on Highway 317, east of
317; s of cemetery.
Born
in Hopkins
County, Texas, Isaac Jackson Teague (1865-1947) married Mariel Susan
Abbott in
1889. In 1893 he purchased this property and in 1899 hired local
contractor
Elmo Routh to build this residence for his large family. Lumber for the
simple Victorian
farmhouse was shipped here from Bartlett on the Santa Fe Railroad.
Owned in
1976 by Teague's son Dayton M. Teague, the structure has housed four
generations of the family. (1976)
Texas
Christian
University (Old Site)
Location: 19th and Mitchell; Waco
A
hundred
people--faculty and students of Add-Ran Christian University (situated
1876-1895 at Thorp Spring)--reached Waco by train and marched 3 miles
to this
site on Christmas Eve 1895. By invitation, Add-Ran began to operate
that day in
unfinished building of Waco Female College, which had given up its
charter
after functioning since 1857. Add-Ran in 1902 became Texas Christian
University. The "Horned Frog" began publication. School spirit was
high, but on March 22, 1910, fire destroyed the school. Financial
inducements
caused T.C.U. to rebuild in Fort Worth.
Texas
Cotton
Palace (Site of)
Location: Clay and 13th St. (at Park)
Founded
in 1894,
when Waco was cotton capital of the South. After first exposition to
mark end
of cotton season, original palace burned; was rebuilt, 1909. Exposition
each
November had grand royal coronation; nobility came from Texas cities,
other
states and foreign countries. Featured farm crops, animals; a
"warpath" of sideshows; parades, football games, auto shows, horse
races
and other attractions. The 10,000-capacity coliseum was the setting for
grand
opera, concerts, coronation balls, shows from Broadway, debutante
balls. After
1930, property was sold. (1966)
The
Texas Rangers
and The Fence Cutters
Location: University Park and IH 35; Waco
Before
1875 in
Texas, cattle roamed over thousands of acres of public land, and free
grazing
became a tradition. After 1875, however, an increasing farm populace
tended to
protect crops and other property with barbed wire fences, which were
resented
by stock raisers. Cattle losses in droughts of the 1880s provoked such
widespread cutting of fences that the Texas government recognized this
as a
crime and in 1884 enacted laws and measures to curb the practice. Texas
Rangers
were dispatched by the Governor at the call of County Judges and
Sheriffs to
apprehend the fence cutters. They operated from the Red River to the
Rio
Grande, and from the Panhandle to the Pine Woods of East Texas.
Disguise and
concealment were required, and one of the Rangers who won praise for
his work
pronounced it the most disagreeable duty in the world. The vigorous
effort went
on for some years. Finally, however, stockmen who had wanted to restore
the
open range were won over to fencing their own lands and using windmills
to
water their cattle herds. The Texas Rangers had in one more instance
helped to
stabilize life in the West. (1976)
Site of
Torreys
Trading House
Location: Waco
Established
in 1843
by John F. Torrey and brothers and managed by George Barnard the post
was on
the line separating the Indian and white settlements; Here the Indians
signed
treaties and received presents until 1854 when they were settled on
reservations on the Upper Brazos. (1936)
George
W. Truett
Location: 500 Clay St;
Waco
North
Carolina
native George W. Truett followed his parents to Texas in 1889, and
settled
first in Whitewright in Grayson county. He worked on the family farm,
attended
Grayson Junior College, and became an active member of the Baptist
Congregation. A gifted teacher and speaker, Truett was ordained a
Baptist
minister by the congregation in 1890. Truett had also gained a
reputation as a
skillful fund-raiser, and in 1890 he was appointed financial secretary
of
Baylor University, which was burdened with a $92,000 debt. Within 23
months,
Truett had eliminated the debt. In 1893 he enrolled at Baylor and paid
his
tuition by becoming pastor of East Waco Baptist Church. He married
Josephine
Jenkins in 1894. Truett graduated in 1897 and became pastor of the
First
Baptist Church, Dallas, a position he held for 47 years. The membership
grew
from 715 to 7,804. In 1904 the Texas Baptist Sanitarium, later the
Baylor
Hospital, was founded as a result of his fund raising efforts. He also
raised
millions of dollars for the Southern Baptist convention, served as an
officer
in numerous organizations, and traveled worldwide on preaching tours.
Following
a distinguished career in service to others, Truett died at age 77.
(1997)
Waco
Boating and
Fishing Club (Site of)
Location: 7901 Old Fish Pond Road; Waco
On
January 10, 1890,
a small group of prominent Waco citizens gathered at the McLennan
County
courthouse. According to the minutes of that first meeting, they had
come
together "for the purpose of establishing a boating and fishing club."
The organization obtained a state charter a month later. The club
originally
was comprised of fifty members, each of whom purchased stock in the new
venture. Tom Padgitt was elected first president of the club, Otis W.
David
served as secretary, and W. W. Seley was elected treasurer. Members of
the club
immediately began looking for property on which to establish their
headquarters. They soon purchased 50 acres of land five miles west of
the city
and just north of the road leading from Waco to Crawford for $2,000. In
March
1890, the board authorized construction of a dam and proper development
of a
lake. An artesian well was drilled in 1892, and the lake was stocked
with fish.
Members of the club voted to name the site "Fountain Lake" and built
a boathouse on the east shore of the lake. Reports of club activities
regularly
appeared in a local society newsletter called Artesia. By the turn of
the 20th
century, the organization was commonly known as the "Fish Pond Club"
and the term "Fish Pond" soon replaced the earlier adopted
"Fountain Lake." The club's facilities became a fashionable social
gathering place and were used by members and non-members alike. Soon
the road
leading to the site was named Fish Pond Road and the surrounding area
gradually
took on the popular name, as well. The nearby Ridgewood Country Club
purchased
the property in 1985, and the Waco Boating and Fishing Club officially
dissolved in 1988. At the beginning of the 21st century the old fish
pond site
became part of a new residential development. (2000)
Waco
City
Waterworks
Location: 200 Colcord; Waco
In
1849 Waco's main
street was platted near one of a number of large natural artesian
springs
indigenous to this area. In the last quarter of the 19th Century Waco
relied on
private suppliers of artesian well water for its municipal needs. These
supplies eventually proved inadequate and in 1901 the city approved
bonds for a
new waterworks system. By 1914 Waco had switched to water from the
Brazos River
and a distribution system powered by two steam-driven Allis-Chalmers
pumps
housed here in its newly completed waterworks complex. The pumps
operated until
1967. (1993)
Waco
State Home
Location: 3501 N. 19th;
Waco
In
1919, the 36th
Texas Legislature established a "state home for dependent and neglected
children" in Waco to provide these children with care, training, and
education. The Waco State Home, as it later was renamed, officially
opened in
1922. Located on a hill that then overlooked the city of Waco, the
campus was
situated on land that had been part of Camp MacArthur, an early 20th
Century
Army training camp. Two brick dormitories were constructed to house the
children, although additional facilities were built as needed. During
the late
1930s, enrollment reached nearly 400 children. House parents provided
supervision for those who lived on campus. Until the mid-1950s, the
Waco State
Home operated as an Independent School District to provide an education
for
dependent and neglected children. The home also managed a farm on the
property,
producing much of the food consumed by the residents. Its yields
included dairy
products, vegetables, and livestock feed. Until 1979, when the facility
was
closed, the Waco State Home provided care, training, and education to
hundreds
of needy children during their formative years, many of its former
students
have become active citizens of communities throughout the state. (1986)
Waco
Theater
Location: 724 Austin Ave;
Waco
Originally
a
two-story dark brick building with classical detailing, this theatre
opened in
1914 as the Hippodrome. Managed by a group of Waco businessmen headed
by T.P.
Finnegan, it was used for silent movies, traveling Vaudeville shows,
and a
variety of civic events. After a minor fire in 1928 the structure was
enlarged
and remodeled in the present Mediterranean Revival style. It reopened
the
following year as the Waco Theatre. (1981)
The Waco
Tornado
Location: 5th
and Austin (Marker); Waco
One
of the most
disastrous tornadoes in Texas history swept through downtown Waco on
the
afternoon of May 11, 1953, killing 114 people, destroying 346 buildings
and
creating property damage in excess of $50 million. Some of the worst
devastation occurred at this site, where 32 employees of the R.T.
Dennis
Furniture Company died when the building collapsed. Aid to the city
came in the
form of volunteer and military rescue forces and donations totaling
over $9
million. The rescue and restoration efforts that followed reflected
Waco's
strong sense of pride and community spirit.
Old
Walker
Homestead
Location: 3401 Dever St.; Waco
Texas
adaptation,
Greek Revival architecture. Waco-made sand brick. Built about 1853 by a
father
and son, James and W.C. Walker, both veterans of Battle of San Jacinto,
in
Texas War for Independence. First brick home, rural part of county.
(1969)
Dr.
David Richard
Wallace
Location: Oakwood Cemetery; Waco
(Nov.
10, 1825-Nov.
21, 1911) Educated as a physician, North Carolina native David Richard
Wallace
moved to Texas in the 1850s. He taught at Baylor University in
Independence and
in Waco, and served in the Civil War. In Waco, he was a prominent
doctor,
educator, and civic leader who was instrumental in the formation of
state and
local medical associations. An early pioneer in psychiatry, he was
named to
head asylum facilities in Austin and Terrell. (1986)
Welborn
Bostick
Home -
Location: End of Avenue A; Moody
James
Irby Welborn
and wife Nettie Ann Moore, natives of Missouri, purchased this land in
1860.
They donated acreage for Moody College, now Moody Public School, and
deeded
right-of-way for the Santa Fe Railroad. A son, George Yancey Welborn,
and wife
Theodocia Wharton became owners of the land in 1885. George built this
home in
1914 on old family home site. Their daughter, Veda, and husband Seth
Pendleton
Bostick became the owners in 1938. Welborn descendants have lived on
this land
121 years. This is the oldest family owned property in Moody. (1981)
Charles
A. Westbrook
Plantation
Location: 1905 Old Temple
Road (FM 2837); Lorena (Private)
Charles
Alexander
Westbrook (1838-1895) came to Texas from Mississippi in 1859. He
settled first
at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where he married Mary Virginia Whitsitt.
They
eventually were the parents of thirteen children. After his service in
the
Confederate Army during the Civil War, Westbrook moved his family to
McLennan
County and established a large cotton plantation along Cow Bayou. He
built a
large family home here in the 1870s. Constructed of locally quarried
stone, the
three-story structure featured six fireplaces and square Doric columns.
Although the house was significantly altered in the 20th Century, it is
a
reminder of the once-thriving Westbrook Cotton Plantation. The stage
road from
Waco to San Antonio traversed the Westbrook property, and the family
often
hosted travelers in their home. The plantation also included a number
of
outbuildings. Charles Westbrook served as County Commissioner from 1876
to
1878. One of the first schools in the area was established on his
plantation.
When the railroad was built through the area in 1881, the resulting
town (1.5
mi. NW) was named for the Westbrooks' daughter, Lorena. (1990)
White
Hall
Cemetery
Location: Santa Fe and Fresno St.; Woodway
White
Hall Cemetery
is the last vestige of the once growing agricultural community of White
Hall.
The first graves, marked in 1877, are located north of the White Hall
Baptist
Church site on land deeded by Capt. Burl Jones Kendrick (1824-1912). A
Civil
War veteran who owned 320 acres in the area. In 1899, Capt. Kendrick
deeded an
additional 1.1 acres to the trustees of the White Hall Graveyard for
the price
of one dollar. Pioneers of the White Hall community are buried at this,
the
first Baptist cemetery in the area. (1984)
White
Rock
Cemetery
Location: Ross Rd; Ross
Although
local
tradition claims this cemetery began with the burial of a drifter in
1855, the
first recorded burial was that of Elizabeth A. Bennett in 1856. The
cemetery
served the communities of White Rock, West, Elm Mott, Gholson, Ross,
and Waco.
The graveyard was enlarged in 1947, and in 1959 the White Rock Cemetery
Association made arrangements for the cemetery's upkeep. Among the more
than
1,675 people buried here are many of the area's first settlers and
their
descendants and veterans of wars ranging from the Texas Revolution to
the
Vietnam War. (1995)