Waco, Texas: A Continuing Story of New Beginnings

Waco lies approximately halfway between Dallas and Austin via Interstate 35. It was founded in 1849, but as recently as the early 1970s, the city’s future was in doubt. Its downtown was in shambles, and its population had dipped dramatically to no more than 130,000 in 1950.

The origin of this “settlement on the Brazos” dates to pre-Columbian times. The earliest settlers on the banks of the river were a tribe of Huaco Indians, followed in the early 1840s by a group of ranchers. Local history spans the first Spanish explorations of the 1500s, continuing through the time of French, Spanish, and Mexican control until the Republic of Texas was founded in 1836. Texas became a state in 1845, but the Civil War erupted a decade and a half later, disrupting the citizenry that lasted through Reconstruction and continued into the new century.

Waco had saloons and gaming houses during the 1870s, attracting cowhands, drifters, and others who helped earn the town the nickname of “Six-Shooter Junction.” A red-light district called “The Reservation” existed during that period, and prostitution was legally recognized, licensed, and regulated by the city until the early twentieth century.

Waco saw more than its share of hard times during those early days. However, when the town was young, its citizens were responsible for some notable achievements.

Texas-Style Dreams Spurred Growth

In 1866, a group of Waco citizens formed the Waco Bridge Company to span the Brazos River. The 475-foot single-span suspension bridge, completed in 1870, was the largest west of the Mississippi River. Not only did residents gain a safe way to cross the river with horse-drawn wagons and carriages, but the bridge also became the crossing for cattle herds on the way to markets in Abilene and Wichita along the Chisholm and Shawnee Trails.

Completion of a two-year restoration effort culminated in 2022 with a symbolic Longhorn drive across the span as a tribute to Waco’s “Cowtown” past.

Baylor University, chartered in 1845 by the last congress of the Republic of Texas, was originally located in Independence, Texas. The school merged with Waco University in 1886 and moved to the Waco campus. Today, Baylor occupies 1,000 acres within the city limits. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in continuous operation in Texas, and the largest Baptist University in the world.

During President George W. Bush’s term in office, the “Western White House” was located at the family’s ranch in Crawford, about 25 miles from Waco. Residents became familiar with the sight and sound of Air Force One as the presidential 747 frequently touched down on the airstrip at James Connally Air Force Base. The base was later decommissioned and became the TSTC Waco Airport.

Today, Waco is thriving with about 150,000 residents, after nearly being wiped off the map in 1953 by an F5 tornado that killed 114 people and injured almost 600. It was the deadliest storm in Texas since 1900, when a hurricane devastated Galveston, and one of the worst storms in U.S. history. Then in 1993, Waco endured the horror of the Branch Davidian standoff.

Waco’s past includes cotton and railroading, cattle ranching and military installations, discrimination, “white flight” and continuing racial unrest, frontier military justice, civilian shootouts, “natural” disasters, and recurrent economic slumps.

But that’s the city’s past — the present is positive and exciting, and Waco’s future is a completely different story.

What Not to Miss in Waco

Although there are scores of tours and recreational opportunities, including a “Fixer Upper Tour” and boating or rafting on the Brazos River, it’s the simpler things to see and do in Waco that I heartily recommend.

The Waco Riverwalk is a seven-mile, multi-use, lighted trail along both banks of the Brazos River from Baylor University to Cameron Park (second in size only to New York City’s Central Park). It runs under the historic bridge.

The bridge is now “bookended” by two parks — Indian Spring on the west, and Martin Luther King Jr. Park on the east. As Waco’s “gathering spot,” the area has become the focal point of many local events.

Walk across the historic bridge and marvel at the massive “Branding the Brazos” sculptures by Robert Summers. Then walk all or part of the mile-long Waco Sculpture Zoo, featuring 28 artworks by 17 different artists, each representing a native animal or an animal in Waco’s Cameron Park Zoo. They differ in size, form, and material. The trail leads from downtown to the Pecan Bottoms entrance of the Zoo.

Moving Beyond Its History

When you think of Waco, if you think of it at all, you might remember that it’s the home of Chip and Joanna Gaines. The couple gave birth not only to their wildly popular television show, “Fixer Upper,” which first aired in 2013, but they had previously had a hand in remodeling more than 100 of Waco’s older homes. They were also responsible for an acclaimed renovation of the city’s landmark hotel. Now renamed Hotel 1928, it is a popular boutique hotel in downtown Waco with 33 guest rooms and suites.

 In addition, the couple spearheaded the retail phenomenon — Magnolia at the Silos — that has somehow defined a new era for this nearly two-century-old town on the Texas prairie.

There is little doubt that part of Waco’s rebirth as a tourist destination can be attributed to the efforts of Chip and Joanna, but the establishment of Homestead Heritage, an intentional, sustainable, agrarian religious community, on 500 acres adjacent to the city, plays an increasingly important role in Waco’s bright future.

Homestead Heritage includes a crafts village that offers tours, hayrides, classes and workshops, and a variety of special events throughout the year.

The highly rated Café Homestead serves lunch and dinner featuring pasture-raised beef, fresh produce and breads, award-winning local cheeses, house-made sauces and condiments, and friendly service.

Digging into a Simpler Lifestyle

I first visited Homestead Heritage for a tour on a day when a group of high school students had scheduled a late afternoon sweet potato harvest. Members of the larger community turned out to help, while younger children played together and enjoyed the warm weather. Following the harvest and sorting of potatoes, and the transfer of large baskets of sweet potatoes to a spring-fed “cool room” for storage, families celebrated with a potluck chicken-wing dinner that continued until stars appeared overhead in the Texas sky. It was a celebration of earth’s bounty with good food and fellowship, and a celebratory postscript to hours of meaningful hard work. I can imagine it was the type of community gathering that characterized small-town America many a century ago.

Then, more recently, in April 2025, I returned to Homestead Heritage to attend a conference featuring nationally known sustainable farming experts. There were workshops and demonstrations, games and animals, food trucks and crafts sales, and more than 2,000 attendees.

A Weekly Market, held on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes an indoor market plus “make-your-own” activities, a petting zoo, and an indoor maze. The annual Thanksgiving Weekend Homestead Fair will be held from November 28 – 30 this year. It includes crafts demonstrations, food, music, agricultural exhibits, and an abundance of children’s events.

A Handful of Great Places to Eat

Waco’s reputation as a “foodie” destination is growing by leaps and bounds! Here’s a short list that doesn’t include a steakhouse or a barbecue joint. Not that they don’t exist or aren’t good. But you just might want something different.

Cajun Craft

A friendly, no-frills eatery – order at the counter, then wait for your order to be prepared. It’s worth the wait. Sit at a high table in a room packed with other diners or grab a table on the patio and enjoy the day!

Di Campli’s Italian Ristorante

With more going for it than you can imagine, imagine everything from pizza to an orange-glazed duck breast to a quick sandwich from their food truck at Magnolia Market. Oh, yeah, you’ll be infatuated with the food and the ambiance!

Twisted Root Burger

Yes, it’s a chain. Yes, it’s good! Yes, the beer is cold! After a busy day of “doing Waco,” what could be better than a hot-off-the-grill burger, doctored up with all the good stuff you can stuff into the bun? A talkative barkeep’s stories will keep you coming back for more!

Blasian Asian

Sleek and contemporary – not what you might expect – this is a find for those with a hankering for something different. Chevy is Cambodian. She and her husband Mike first debuted the concept in a small food truck, then expanded to a larger one before opening in a building, only to have it closed during COVID. Thankfully, it’s open again!

Milo – Downtown

Seasonal, fresh, and prepared with care by a talented chef, food at this rustic-chic eatery is a favorite of “in-the-know” Waconians (Is that a term that will catch on?) Convenient and pretty, it’s open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., except Tuesdays, and offers a separate brunch menu. 

Design Your Own Waco Experience

“Getting away from it all” in Waco is a thoroughly unique way to spend a weekend, or a week, no matter what your interests might be. Explore history, visit the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, spend half a day or more at the Waco Mammoth National Monument, be moved to tears by a Holocaust exhibit at the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas (and ask about the Masonic Lodge on the Moon (yes, really)!

Book a ghost tour, go for a sunset horseback ride, have a coffee or a mixed drink at Hotel 1928, or simply enjoy the compact downtown with its shops and eateries, and walk across the historic suspension bridge.

Still a city of contrasts, there’s more to Waco than meets the eye — much more.