McLennan County TX - Historical Markers Submitted by: Diane Wilson Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ------------------------------------------------ Historical Markers of Genealogical Interest in McLennan County. Compiled by Diane E. Wilson. This is being uploaded to the TXGenWeb for free use in genealogical research. This may not be reproduced without the written consent of Diane E. Wilson and the TXGenWeb Project. These records were compiled from the records of the Texas Historical Commission, Austin, TX. These are not in exact alphabetical order so it is suggested that you use the search engine provided. The date in parenthesis at the end of the description is the date the marker was placed. Historic People, Places and Events of McLennan County Thomas Hudson Barron Marker 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) Bosque River Crossing of the 1841 Texas Santa Fe Expedition Marker Location: from China Spring go 2 mi. west, turn south on Baylor Camp Rd. off FM 1637, go left on Meadering Way, sign is at beginning of bridge. Sent by Republic of Texas president Mirabeau B. Lamar to establish trade and expand Texas Legal Boundaries, the members of the 1841 Texas Santa Fe Expedition met with a number of Hardships endeavoring to carry out their mission. On July 6, 1841, the expedition crossed the Bosque River near this site with great difficulty due to the steep riverbanks. Finally reaching New Mexico in September after enduring Indian attacks and lack of food and supplies, the travelers were captured by Mexican troops and marched to prison in Mexico City. Cobbs-Walker Cemetery 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) John Silas Edens 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) Gerald-Harris Shootings Austin & 4th Sts, Waco. James W. Harris (1863-1897), editor of Waco's "Time -Herald" and Judge George Bruce Gerald (1836-1914) argued over an article the Judge wrote. It supported William Cowper Bran's controversial magazine, "The Iconoclast", which denounced, among other things, Baptists and Baylor University. After a fist fight which Harris won, the Judge distributed a Handbill branding Harris" A liar, coward and cur" and challenged him to a duel. Harris and his brother met a Judge Gerald near this intersection in a pistol battle. The Harris' were killed at the Judge wounded. Judge Gerald won reelection in 1900. (1978) Grand Lodge of Texas, A. F. & A. M. 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) Old Harrison 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) David Smita Kornegay 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) Alexander McKinza 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) McLennan County 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) The Ross Oak 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) Sims Cabin 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 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 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. Waco Springs, Site of the Waco Indian Village 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 Comanche's about 1837. From them the city of Waco, laid out by Major George B. Erath in 1849, takes its name. Waco, County Seat of McLennan County 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) Sarah Ann Vouchere Walker 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. 8^th 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) Bell's Hill School - Location: 22^nd 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. 19^th 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. 5^th 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. 4^th 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 Café - 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 Waco's 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 it's 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. 5^th 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 Taylor's 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) McLennan's 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: 9^th 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. 5^th 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 Mary's 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 Mary's 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: 19^th 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 13^th 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 Torrey's 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. 19^th; 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: 5^th 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)