Timeline of Waco, Texas

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

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

19th century

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

20th century

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

21st century

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

See also

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

References

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

Bibliography

published in 19th c.

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

published in 20th c.

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

published in 21st c.

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