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Published: April 17th 2021
Our time in Fredericksburg had swiftly come to an end. The final morning began with a slow drive through the flower-covered hills and roadsides of the Willow City Loop which were fairly bursting with Texas Bluebonnets and red Indian Paintbrush with lots of other flowers making an appearance in this riot of color which this area is well known for. I could have stayed a bit longer in the Texas Hill Country as there was a lot more to see -- a few good museums, historic buildings, and some popular parks with interesting features including the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Old Tunnel State Park to name only two. These are located within the city limits or a short distance from Fredericksburg.
The remainder of our morning schedule called for driving on to the city of Waco where we had a reservation for the night, and so we had a good drive ahead of us. Unfortunately it was not a very sunny day. Leaving on Rt. 18, we then turned east on Rt. 281 considered a scenic route though a less traveled one. Turning more easterly, we made our way back to Interstate 35 going north ‘til we hit
Waco. We chose not to go to Austin on this trip though it would definitely be on our list if we revisit Texas.
Waco may be considered famous or infamous depending on your recall of historic events. Many people will remember the name Waco for one event and one event only -- the 1993 Waco Siege, sometimes called the Waco Massacre. The Waco Siege was a fatal confrontation between religious zealot David Koresh and his followers, the Branch Davidians, and the government's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) federal agents. The Branch Davidians are an off-shoot of the Seventh Day Adventists Church, a Protestant Christian religion that derives its name from its observance of Saturday as the Sabbath, among other religious distinctions and beliefs. What happened at the Branch Davidian compound was the result of a complex set of events and past history which I’ll only touch on briefly here.
The Branch Davidians were a splintered religious sect from Sheperd's Rod, one of several offshoots, created by schisms in other branch sects; it had a complicated history in which top members struggled for power over the group. Apparently, this internal struggle ended after a series of
violent shootouts between rival leader, George Roden, and David Koresh's group; this notorious confrontation resulted in Koresh and his followers, the “Koreshians,” winning the Mount Carmel compound. Shades of the wild west!!
What originally had drawn the federal government’s attention to Koresh and this sect were allegations of physical and sexual abuse involving minors, and illegal weapons violations stemming from fact that the sect was harboring a weapons arsenal. ATF agents attempted to execute a search warrant relating to these alleged crimes which ended in the deaths of both federal agents and Davidians. There was a 51-day standoff between the Koreshians and ATF/federal agents before the incidents ended in tragedy for all concerned. I remember watching the events as they unfolded on TV. It was this Mount Carmel compound that was later burned to the ground and where 80 people died. Apparently, portions of the compound can still be seen today including a new church or chapel which stands on the foundations of the original building destroyed by conflagration. Other remnants of the original compound are visible as well. It's been said that to this day, no one know who fired the first shots which led to this incident.
Waco is a big city crisscrossed by major routes and Interstate 35, so we stopped in at the Waco Tourist Information Center (WTIC) located on Texas Ranger Trail for maps and other information to make our visit less complicated. The Center's attendant was friendly and very helpful. A little shop here sold small souvenirs but I only purchased a couple of packets of Texas Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush seeds.
Just adjacent to the to the WTIC were 2 other interesting places to visit: the old 1st Street Cemetery located to one side of the parking lot and the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame Museum which opened to the public in 1976 as a State memorial to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Texas Rangers.
Cemeteries can be interesting places for many reasons. We wondered through the graves at the old 1st Street Cemetery for a few minutes mainly because of the presence of some civil war graves but also to see that of Thomas Hudson Barron. Barron was a veteran of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans between the British and U.S. Army, and he also served as a captain in the Texas Rangers. Barron's grave was
moved here from another location which seemed fitting since he was a Texas Ranger.
We walked over to the very interesting Texas Rangers Hall of Fame Museum. This very well-done museum had some fascinating historical exhibits, photos, and artifacts highlighting some of the great people and history of the Rangers. The museum also includes some excellent oil paintings of various moments or depictions in the history of the Texas Rangers who were founded in 1823, and are sometimes known as "Los Diablos Tejanos"— "the Texan Devils". The Rangers came into being when Stephen F. Austin, "known as the Father of Texas, employed ten men to act as rangers to protect 600 to 700 newly settled families who arrived in Mexican Texas following the Mexican War of Independence." (Wikipedia.com) Today they are involved in a wide range of law enforcement duties including investigations into major crimes. Like the Old West itself, the Rangers have a certain undeniable mystique surrounding them, and their reputation for the dogged pursuit of criminals is legendary. No doubt the phrase, "One riot, one Ranger," says a lot about their tenacity and fearlessness.
Included in the museum is the Tobin & Anne Armstrong Texas Ranger
Research Center. From their website: "In 1997, the Texas Legislature recognized this service and designated the Armstrong Center as official repository for archives and memorabilia related to the Texas Rangers service." The same year and month we visited this museum, the movie, “The Highwaymen”, starring Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, and Kathy Bates was released. In my opinion it was an excellent movie based on the true story of two former Texas Rangers “tasked with tracking and killing the infamous criminals, Bonnie and Clyde.” The man mostly responsible for the dispatch of Bonnie and Clyde was one "
Francis Augustus Hamer (March 17, 1884 – July 10, 1955) ... an American law enforcement officer and
Texas Ranger who led the 1934 posse that tracked down and killed criminals
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Renowned for his toughness, marksmanship, and investigative skill, he acquired status in the Southwest as the archetypal Texas Ranger." (wikipedia.com) One of the exhibits at this museum centers on F. A. "Frank" Hamer. There is also an interesting oil painting depicting the moment when Bonnie and Clyde met their end at the hands of these Texas Rangers. I could have easily spent at least another hour in this museum.
Over approximately the last
10 years, most people would probably say that Waco has a new character -- a joyful re-emergence and positive upswing most assuredly thanks to HGTV’s popular program called “Fixer Upper” which is based in Waco. The show features Chip and Joanna Gaines, once small business owners who skyrocketed to fame as unlikely TV stars and future entrepreneurs. They have drawn a wide audience, devoted following and the city of Waco has certainly been the beneficiary. The Gaines are known for designing, renovating and restoring of rundown homes in the Waco area and now also for the many businesses they brought to fruition in Waco.
Success allowed the Gaines to invest a great deal of their own money on projects in Waco including: the Magnolia Market at the Silos; Silos Baking Co. (loved the lemon lavender cupcake); the Magnolia Table Restaurant; Magnolia House, a stylishly renovated B&B; Hillcrest Estate, a historic vacation home; Magnolia Press Coffee Shop; and restoration and renovation of an historic building as a boutique hotel in downtown Waco.
UPDATE: Since our visit to Waco, the Gaines (and others involved in the project) have now opened to the public The Hotel 1928, a completely redesigned boutique
hotel. Once a landmark in Waco, the Moorish-Revival building which once functioned as a completely different entity!
Because of the Gaines’ success, tourism in Waco has flourished. No doubt many other businesses have been launched to accommodate the influx of tourists as well as to create new attractions. In response, the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau created “The Magnolia Trail,” a self-guided tour for “Fixer Upper” fans details of which can be found in their Visitors Guide. Guided tours of the Gaines’ fixer upper homes featured on the TV show are also very popular.
The centerpiece of the Magnolia Market at Silos are the two 120 ft. tall silos themselves. The Silos were constructed in 1950 for the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company which shutdown in 1958. The silos, like so many other properties in Waco, would have been left to the pages of history if it hadn’t been for the Gaines’ foresight and imagination.
The Silo District and Uptown District areas of Waco offer a variety of cafes, trendy shops, antique stores, street art, museums (including the Dr. Pepper Museum and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame), parks, sports, and all within walking distance of the
Brazos River, the Waco Suspension Bridge and the Silo District. When we were there, there was a good deal of free parking and free transportation. Visitors should enjoy taking the free Silo District Trolley that covers a route with many attractions. We took the free trolley to Spice Village which is a charming shopping and dining venue -- 60 shops under one roof. It was tempting, but with room in my luggage for only the smallest things, I didn't buy anything here.
A bit further is the campus of Baylor University, home of the 2021 NCAA College Basketball Champions, which draws fans to Waco as well. The Baylor Bears have a dedicated following in other sports as well. Both Chip and Joanna Gaines are alumni of Baylor.
Though no doubt there is plenty more I would have liked to see in Waco than we had time for, I was ready for a break and we needed to check into our hotel. The hotel was bustling with guests, but we were given a suite which was very comfortable and included breakfast. Dinner was at one of our favorite chain restaurants not too far away and after that we called
it a night. The next morning we would be on our way to Dallas.
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Sarah Wilkie
non-member comment
Discovering more about Waco
I thoroughly enjoyed this post! I knew of course about the Waco Massacre and remember all the news coverage at the time. And I quite recently read someone else's blog about the city's links to the Fixer Upper TV show. We don't get that here (we have plenty of similar ones however) but I think I would nevertheless enjoy visiting the related shops and sites. However it was your info about the Texas Rangers that really caught my attention - the museum, the story of Bonnie and Clyde etc. Of course I know the old Bonnie and Clyde film but we've never seen The Highwaymen. I will definitely look out for that, and will add Waco to my long list of US places we would enjoy visiting :)