Austin Avenue at Christmas, 1955
“There’s No Business Like Show Business”, which is showing at The WACO Theater,was released January 6, 1955.
This photo, which is a part of The Texas Collection at Baylor University, was originally black and white. Color has been added by our friend Ron Hatchett. The photographer is not known to us.
Two water towers were constructed in 1917 that supplied water for all of Camp MacArthur. These water towers were located at what is now the northeast corner of North 32nd Street and Herring Avenue. Aerial views taken of The Base Hospital were all either taken from the twin water towers, or the unfinished Hillcrest Baptist Hospital.
-George Randall Scott for Waco History in Pictures, Bryan-College Station, Texas.
THE WACO SUSPENSION BRIDGE
The Waco Suspension Bridge was the first bridge to cross the Brazos River. The Waco Bridge Company was formed in 1866 and hired architect Thomas M. Griffith to design the bridge. Construction began in 1866. Constructed by John H. Roebling, the main suspension of the single-span Suspension Bridge is 475 feet. The Towers and Bridge contain 3 million bricks, all made in Waco. When it opened on January 7, 1870, it was a toll bridge. It was purchased by McLennan County in 1889 for $75,000 and sold to the city of Waco for $1. It knew pedestrian, cattle, and horse and buggy traffic, then later automobile traffic. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and today the well-loved bridge serves as a pedestrian bridge and tourist attraction.
“This beautiful painting by the artist Jose Aceves commemorates the pioneer founder of McLennan County, Neil McLennan, who first saw the Brazos River valley as a Texas Ranger. ‘Extraordinarily well pleased with the country,’ McLennan had surveyor George B. Erath ‘sketch off three or four surveys’ and returned with his family in 1845. Aceves’ painting is a wall mural in the Mart post office. Courtesy of Stanley Campbell.” (Photo and text from “Our Land Our Lives” (1986) by Patricia Ward Wallace.)
“Jose Aceves moved with his family to El Paso, Texas during the Mexican Revolution in 1910. Mostly self taught, although highly influenced by his friends, Audley Dean Nichols and Tom Lea, Aceves became a well-known Southwestern artist, muralist, sculptor, and designer. During World War II, he worked as an illustrator for the U.S. Navy and afterwards attended American Acadamy of Art in Chicago.” From fineart.ha.com
From “Waco Heritage and History” Winter/Spring 1988
Published by The Historic Waco Foundation
For more information, or to join, please contact:
http://www.historicwaco.org/
Although Spring Lake Country Club existed for only a few years, the glowing memories of the happy times there are bright within those who knew it. The club was located on 125 acres of rolling hills, trees and lakes just north of town and was considered to be the most beautiful country club site in Texas. From 1903 to 1917, the area was owned by Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Day and was a recreational area known as Day’s Spring Lake. Newspaper accounts from that time recall it as a favorite Fourth of July spot for Wacoans escaping the city’s heat where political orations, lemonade, swimming, boating and fishing brought people by buggy, surry, and horseback.
In 1917, a corporation was formed to organize Spring Lake Country Club and the scenic land was purchased from the Days. With the intervention of WWI, construction of the clubhouse was delayed until 1920.
The 18-hole golf course soon became known throughout the State as one of its most challenging and beautiful courses. With narrow fairways, rolling hills, and lakes, Spring Lake was the site of many championships and State Invitational tournaments.
Social life also gravitated to Spring Lake with many families having summer cottages by the Lakes on the club grounds. Many a Sunday afternoon was spent on family picnicking by the lake. By the early 1930s however, the depression had caught Spring Lake in its net, and the Club began struggling for survival.
Mr. Tom f. Bush, one of the State’s leading cotton men, bought the club property in 1931 to try to save it by operating the golf course and club. Attempts were made at reorganization, but none were successful. Spring Lake closed with Mr. Bush’s death in 1939.
(Authored by HWF Staff in 1988)
Happy Birthday to Dr Pepper!
The U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885, as the first time Dr Pepper was served. Right here in Waco, Texas! All of these photos are from our group album “Waco Bottling Companies”, and photo credits are given there.
The following text is from https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-dr-pepper-4070939
The history of Dr Pepper dates back to the late 1880s. In 1885, in Waco, Texas, a young pharmacist called Charles Alderton invented the soft drink “Dr Pepper,” a carbonated soft drink marketed as having a unique flavor.
Alderton worked at a place called Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store and carbonated drinks were served at the soda fountain. Alderton invented his own recipes for soft drinks and found one of his drinks was becoming very popular. His customers originally asked for the drink by asking Alderton to shoot them a “Waco”.
Morrison, owner of the drug store, is credited with naming the drink “Dr Pepper” after a friend of his, Dr. Charles Pepper. Later in the 1950s, the period was removed from the “Dr Pepper” name.
As demand grew Alderton and Morrison had trouble manufacturing enough “Dr Pepper” for their customers. Then in stepped, Robert S. Lazenby, Lazenby owned The Circle “A” Ginger Ale Company in Waco and was impressed with “Dr Pepper”. Alderton did not want to pursue the business and manufacturing end of soft drinks and agreed that Morrison and Lazenby should take over and become partners.
The Dr Pepper Company
The U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885, as the first time Dr Pepper was served.
In 1891, Morrison and Lazenby formed the Artesian Mfg. & Bottling Company, which later became the Dr Pepper Company.
Yearbooks for Sale
We have extra copies of old yearbooks and a few panoramic school photos available for purchase from
Baylor University
Bosqueville School
Lakeview
Midway High School and Jr. High
Richfield High School
Texas A&M University
Waco High School
West Jr. High (in Waco).
These yearbooks are $ 25.00 each unless otherwise indicated. Price is for local pick-up. 15.00 additional to ship.
For info or to order, contact us at wacotexashistoryinpictures@gmail.com
BAYLOR ROUNDUP
1949
1962
BOSQUEVILLE SCHOOL
1987
1990
1991
1993
1995
1996
1999
2002
2003
2008
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
LAKEVIEW BULLDOG
1950 (75.00)
MIDWAY
Panther’s Paw
1968
1969
Jr. High 1978
RICHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Aries
1963
1964
1964 Graduating class panoramic photo (15.00)
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1971
1973
1976 (2)
1978
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
1949
1950
1951
1953
1971
1980
WACO HIGH SCHOOL
The Daisy Chain
1917
1926
1930
1934
1935
1938
1958
1961 Graduating class panoramic photo (15.00)
1977
1988
1990
WEST JUNIOR HIGH (WACO)
1924
Fred Gildersleeve (1880-1958) was “Waco’s Photographer.” He is buried at Waco Memorial Park. The photo of his grave marker is by Ann Westbrook, and the photo of him is a part of the Gildersleeve-Conger Collection at The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
FRANKLIN AVENUE THROUGH THE YEARS
400 Block of Franklin, looking east from Tom Padgitt Co, 1947.
The large building shown across the street is The Provident Building.
(The very spot where Mr. Blaize is standing was hit hard by the 1953 tornado.)
On the left side of the picture, Palace Grill was at 421 Franklin. Texas Seed Company was at 417-19.Little Bobs Cleaners was at 415. Cox’s Cafe was at 413. Henson’s Printing was at 411.
On the right side: Radio City was at 414. Appel Insurance was at 412. Jones Drugs was at 404.
Photo taken by Harry Blaize. From the Harry Blaize Photographic Collection, The Waco-McLennan County Public Library.
These are two amazing portraits I saw at the Helen Marie Taylor Museum at 701 Jefferson this last Saturday. What an amazing day! Saturday, September 10, was a monumental day for Waco History lovers!
This is a Cotton Palace Queen and King. If there was an information placard for these two photos. I missed it. Not only are the costumes magnificent, but the backdrops are beautiful as well.
Waco, Texas History in Pictures 