Waco History

Until the 1990s, hockey teams in the South were few and far between. The heat prevalent in the southern states did not exactly lend itself to ice-based sports, leading locals to favor warm-weather sports such as baseball and football. However, the National Hockey League’s (NHL’s) expansion teams began to gradually make their way further south throughout the 1990s, spreading a new interest in the sport.

In 1993, the expansion reached Texas when the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, becoming the beloved Dallas Stars. With these new NHL teams came their minor league counterparts. The majority of these new minor league teams belonged to the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL), which operated from 1996-2001 and stretched from New Mexico to Mississippi. In 1996, Waco became home to one of Texas’ five (soon to become eleven) WPHL teams, the Wizards.

To read the full story, click the link below:
https://wacohistory.org/items/show/253

One of the most beautiful buildings on Baylor University’s campus is the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum. Sources such as Campus Grotto and Flavorwire have named the library to their lists of the fifty most beautiful libraries in the United States and in the world, respectively. The three-story Italian renaissance style building houses the world’s largest collection of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning material. Collected by Dr. Andrew Joseph Armstrong, the artifacts have been held in the Armstrong Browning Library since its opening in 1951.

If you are ever in the Baylor area, take some time to visit the !

To read the full story, visit the link below:
https://wacohistory.org/items/show/261

During World War II, Elizabeth “Bettie” Mae Scott joined a small group of women who took to the skies in support of the United States war effort. Scott served as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), a program that trained female aviators to perform critical flying duties within the United States while male pilots fought overseas.

Affectionately known as “Scotty” among her fellow pilots, Scott trained for several months at Avenger Field before graduating on April 15, 1944. Upon graduation, the Army Air Forces assigned her to Blackland Army Airfield and Waco Army Airfield in Waco, Texas, where she served as an engineering test pilot. In this role, Bettie flew aircraft that had recently undergone maintenance to determine whether they were safe to return to operational service

To read the full story, click the link below:
https://wacohistory.org/items/show/262

If you would like to learn about other WASP, check out the Wings Across America project within the Baylor University Institute for Oral History online collection. Link: https://digitalcollections-baylor.quartexcollections.com/oral-history-collections/wings-across-america-women-air-service-pilots-wasps-of-wwii

Celebrating Women’s History Month with a story rooted in tradition!

Our newest Waco History entry highlights Jesse’s Tortilla Factory and the powerful matriarchal legacy behind it. From generation to generation, women have helped preserve the knowledge, culture, and community that make this Waco staple so special.

To read about Jesse's Tortilla Factory, click the link below:
https://wacohistory.org/items/show/259

Thank you to everyone who joined us! We love talking history and we love our community!

Please join us on February 28th for our annual Black History Month Walking Tour!

Our free walking tour highlights the rich and enduring contributions of African Americans in our community. Through place and memory, we’ll explore local history that deserves to be seen, heard, and remembered.

Come walk with us as we honor these stories together. Click the link below to register:
https://libcal.baylor.edu/event/16284613

In 1871, Peter McClelland, a local civic leader, built the McClelland House Hotel at the corner of Fourth Street and Austin Avenue in order to meet the growing demand of visitors. After being owned by Hilton, going through The Great Depression, and gaining another owner, the hotel became known as the Roosevelt Hotel in 1934.

The Roosevelt Hotel became a center gathering place for the Waco community in addition to a place for travelers to reside. For instance, many groups hosted Christmas parties in the grand ballroom.

To read more about this story, click the link below:
https://wacohistory.org/items/show/41

ON THIS DAY....in 1935 what started as a small gathering of her friends at Margaret Barclay Megarity's home would eventually turn into the charitable women's community-based organization The Junior League of Waco. With a focus on serving children in the community the Junior League has continued making an impact in Waco to the present day.

Click here to read their full history: https://wacohistory.org/items/show/96

.

ON THIS DAY....in1904 the headquarters for the Texas freemasons moved from Houston to Waco and built one of the largest freemason lodges in the world.

Click here to read more about the building and the masons: https://wacohistory.org/items/show/110

ON THIS DAY....in 1885 Dr Pepper was born at the Old Corner Drugstore on Austin Avenue in Waco, Texas. Since then, many a Texan has come to love this iconic flavor, and this fizzy wonder has become a very part of the fabric of what it means to be a Texan.

Click here to find out what happened to this iconic birthplace: https://wacohistory.org/items/show/110