Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-26
" AGO==THR GEY SER CIT

long until the Important fact was dis
covered that McLennan county was
about the center Of district that was
better adapted to cotton raising than
perhaps any section in the South. North |
and West the cotton suffers from cold |
and dry weather, and South and East
the army worm destroys a large part
Of the crop each year. Cotton any
where within radius OF fifty miles
from Waco is peculiarly exempt from
either of these blights, and this fact &c
counts in great measy-e for the we'll
earned reputation w oaioys as the
largest interior marb 3, Vos, tate.
rhe city of Wac ~hsl;ss - de-
grces 10 minutes and loi. d. "a, IS
west from Greenwich ana r.. me-
tudc Of about 700 feet aboyes ''ots Z
level. The city is one Of surp. n
beauty. Beginning on high bluff On !,
the west bank of the river the elevation
is gradual to the crest of the 6rst hin |
to the west. North of the public plaza
there is chain OF wooded hills that
extend to the Bosque and west along |
that stream distance of twelve or |
fifteen miles. The timber is principally |
live oak and cedar, Wcst of the city !
and south Of the Bosque hills lies the
pretticst aud the richest black land couu-
try the eye ever beheld A succession
Of hills and valleys with every foot Of II
susceptive Of profitable cultivation, with
gushing springs flowing from every val
ley, land that when well cultivated pro-
duces well rain or no rain. 1t is a
veritable paradise for the farmer.
The operation of the ferry established
by Capt. Ross continued until 1870
when the handsome suspension bridge
which now spans the Brazos was com
pleted. This magnificent structure is
475 feet long aud two years were con.
sumed in It's construction The material
was transported ON wagons from Brc.
mond, Waco not having railroad facili-
tts at that time. In 1872 the Waco
and Northwestern railroad was com
/ pleted from Bremond TO Waco, and then
it was that the Central city began to
4 boom, not in the sense the word bloom
is now used, but the city attracted more
than ordinary attention. aud improve
mcnts began to assume that substantial
character peculiar to none but solid
business towns. The Waco and North
western was extended ON to Ross, ten
miles north from Waco and from there
the line WIS built by another company
TO Albany and is now owned and oper.
ated by the Texas Central railroad, with
Charles Hamilton general manager,
headquarters In Waco. No more rail.
roads We're built to Waco until in 1881.
when the Missouri, Kansas aud Texas
came in rush Soon after that the
Cotton Belt linked Waco with ST,
Louis via Tyler, and on the west enabled
Wacoans to enjoy diunal visits 70
Gainesville Eight years later the San
Antonio and Aransas Pass greeted its
sister roads from the south, and this
completes the list Of railroads connecting
Waco with the outside world
Waco Las quite Il number Of manufac-
turing establishments some Of them
ranking with the best in the south. Most
Of these have been located ia the city
since the advent Of railroads, but one ut
least was planted here while the Central
City was yet in village garb. Allusion is
made to the Waco cotton mills. The es-
tablisLment Of this enterprise was under
taken in 1850, Il was put in operation
in 1853. The company was organized in
Waco under tho name Of THE Waco
Manufacturing company" with five stock
holders, all of whom were directors
Ffst T.. I IFurfQ