Nestled in the heart of frontier Texas, Torrey’s Trading Post #2 was more than just a hub for commerce; it was a crossroads of cultures, a symbol of peace, and a catalyst for the growth of Waco and its surrounding regions. This historic trading post, established in the early 1840s near Tehuacana Creek, played a…

Preservation Scholar intern Gavin Porter, currently studying Community and Regional Planning for his Master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, selected Waco as his town and collaborated with the Dr Pepper Museum to research how Blacks, Hispanics, and Jews accessed soft drinks in Waco during the Jim Crow era (Summer 2024). He selected…

Throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries, educational opportunities for African Americans were sporadic and unreliable, especially in Texas and other Southern states. At the Civil War’s end, most Black Texans faced a lack of social, political, and economic equality, despite the abolition of slavery. This disparity became clearer during the era of Reconstruction,…