Waco Mammoth National Monument, Waco, Texas

We last visited the Waco Mammoth National Monument in 2016, and today we went again with our son and his family while they were visiting over Easter. This time they had a ranger who gave a long talk about the history of the female herd that was found in this spot. The bones were found in 1978 by two men, Paul Barron and Eddie Bufkin, while exploring the dry creek bed when they spotted a bone sticking out of the ground. They knew they had found something unusual, so they took it to the Strecker Museum at Baylor University. Strecker Museum staff member David Lintz quickly identified it as part of a leg bone from a Columbian Mammoth.

Waco Suspension Bridge, Waco, Texas

We visited the Waco Suspension Bridge in 2016, but there were no plaques describing some of the exhibits. We visited again today with our family. 

In 1866 the Waco Bridge Company was granted a 25 year charter to build a toll bridge. The charter guaranteed that no other bridge or ferry could be built within five miles. Construction began in 1868 and, after much financial difficulty, was finished in 1870. Bridge traffic included wagons, pedestrians, and cattle herds. Special rates were given to heavy users. From 1875 to 1889 the public agitated for a free bridge, but the company retained its monopoly. Then, in 1889, the bridge was sold to McLennan County which gave it to the City of Waco as a free bridge.

Today the Waco Suspension Bridge serves only pedestrian traffic. It is the centerpiece of Indian Springs Park on the river, and stands as a reminder of Waco’s rich history.