THE BRAZOS RIVER winds through Waco for more than 10 miles connecting McLennan Community College on the northwest end and Baylor University on the southeast end.
The longest river in Texas provided a natural narrower crossing to early settlers here and has been the lifeblood of Central Texas for generations.
It has long been a driving force of economic development in Central Texas since the Waco Indians laid claim to land along the Brazos for farming to more modern-day developments such as Cameron Park, the Waco Regional Tennis & Fitness Center and Riverbend Park.
From the early Waco Indians who farmed along the river banks to the cattle drives of the Chisholm Trail to modern-day Interstate 35 travelers, the Brazos has carved its path past the bluffs and through the rolling plains of Waco.
The strategic area has spurred the development of the city square, numerous parks and recreational facilities and a revitalized downtown district.
Outdoor events are hosted along the river, including Brazos Nights featuring concerts throughout the summer. Indian Spring Park straddles the historic Suspension Bridge and provides a natural amphitheater. The Waco Riverwalk provides a lighted, concrete path for walkers and cyclists from Baylor University to Cameron Park.
THE BOSQUE RIVER is fed by four primary branches. The longest branch, the North Bosque, forms near Stephenville, flowing toward Waco through Hamilton, Texas and McLennan counties. The river terminates into the Brazos River and is dammed nearby to form Lake Waco.
THE WACO SUSPENSION BRIDGE is a single-span bridge that crosses the Brazos River. It opened in 1869 and has remained a symbol of our community connecting Indian Springs Park with M.L.K Jr. Park.
Before 1869, crossing the Brazos River was a time-consuming and sometimes dangerous ordeal. The only way to cross the river was via ferry, and due to the location of Waco on the growing Chisholm Trail, local businessmen knew that a bridge was needed to support commerce.
A charter was received from the state in 1866, with John A. Roebling and Son tapped to build. The construction was supervised by Thomas M. Griffith. Roebling went on to design another famous bridge - the Brooklyn Bridge, which same say is based on the Waco Suspension Bridge.
Due to lack of machine shops in the Waco area, getting the materials to the building site was a journey in itself. The nearest railroad was 100 miles away, and the closest town with artisans with the skills needed was Galveston, more than 212 miles from the build site. Supplies were loaded onto a steamer in Galveston and ferried to Bryan. From there, they were loaded onto wagons pulled by oxen. The pothole filled dirt road from Bryan to Waco was bad, even by 1800s standards.
The twin double-towers that anchored the span were considered to be a marvel of engineering at the time.
The bridge collected its first toll Jan. 1, 1870. The 475-foot span made it one of the longest single-span bridges in the world at the time and was wide enough for stagecoaches to pass each other or for cattle to cross one side of the bridge and humans to cross the other side.
Being the only bridge to cross the Brazos at the time, the cost of building the bridge, which was estimated to be $141,000 was quickly paid back. Tolls were 5 cents per head of cattle that crossed, along with a charge for pedestrian traffic.
In 1889, the bridge was sold to McLennan County, which removed all tolls. In 1913-1914, major reconstruction occurred on the bridge, replacing the older steel with higher gauge, and trusses were added to accommodate the span to carry heavier weights. This doubled as a new pedestrian walkway.
By 1971, the bridge had seen more than 100 years of traffic. What started out as a cattle bridge had become a vehicular bridge, and the state historical committee decided that it was time to be retired, with larger and arguably safer bridges being built since the inception of the Waco Suspension Bridge.
The bridge, by all accounts, helped to transform Waco from a small frontier town to a major commercial center.
Today, the bridge is open to foot traffic only and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
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