By Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” blog series that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, street scenes, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.
Waco’s Alico Building has been known to photographers as a “22-story tripod” since its completion in 1911. Setting up a camera on top of the 22-story building gives a spectacular view of the city’s downtown and into East Waco looking over the Brazos River. To help demonstrate this, we have selected a few photographs taken from several vantage points from the Alico’s roof-top from the 1940’s and early 1950’s. These were taken before the 1953 Waco tornado and other changes permanently altered the city’s skyline. The first image is a “slider” which shows a “Then and Now” view of Waco City Hall and the old City Square. The following images are “Then and Now” still photos. We hope you enjoy this selection of photos and views of old Waco in this installment of “Texas Over Time” from The Texas Collection at Baylor University.
The “Then” image is looking towards Waco City Hall and the City Square from the top of the Alico Building, 1952. Photographer Fred Marlar, Fred Marlar papers, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. The “Now” image is from a similar view from Google Earth, 2021.
1940s: The first “Then” photograph was taken from the top of the Alico Building looking southwest. From right to left is Austin Avenue, Franklin Avenue, Mary Street, Jackson Street, Webster Avenue, and Clay Avenue. The Praetorian Building at 601 Franklin Avenue is noticeable in the lower left. Photographer unknown. Wilton Lanning Papers #4039, Box 7 Folder 11, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. The second “Now” image is from Google Earth, 2021.1940s: The first “Then” photograph was taken from the top of the Alico Building looking west up Washington Avenue. Notice the Grand Karem Shrine and the old Waco High School buildings. Photographer unknown. Wilton Lanning Papers #4039, Box 7 Folder 11, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. The second “Now” image is from Google Earth, 2021.1940s: The first “Then” photograph was taken from the top of the Alico Building looking down on 5th Street and Washington Avenue. Notice the McLennan County Courthouse and the old jail on the lower right. Photographer unknown. Wilton Lanning Papers #4039, Box 7 Folder 11, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. The second “Now” image is from Google Earth, 2021.1940s: The first “Then” photograph was taken from the top of the Alico Building looking south, down 5th Street. What is now the WISD building (Professional Building) is seen on the lower right, old Padgitt’s Building on the lower left, the Dr Pepper Bottling Plant (current Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Inst., 300 S. 5th St.) on mid-left, and the First Baptist Church (500 Webster). This area took a hard hit in the 1953 tornado with many of these building either destroyed or damaged. Photographer unknown. Wilton Lanning Papers #4039, Box 7 Folder 11, The Texas Collection, Baylor University. The second “Now” image is from Google Earth, 2021.
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