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HICO, TEXAS
Hamilton County,
North Central Texas
Junction of US 281 and Hwy 6 & 220
75 miles SW of Fort
Worth
26 miles SW of Glen Rose
via US 67
Population
1,341(2000) 1342(1990)
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Grain elevator
in Hico
TE Photo |
First Methodist
Church
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2005 |
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Billy
The Kid Statue
Photo courtesy Teri Brown, September 2005 |
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Hico
Visitors Center
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey |
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Billy the Kid Museum in Hico
"They say he died in Hico." - Jim & Lou Kinsey |
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Bridge over the Bosque River in Hico. "There IS a new and
better one upstream." - Jim & Lou Kinsey |
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Downtown
Hico
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey |
Hico Texas
Forum
Subject:
Hico, Texas
Where Everybody is Somebody
For the past twenty-five years I have poked fun of the fact my wife
was born in Hico, Texas. It is one of those places that no one knows
where it is and is not on the highway to anywhere important. The town
slogan is “Where everybody is somebody” but a clever Hico native change
it to “Where everybody is some………Where is everybody?” So after all
these years of Hico jokes, I suggested to my wife that we take a trip
to the famous Hico, Texas and I could see for myself the wonders of
this sleepy little hamlet which nobody seems to know about. Like any
good traveler preparing for a road trip adventure I hit the internet
to discover the wonders of my vacation destination. To my surprise
Hico actually maintains their own website touting all the benefits
of life in their small town. One of their most interesting claims
is Billy the Kid actually escaped Pat Garrett’s shootout in New Mexico
and eventually settled in this small out of the way town using the
alias of “Brushy” Bill Roberts. Of course this claim probably doesn’t
sit well with the folks over in New Mexico since they are making tourist
dollars from people visiting the burial site of Billy the Kid. Wanting
to discover more about Hico’s famous resident I clicked on the link
that would lead me to his biography. To no surprise Brushy Bill was
a colorful character in this small town during the early 1900’s and
was easily recognized on the downtown streets. Decked out with his
round broad brimmed and round topped cowboy hat, colorful bandana
around his neck, rough leather vest and tall cowboy boots Brushy Bill
appeared trapped in the 1800’s in a time of wild west cowboys, saloons,
and outlaws. Whether or not this old cowboy was truly Billy the Kid
he definitely left the town with enough details of his life to be
convincing. My next discovery was the scenery around Hico. A river
running through town, lush vegetation, an abundance of trees, and
rolling hills all define the landscape. Definitely a change from the
flat treeless brown vegetation I am accustomed to. I am beginning
to ponder the idea that Hico may be a hidden gem. At this point I
am thinking, “How could this get any better? The town has a river,
lush vegetation, and a famous character to investigate.” Next to my
delight I discover Wiseman House Chocolates are located here. Chocolate
delights made fresh daily from scratch. Just as I thought this place
can’t get any better I see that it is just a few miles away from Dublin,
the home of the only place on earth still bottling the original Dr
Pepper with the 10 2 4 bottle and Imperial Pure Cane Sugar. For a
dedicated Dr Pepper drinker like me, going to Dublin
is somewhat a religious pilgrimage. So now I have great scenery, Brushy
Bill Roberts, famous chocolates, and the original Dr Pepper. This
place is beginning to seem like heaven. In fact I am beginning to
repent of my jokes regarding this place. As I sit in front of my computer
in a euphoric state as a result of discovering these wonders, I find
yet another golden trinket. Hico is the home of the famous Koffee
Kup café which is listed in Southern Living magazine and motorcycle
road trip websites as one of the best places in Texas for a chicken
fried steak and coconut cream pie. Les Thomas of Southern Living describes
the coconut pie as, “topped with meringue as tall as a cowboy hat.”
Now besides all the other reasons I’ve discovered to visit Hico, I
can add to my list chicken fried steak, coconut cream pie, and a parking
lot full of Honda Gold Wings and Harleys to drool over. After arriving
in Hico it proved to be everything the website claimed. Never again
will I deride the fact my wife was born in Hico , Texas , “Where everybody
is somebody.” - David Pinson, Amarillo, Texas, July 16, 2007
Anyone wishing to share history or photos of Hico, Texas, please contact
us
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