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Ten Things You Should Know about…
THE ALICO
BUILDING
OF WACOby John
Troesser
Contemporary photos by John Troesser
Vintage photos courtesy of
Texas Collection, Baylor University
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- ALICO stands
for the Amicable Life Insurance Company
- Groundbreaking
for the twenty-two building occurred in August of 1910. Completion
was October of 1911.
- The building
was once the tallest in Texas and the tallest west of the Mississippi.
- Construction
was documented by Waco photographer Fred Gildersleeve and the
photo collection is now part of the Texas Collection at Baylor
University
- The building
had its own electric generators and a water source from artesian
springs.
- Building
engineers piped this spring water to a restaurant across the street
from the building (Chris's Restaurant) - without disrupting traffic
(and without a permit).
- Waco's Old
Corner Drugstore moved from its former location of Austin and
4th to the building in 1912
- Biplanes
from Rich Field circled the building for its opening. The building
has since provided its own aerial views of the city and the Brazos
River.
- People working
inside the building witnessed the destruction of downtown Waco
during the tornado of May 11, 1953. The ALICO Building swayed,
but received hardly any damage.
- There is
currently no observation room, platform or lounge available to
the public.
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ALICO
Building under construction. Arrow points to famed Waco photographer
Gildersleeve
Texas Collection, Baylor University |
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The
building under construction in 1910 - looking north from 5th Street
Note Dr Pepper
sign to the left. Sign was photographed from rear.
Texas Collection, Baylor University |
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An
awestruck young man in a newspaper publicity photo circa 1955
Photo Courtesy Texas Collection, Baylor University |
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The
building has kept visitors and native Wacoans in awe for nearly 100
years.
Photo Courtesy Texas Collection, Baylor University |
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Photo
of building with courthouse dome in background
Photo courtesy Texas Collection, Baylor University |
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One
view of Waco's ALICO Building
Photo by John Troesser |
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A current view of the building from Waco's City Hall
Photo by John Troesser, May 2003 |
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"Amicable
Life Insurance Building, the highest and most beautiful building in
the South. Waco, Texas"
Postcard
courtesy
rootsweb.com/
~txgenweb// postcards/Index.html |
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©
John Troesser
Sources:
A Pictoral History of Waco by Roger Conger, Texian Press, 1998
The Texas Collection, Baylor University
The Handbook of Texas
See Waco,
Texas |
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