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Waxahachie
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Waxahachie:
Where
Cotton Reigned King
by Kelly McMichael Stott
Arcadia
Publishing's
The Making of America Series.
December 2002
Vintage
photographs courtesy of The Ellis County Historical Museum
A
Review by John Troesser |
|
Here's
another Arcadia title in the Making of America Series - and another deserving
city. Waxahachie is close enough for Fort Worthians
and Dallasites to visit (or commute from), yet it has retained the charm and elegance
of the quintessential Texas town - a fact proven by it's popularity as a 30's
era movie backdrop (Places in the Heart, Bonnie and Clyde to mention just two).
If the Arcadia series is unfamiliar to you, this volume would be an excellent
introduction. Besides the generous number of images, the text is candid and revealing.
The author reveals that the crime (misdemeanor) of loading cotton bales with rocks
to win the coveted honor of heaviest bale was known and practiced in Waxahachie
(although it certainly wasn't invented there).
She also blows the cover
off of one of Texas' favorite most frequently told legends - the Waxahachie
County Courthouse "stonecutter's revenge" - a poignant tale of love and rejection.
The recently restored
courthouse is Texas' favorite, although it certainly had its critics at the
time of construction. The courthouse is featured in several photos along with
the neighboring Rogers Hotel, one of, if not the oldest business in town. Some
say the Rogers Hotel has more stories than the library - which happens to be a
building with its own interesting story. There's also the Ellis County Museum,
several beautiful residences, the Interurban and a wide cross-section of the people
who called Waxahachie their home.
The Interurban connected Waxahachie
to Waco and
Dallas and there are photos, a history
and even a route map of service. Also included are the town's mule-powered streetcars,
the Chautauqua (building still standing and in use), the rail yard and photos
of various businesses, delivery vehicles, people, public servants, pedestrians
and picnickers. It's a trip to Waxahachie without
leaving home. If you can't make the drive - it's the certainly next best thing
and if it's not included in the book - it's not worth knowing.
Other
Texas Titles published by Arcadia include: Waco, Del Rio, Fort Clark and Brackettville
(one volume), Val Verde County, Big Spring and Howard County, Weslaco
and Hidalgo County (separate titles).
© John Troesser
May 2003
Waxahachie
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