WACO  , a

city and the county-seat of McLennan county, Texas, nearly in the centre of the state, on both sides of the Brazos river, about loo m . S. by W. of Dallas . Pop . (189o) 14,445; (1900) 20,686, of whom 5826 were negroes; (1910 census) 26,425 . Waco is served by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, and by other railways . Waco is the seat of Baylor University (co-educational) and of the Texas Christian University (Christian; co-educational) . Baylor University was founded at Independence, Texas, by the Texas Union Baptist Association, in 1845, and was consolidated in 1886 with Waco University (Baptist, 1861, founded by Dr Rufus C . Burleson, a former president of Baylor University) . It was named in honour of Robert E . B . Baylor (1793-1874), a representative in Congress from Alabama in 183o-1831, and one of its founders . In 1908-Igo9 it had 40 instructors and 1296 students (664 women), of whom 647 were in the college .

The Texas Christian University was founded in 1873 at Thorp's Springs as a private school, chartered as Add Ran College, transferred to the Christian Churches of Texas in 1889, and removed to Waco in 1895 . Its

present name was adopted in 1902, the name Add Ran College being retained for the college of arts and sciences . In 1908-1909 the university had 26 instructors and 379 students (279 in the college of arts and sciences) . Waco is situated in a fertile farming region . In 1905 the factory products were valued at $2,979,800 . The city was named after the Waco (or Hueco) Indians (Caddoan stock), who had a large village here until 183o, when they were nearly exterminated by the Cherokees; in 1855 they removed to a reservation, and after 1859 became incorporated with the Wichita . The first white settlement was made in 1849 . Waco was incorporated as a town in 1856; in 1909 the administration was entrusted to a mayor and four commissioners .