Waco Community Network

Flying cars? 👀 🚘

Austin Avenue Pedestrian Mall, Waco, TX, circa 1970s

Cast your votes for SALAD king/queen 🤴 🥗 👸

edition.

If you were to rename Waco, TX what would you name it 🤔

(Wrong answers only.)

Current scrap prices in Waco, TX. 🗑 🚮

Don't show this to the wrong person.

Remember this one? 🚢

The Brazos Queen II ad from a mid-80s Waco “Texas 150” paper — paddlewheel restaurant at I-35 / Fort Fisher exit. Seafood, steaks, happy hour, Sunday excursion.

Here’s the thread.

1975–83 — The first Brazos Queen
Smaller boat (~100' x 22'). Built for the Bicentennial, a lot of the steel work by TSTI welding students. Actually *cruised* the river from the old Brazos Landing shoreline. Parties, reunions, even Pepsi Challenge commercials. Low-water dam kept canceling trips. Sold in ’83, became the Texas Queen on Lake Ray Hubbard.

1986 — Queen II
F.M. Young designed and built the big one: ~162' x 48', 300 tons, about a million dollars. Same stretch of Lake Brazos by I-35. Beautiful inside. Too big for the water and the bridges. Made only a few real trips. Lived most of its life tied up as a floating restaurant — proms, class reunions, weddings, Greek functions.

Early 2000s
Sold, renamed Brazos Belle.

2006
Drought. Boat sitting on the bottom. Closed, lost a pile of money.

March 30, 2007
River jumped ~26 feet. Lower deck took 8 feet of water. Sank at the moorings.

2008
Raised, title mess, taxes, no engines, repairs didn’t pencil. Scrapped.

The land restaurant on that same bank later became Buzzard Billy’s, then reclaimed the old name The Brazos Landing in 2022. The boat itself is gone.

If you ate there, danced there, had prom or a reunion on it, or watched them build it on the bank — drop a photo or a story. That’s how this one stays in the record.

🕰️ FLASHBACK WACO — AUGUST 8, 1980

Waco, Texas… 46 years ago.

Before smartphones. Before Facebook. Before Chip & Joanna. Before Waco became what it is today.

This was Waco in 1980. 📰

The Waco Citizen was talking about a proposed future for the Waco Theatre, Richland Fashion Mall was the new shopping destination, the city was launching a “City Hot Line” for residents, and Waco was even being discussed as part of a proposed Texas passenger-rail network connecting major Texas cities. 🚆

Meanwhile, kids were headed to the zoo for Shriners Day, rodeo tickets were going on sale, and the newspaper was introducing Waco to the 1980 Heart O’ Texas Smile Girls.

And right there on the page is somethig that makes this feel like a true time capsule:

“High temperatures… higher electric bills.” 😂

Some things really do never change.

📸 Take a look at this page from August 8, 1980.

Waco, what do you remember about this era?
Were you living here in 1980? What do you remember that isn't in this newspaper?

👻 WACO… WHICH GHOST ARE YOU?! 👻😂

🟢 Baylor Ghost — Lives for game day 🐻
🥤 Dr Pepper Ghost — Always has a cold one
🚧 I-35 Ghost — Knows every construction detour
🌸 Magnolia Ghost — Coffee + silos = happiness
🌮 Food Truck Ghost — Always knows where to eat
🎣 Lake Waco Ghost — Never leaves without a cooler
🏙️ Downtown Ghost — Knows all the spots
🔨 Contractor Ghost — “Just one more thing…” 😂
🤠 Rodeo Ghost — Dirt, boots & freedom
📱 Social Media Ghost — Always online
🏈 Friday Night Ghost — Lights, football & Texas pride
☕ Chill Ghost — Coffee, vibes & zero drama
✝️ Faith Ghost — Prays harder, worries less
⏳ Time Traveler Ghost — Knows Waco’s past AND future

👇 COMMENT YOUR GHOST! 👻