Editing Waco, Texas (section)

===1824–1865===
[[Indigenous peoples]] occupied areas along the river for thousands of years. In historic times, the area of present-day Waco was occupied by the [[Wichita people|Wichita]] [[Native Americans of the United States|Indian]] tribe known as the "[[Waco tribe|Waco]]" (Spanish: ''Hueco'' or ''Huaco'').

In 1824, Thomas M. Duke was sent to explore the area after violence erupted between the Waco people and the European settlers.
His report to [[Stephen F. Austin]], described the Waco village:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://digitalaustinpapers.org/document?id=APB0790 |title=Thomas M. Duke to Stephen F. Austin, 06-xx-1824 |website=Digital Austin Papers |language=en |access-date=April 30, 2019 }}</ref>
{{blockquote | This town is situated on the West Bank of the [[Brazos River|river]]. They have a spring almost as cold as ice itself. All we want is some Brandy and Sugar to have Ice Toddy. They have about {{convert|400|acre|km2}} planted in corn, beans, pumpkins, and melons and that tended in good order. I think they cannot raise more than One Hundred Warriors. |Thomas M. Duke|source=Stephen F. Austin Papers}}

After further violence, Austin halted an attempt to destroy their village in retaliation. In 1825, he made a treaty with them.
The Waco were eventually pushed out of the region, settling north near present-day [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]]. In 1872, they were moved onto a reservation in [[Oklahoma]] with other Wichita tribes. In 1902, the Waco received allotments of land and became official US citizens.
[[Neil McLennan]] settled in an area near the South [[Bosque River]] in 1838.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fmc89 |title=McClennan, Neil |first=Longwell, Evelyn |last=Clark |date=June 15, 2010 |website=www.tshaonline.org }}</ref> [[Jacob De Cordova]] bought McLennan's property<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fde03 |title=De Cordova, Jacob Raphael |first=Ornish |last=Natalie |date=June 12, 2010 |website=www.tshaonline.org }}</ref> and hired a former [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Ranger]] and surveyor named [[George B. Erath]] to inspect the area.<ref name=erath1>{{Cite book |last=Erath |first=Lucy |title=The Memoirs of Major George B. Erath |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |location=[[Austin, Texas|Austin]], Texas |year=1923 }}</ref> In 1849, Erath designed the first block of the city. Property owners wanted to name the city Lamartine, but Erath convinced them to name the area Waco Village, after the Indians who had lived there.<ref name=kelley12>{{Cite book |last=Kelley |first=Dayton |title=Waco, & McLennan County, Texas: 1876 |publisher=Texian Press |location=Waco, Texas |year=1966 |page=12 }}</ref> In March 1849, Shapley Prince Ross, the father of future Governor [[Lawrence Sullivan Ross]], built the first house in Waco, a double-log cabin, on a bluff overlooking the springs. His daughter Kate was the first settler child born in Waco. Because of this, Ross is considered to have been the founder of Waco, Texas.<ref name=davis151>{{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Joe Tom |title=Legendary Texians, Vol. 4 |publisher=Eakin Press |location=[[Austin, Texas|Austin]], Texas |year=1989 |isbn=0890156697 |page=151 }}</ref>