Waxahachie, Texas

Waxahachie is the county seat of Ellis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 41,140 in 2020. The city was founded in 1850, and incorporated in 1871. Much of the employment is provided by a number of industries and by educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, a community college and a private university. In the mid-1980s, the city became a filming location for a number of movies and occasional episodes of television series.

Etymology


Some sources state that the name means "cow" or "buffalo" in an unspecified Native American language. One possible Native American origin is the Alabama language, originally spoken in the area of Alabama around Waxahatchee Creek by the Alabama-Coushatta people, who had migrated by the 1850s to eastern Texas. In the Alabama language, waakasi hachi means "calf's tail" (the Alabama word waaka being a loan from Spanish vaca).

A Waxahatchee Creek near present-day Shelby, Alabama, suggests that Waxahachie shares the same name etymology. Many place names in Texas and Oklahoma have their origins in the Southeastern United States, largely due to forced removal of various southeastern Indian tribes. The area in central Alabama that includes Waxahatchee Creek was for hundreds of years the home of the Upper Creek moiety of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Again, this would suggest a Muscogee Creek-language origin of Waxahachie. "Waxahachie", therefore, may be an anglicized pronunciation of the Muscogee compound word wakvhvce from the Muscogee words wakv (meaning "cow" derived from the Spanish vaca) and the Muscogee word hvcce (meaning "river" or "creek").

History


Waxahachie was founded in August 1850 as the seat of the newly established Ellis County on a tract of land donated by early settler Emory W. Rogers, a native of Lawrence County, Alabama, who migrated to Texas in 1839. It was incorporated on April 28, 1871, and in 1875, the state legislature granted investors the right to operate a rail line from Waxahachie Tap Railroad to Garrett, Texas, which greatly increased the population of Waxahachie.

From 1902 to 1942, Waxahachie was the second home of Trinity University, which was a Presbyterian-affiliated institution founded in 1869. Then-Trinity's main administration and classroom building is today the Farmer Administration Building of Southwestern Assemblies of God University. Trinity's present-day location is San Antonio.

The town is the namesake of the former United States Naval Ship Waxahachie (YTB-814).

In 1988, the area around Waxahachie was chosen as the site for the Superconducting Super Collider, which was to be the world's largest and most energetic particle accelerator, with a planned ring circumference of 87.1 km. Seventeen shafts were sunk and 23.5 km of tunnel were bored before the project was cancelled by Congress in 1993.

In 2020, County Judge Todd Little came into the national spotlight when the county's only elected African American, Constable Curtis Polk, Jr., protested having his office located in the basement of the courthouse next to a segregation-era sign that read "Negroes". The controversy was resolved amicably when Little worked with Polk to relocate him to another office.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Waxahachie has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, 41,140 people, 12,522 households, and 9,073 families resided in the city.

Economy
Employment opportunities in the city are highly oriented toward industry. Owens Corning, Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, James Hardie Industries, Berry Global, Americase, Cardinal Glass, Magnablend, and Dart Container are located within a few miles of each other. Nonindustrial employers include Baylor Scott & White Health, Waxahachie Independent School District, Walgreen Distribution Center, Walmart, HEB Grocery, Navarro College, and Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

Annual cultural events
The Scarborough Renaissance Festival (also called Scarborough Faire), a Renaissance fair theme park, is located southwest of the town. It opens annually during April and May, and has been in operation since 1981. The city's annual Gingerbread Trail Festival features tours of many of the Gingerbread homes.

Bethlehem Revisited, a re-enactment of the birth of Jesus, occurs behind Central Presbyterian Church in early December.

The Texas Country Reporter Festival (hosted by Bob Phillips) features artists, craftsmen, music, and food from all over the Lone Star State – much of it featured on the TV show over the years.

Tourism
Waxahachie is locally known for its elaborate Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse. The town also features many examples of Victorian architecture and Gingerbread-style homes, several of which have been converted into bed and breakfast inns. The Ellis County Art Association hosts ART on the Square (Cultural Attractions- Events and Facilities; 113 West Franklin Street).

Parks and recreation
Parks in Waxahachie include Spring Park, Getzendaner Memorial Park, Richards Park, Chapman Park, and Brown-Singleton Park. Getzendaner Park features the historic Chautauqua Auditorium, built in 1902. Lake Waxahachie features a range of camping and fishing areas.

Government
The city of Waxahachie is a voluntary member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.

State government
Waxahachie is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Brian Birdwell, District 22, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Brian Harrison, District 10.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Waxahachie District Parole Office in Sherman.

Federal government
At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz; since 2003, Waxahachie has been part of Texas's 6th congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Jake Ellzey.

The United States Postal Service operates the Waxahachie Post Office.

Primary and secondary
Waxahachie is served by the Waxahachie Independent School District (WISD), which currently has eight elementary campuses, three middle-school campuses, and two high schools. WISD aims to offer all of its students a well-rounded education and offers advanced-placement and dual-credit courses, and varied career and technology courses.

Waxahachie High School, classified as 6A, offers a range of extracurricular activities to its students, including football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, concert and marching band, drama, choir, drill team, and dozens of academic teams and clubs. The football program made the playoffs every year from 1989 to 2010.Waxahachie Global High School, an ECHS T-STEM school emphasizing instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a small-learning-community environment, opened on August 27, 2007.

In addition to the district schools, Life School, a public charter-school system, operates a 7–12 grade campus. On April 15, 2014, Life School broke ground on a new high school in Waxahachie, planned to accommodate about 1,000 9th–12th graders.

Private schools
The several private schools include Waxahachie Preparatory Academy (K-12), First Christian Day School (through 8th grade), and St. Joseph Catholic School (through 8th grade).

Colleges and universities
Two postsecondary educational institutions have campuses in the city of Waxahachie: Navarro College, a community college based in Corsicana, Texas, and Southwestern Assemblies of God University, a private, four-year university affiliated with the Assemblies of God, which offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Media


The first newspaper in Waxahachie, the now-defunct Waxahachie Argus, was established in 1870. The Waxahachie Daily Light has served the town since 1891. Additionally, 47 radio stations are within close listening range of Waxahachie. KBEC radio has served the community and surrounding area since 1955.

Health care
Both Altus Emergency Center and Baylor Scott & White Health at Waxahachie provide emergency services locally, as does Ennis Regional Medical Center, about 14 miles away in Ennis. Between 2003 and 2010, Waxahachie's healthcare industry added 555 jobs, making it the city's fourth-largest employment sector.

Transportation

 * I-35E (TX).svg Interstate 35E is a major north-south freeway serving as a bypass around the west side of Waxahachie. The freeway connects with Red Oak, DeSoto/Lancaster, and Dallas to the north; Italy, Hillsboro, and Waco to the south.
 * US 287.svg U.S. Route 287, also a freeway, runs in a northwest-southeast direction through the north side of the city. The freeway connects with Midlothian, Mansfield, and Fort Worth to the west and Ennis to the east.
 * US 77.svg U.S. Route 77, a north-south highway, serves as the main thoroughfare through the city, passing through downtown and the north side of the city. The highway parallels Interstate 35 and reconnects with the interstate just outside the city limits. Many of the city's commercial developments line Highway 77.

Notable people

 * Robert Benton, won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Places in the Heart, which was filmed in Waxahachie.
 * Jammal Brown, professional football player
 * Tevin Campbell, Grammy-nominated R&B singer
 * Emanuel Cleaver, U.S. Representative
 * Bessie Coleman, first female African-American pilot (born in Atlanta, Texas; moved to Waxahachie at age 2)
 * Elizabeth Otis Dannelly, poet
 * Frederic Forrest, Oscar-nominated actor
 * Robert J. Groden, JFK assassination expert, released the Zapruder film on national TV on March 6, 1975
 * Josie Briggs Hall, author of A Scroll of Facts and Advice (Houx’s Printery, 1905), the first book published by a black woman Texan
 * Bill Ham, manager for ZZ Top
 * Dale Hansen, sports anchor WFAA-TV Channel 8 Dallas, Texas
 * John Paul Jackson, Charismatic minister, prophet and teacher
 * Desmond Mason, professional basketball player
 * Julie Miller, songwriter, singer, and recording artist
 * Dick Murdoch, professional wrestler
 * Byron Nelson, professional golfer
 * Jim Pitts, former member of the Texas House of Representatives
 * Jalen Reagor, professional football player
 * Montae Reagor, former defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
 * Paul Richards, Major League Baseball player, manager and executive
 * Aldrick Robinson, professional football player and coach
 * Broderick Sargent, professional football player
 * Brian Waters, professional football player
 * John Wray, former member of the Texas House of Representatives and former mayor of Waxahachie

In popular culture
In the mid-1980s, Waxahachie became a filming location for the movie industry.

The majority of Tender Mercies, a 1983 film about a country western singer, was filmed in Waxahachie. Director Bruce Beresford deliberately avoided the city's picturesque elements and Victorian architecture, and instead filmed more rural locations that more closely resembled the West Texas area. The Texas town portrayed in Tender Mercies is never specifically identified. Tender Mercies starred Robert Duvall, who won the 1983 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film.

The 1984 film Places in the Heart starring Sally Field was also filmed in Waxahachie. Unlike Tender Mercies, it was filmed deliberately in the town square and used the Victorian and plantation homes still intact in the area. Field won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1985 for her role in the film.

The 1985 film The Trip to Bountiful starring Geraldine Page was also filmed in Waxahachie. Page won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1986 for her role in Bountiful.

Other movies made in or around Waxahachie are:


 * 1918, directed by Ken Harrison, tells of the severe influenza outbreak after soldiers returned from World War I. Local talent in the film includes L.T. Felty, a former high-school principal and local actor, who was cast as the mayor.
 * On Valentine's Day, also directed by Ken Harrison, is the central film in Horton Foote's semiautobiographical trilogy that also includes Courtship and 1918. It is a nearly verbatim retelling of his stage play and the sets and costumes.
 * Missionary Man stars Dolph Lundgren and was filmed in downtown Waxahachie around the Rogers Hotel.
 * The Curse of Inferno, starring Pauly Shore and Janine Turner

Additionally, the long-running television series Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Chuck Norris, was filmed in Waxahachie on occasion. Some scenes in Prison Break were filmed in Waxahachie. Scenes from Bonnie and Clyde (1967) were also shot here.

In 2018, an animated short film from Crypt TV titled Dark Vessel featured the town as its 1977-based setting.

In 2021, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram released a song named for the city on their acoustic album The Marfa Tapes. It was later recorded again with full production for inclusion on Lambert's solo album Palomino in 2022.

Sister cities
Sabinas in Coahuila, Mexico, has been proposed as Waxahachie's sister city. Sabinas is located about 70 mi south of Eagle Pass, Texas.