Under a charter issued in 1845 by the Republic of Texas, Baylor University was established on this site and operated here until its removal to Waco and Belton in 1886. Afterward the site was bought by John Thomas Hairston (1835-1918), a church leader in Independence for over 40 years. Passed to his son, the land was returned in 1933 to Baylor by Dr. Thomas Coke Hairston (1875-1954), a grandson of Albert Gallitan Haynes, an original trustee of Baylor University who served on the board for 25 years. In 1965 the park became part of Texas Baptist Historical Center.
Getting there
30.3187, -96.3530
Locations are approximate and may be inaccurate, on private land, or otherwise inaccessible. Check before you travel.
Hear it from the road
Whistlestop tells you this story automatically when you drive past. No searching, no tapping, nothing to ask.
