Heart Of Texas DX Society

The W5V Special Event

The image above is a likeness of the certificate for the W5V special event.


The W5V Special Event Story

    The Heart Of Texas DX Society was proud to have brought you this very special event, the 150th Anniversary of Waco Village. We were most pleased with the many contacts and great interest everyone showed in the event. A special thanks goes to everyone that QSLed.
    Your cards will bring us all fond memories that will be everlasting. It is our hope that the certificate as well as the enclosed information, will be as enjoyable for you as it was for us to present you with this important milestone in the history of Texas.

    The art work and wording was done by Larry Merritt, KC5BFM, using Windows 95 Paint, WordPerfect, and DeskJet 682C. The illustration is an attempt to convey the newly arriving settlers to the left, with the departure of the Waco Indian tribe on the right. In the center is the figure of George B. Erath, know as the Father of Waco. It was the results of his earlier visit to the area, helping in the establishment of Fort Fisher, that he saw the great potential for a settlement to be located here, with the deep blackland soil, great abundance of wildlife, and the plentiful supply of water from the river and gushing springs.

    The year was 1849 and the Texans that survived recalled it as "The Black Year", a year of crop failures, epidemics of yellow fever, and repeated murderous Indian raids. Along with this, the settlers had just gone through a furious battle between the U.S. Army and Mexico over the now new state of Texas.

    Many of the settlers gave up and moved on to other lands of promise or, in despair, returned to their earlier homes in the Eastern states. Those that chose to stay were the bravest of souls, for they held a vision that the others failed to realize. The battle for survival in this wilderness was still an everyday part of their lives, but with spirits remaining strong and standing firm to the dream they each shared of hopes for the future, it was here their new homes were to be built, in this land of adventure and richness.

    On March 1, 1849, twenty-one frontier men, women, and children gathered on the west bank of the Brazos River and together with the surveying skills and leadership of veteran Texas Ranger George Erath, they laid out the blocks and lots of Waco Village. On August 29th, 1856, after being fully and offically incorporatd as the City of Waco. The historic name of Waco Village was no more.

Special Event Station Logs of W5V