Founded in 1849 near the site of an abandoned agricultural village of Waco Indians, Waco rose to prominence in the 1870's as a major junction for the transport of cattle; by 1871 between 600,000 and 700,000 head of cattle had passed through the city. As time progressed, Waco's location at the crossroads of major railroads and its location on the Brazos River helped the city grow and thrive. Now home to approximately 110,000 residents, with 220,000 in the greater Waco MSA area, Waco has a number of worthwhile attractions, but for many people, it is still remembered for the 1993 stand-off between the FBI and the Branch Davidians, resulting in the deaths of 86 people. The incident took place 15 miles outside of Waco, though - not in the city itself. Waco is best known in Texas for being the home of Baylor University, the largest Baptist university in the world, chartered during the Republic of Texas. http://wikitravel.org/en/Waco