As many of you know, I did my undergraduate “edumacation” at UT-Austin and law school at Baylor. Now, when most folks head to grad school someplace different than their undergrad, they often go in with a closed mind. They ain’t gonna wear any color other than the one they just spent four years in, and they sure as heck ain’t gonna learn the fight song. However, with 3 years of law school looming in front of me,…I couldn’t dream of not having a home team to cheer for. So, I approached Baylor a little different and decided to get into it. I gritted my teeth and threw on the green and gold. I even cheered on women’s basketball. And after 3 years, I could proudly call myself a Baylor Bear (in addition to being a Texas Longhorn).
Now the point of me telling you this long story is this. A couple weeks back, I was passing through Washington County and found out that Baylor’s original campus was only miles away in the tiny town of Independence, TX just a couple miles from the spot where Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Being a Daytripper, I couldn’t pass it up. Here are the shots of what’s left of the very first Dear Old Baylor.
This is the site of the Men’s Campus.
This is what she used to look like.
All that’s really left these days of the Men’s campus are a few dirt lots where the old buildings used to stand.
Here I am with my cousin and fellow Baylor grad.
This is for those of you that like reading historical markers (of which I’m one).
One cool thing that is left besides dirt is the grave site of Mr. Baylor himself, still standing guard over campus.
Just across a small valley sits what is left of the Women’s campus.
While it’s not much to look at, I’d recommend going. Baylor was Texas’s first university. So whether you’re a Baylor fan, a fan of higher education, or just a fan of Texas history, this something worth seeing. And since it’s so close to Washington-on-the-Brazos, you’ve got no excuse not going. Sic Em Bears.
