Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BRANCH DAVIDIANS & THE WACO SIEGE
For the last two decades Waco has been associated with the Branch Davidians and the standoff that ended in the
fiery deaths of dozens on live television. The aftereffects of this event are still felt locally.
The Branch Davidians were an offshoot of a radical sect of Seventh Day Adventists. The original group, the
Davidians, set up shop in Waco in 1935 but moved outside the city in 1959 to establish a compound called New
Mt Carmel, near the town of Elk. Fighting between internal factions led to splits and drama, and in 1987 Vernon
Howell, who had joined the group in 1981, took control and changed his name to David Koresh.
Koresh's platform involved, among other things, arming the compound to defend it against the apocalyptic
nightmare the world would become after the second coming of Christ. Believing that Koresh was buying, selling
and storing illegal weapons, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) staged a disastrous raid
that a 1993 US Treasury report deemed 'tragically wrong.' The agents were fired on; four ATF agents and five
cult members were killed in the ensuing firefight. The resulting standoff lasted 51 days.
As local authorities and FBI hostage negotiators surrounded the compound with hundreds of police cars and
even a tank, the standoff became a media sensation; viewers around the world were treated to deadly scenes from
the original raid plus the day-to-day drama of the situation.
The standoff ended on April 19, 1993, when federal agents fired tear-gas bombs into the compound. Within
hours, the buildings were completely engulfed in flames fueled by the ignition of the tear-gas canisters. Some 76
Branch Dividians died, including Koresh and many children. Nine cult members survived. The government's
handling of the incident is still the subject of controversy and conspiracy theories. (Timothy McVeigh said the
Waco seige was his primary motivation for bombing the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995.)
For more information on the siege, including interviews and photos, PBS has an excellent website:
Visiting the Site
You can easily visit the site of the Branch Davidian compound. Take Elk Rd (FM 2491) east from TX 340 for 5
miles. At a fork in the road, take the gravel Double EE Ranch Rd to the left and you'll see the site on your right.
The site today is occupied by an offshoot sect of the Branch Davidians (who number less than 10). There has
been a struggle for control of the site among various survivors.
At present there is a small
church
, which uses the double doors from the ill-fated original compound. There is
usually a rack of brochures that have a useful map of the site along with the current sect's version of events. A $1
donation is asked. Nearby are
memorials
to the Branch Davidians killed in 1993, the federal agents who died
during the initial raid and the Oklahoma City bombing victims.
Often one of the present - and friendly - occupants will show up to offer their own take on the events of 20
years ago as well as the political scene today.
The site itself is peaceful, with views across the surrounding plains. The water-filled foundations where so
many died, however, are truly haunting.
Sights & Activities
Spend the morning checking out Waco's unique museums, then take a leisurely stroll
through Cameron Park.
Make sure to visit the stately 475ft pedestrian-only
Waco Suspension Bridge
, built from
1868 to 1870 and the first to cross the Brazos.
