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Visiting
Hico, Texas
Hico,
Texas - Where Everybody is Somebody
For the
past twenty-five years I have poked fun of the fact my wife was born
in Hico, Texas. It is one of those places that no one knows where
it is and is not on the highway to anywhere important. The town slogan
is “Where everybody is somebody” but a clever Hico native change it
to “Where everybody is some………Where is everybody?” So after all these
years of Hico jokes, I suggested to my wife that we take a trip to
the famous Hico, Texas and I could see for myself the wonders of this
sleepy little hamlet which nobody seems to know about. Like
any good traveler preparing for a road trip adventure I hit the internet
to discover the wonders of my vacation destination. To my surprise
Hico actually maintains their own website touting all the benefits
of life in their small town. One of their most interesting claims
is Billy
the Kid actually escaped Pat
Garrett’s shootout in New Mexico and eventually settled in this
small out of the way town using the alias of “Brushy”
Bill Roberts. Of course this claim probably doesn’t sit well with
the folks over in New Mexico since they are making tourist dollars
from people visiting the burial site of Billy
the Kid. Wanting to discover
more about Hico’s famous resident I clicked on the link that would
lead me to his biography. To no surprise Brushy
Bill was a colorful character in this small town during the early
1900’s and was easily recognized on the downtown streets. Decked out
with his round broad brimmed and round topped cowboy hat, colorful
bandana around his neck, rough leather vest and tall cowboy boots
Brushy
Bill appeared trapped in
the 1800’s in a time of wild west cowboys, saloons, and outlaws. Whether
or not this old cowboy was truly Billy
the Kid he definitely left
the town with enough details of his life to be convincing. |
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Billy
The Kid Statue
Photo courtesy Teri
Brown, September 2005 |
| My next
discovery was the scenery around Hico. A river running through town,
lush vegetation, an abundance of trees, and rolling hills all define
the landscape. Definitely a change from the flat treeless brown vegetation
I am accustomed to. I am beginning to ponder the idea that Hico may
be a hidden gem. At this point I am thinking, “How could this get
any better? The town has a river, lush vegetation, and a famous character
to investigate.” Next to my delight I discover Wiseman House Chocolates
are located here. Chocolate delights made fresh daily from scratch.
Just as I thought this place can’t get any better I see that it is
just a few miles away from Dublin,
the home of the only place on earth still bottling the original Dr
Pepper with the 10 2 4 bottle and Imperial Pure Cane Sugar. For a
dedicated Dr Pepper drinker like me, going to Dublin
is somewhat a religious pilgrimage. So now I have great scenery, Brushy
Bill Roberts, famous chocolates, and the original Dr Pepper. This
place is beginning to seem like heaven. In fact I am beginning to
repent of my jokes regarding this place. As I sit in front of my computer
in a euphoric state as a result of discovering these wonders, I find
yet another golden trinket. Hico is the home of the famous Koffee
Kup café which is listed in Southern Living magazine and motorcycle
road trip websites as one of the best places in Texas for a chicken
fried steak and coconut cream pie. Les Thomas of Southern Living describes
the coconut pie as, “topped with meringue as tall as a cowboy hat.”
Now besides all the other reasons I’ve discovered to visit Hico, I
can add to my list chicken fried steak, coconut cream pie, and a parking
lot full of Honda Gold Wings and Harleys to drool over. After arriving
in Hico it proved to be everything the website claimed. Never again
will I deride the fact my wife was born in Hico, Texas , “Where everybody
is somebody.” - David Pinson, Amarillo,
Texas, July 16, 2007 |
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Bridge over
the Bosque River in Hico.
"There IS a new and better one upstream."
- Jim
& Lou Kinsey |
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Texas
Escapes,
in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas,
asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos, please contact
us.
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