The people of Waxahachie, Texas, have always been at the heart of a thriving community that was once the largest cotton-producing county in the nation. As county seat, Waxahachie burgeoned into a bustling center for business and education and carved out a unique niche in the growing landscape. But its citizens overcame significant obstacles as well, facing such challenges as a massive slave revolt during the Civil War and the economic bust of the 1930s. Reflecting both the glory and hardship of these struggles, Waxahachie today stands as a testament to Southern determination and how a town came to be defined by a crop on which America still reliesócotton. ÝÝAlways with an eye on their future, the people of Waxahachie, in 1912, supported the development of an interurban electric railway system linking them to Dallas and Waco. Each July between 1900 and 1930, Texans from all over the state came to Waxahachie by covered wagon, on horseback, and later by automobile to participate in the national Chautauqua phenomenon and hear such great orators as William Jennings Bryan and Will Rogers. Waxahachieís Chautauqua Auditorium, still in use today, is one of the few national survivors of this educational movement. This tradition of community and culture survives to the present day in such events as the Scarborough Fair, the National Polka Festival, and the Gingerbread Trail of Homes. In this new historical account, Waxahachie, Texas: Where Cotton Reigned King, the town springs to life in a blend of more than 100 vintage photographs and stories that chronicle the perseverance and love of a people for their town. ÝÝ
Kelly McMichael wasn't like most
kids in her Texas hometown, she pickled deer brains in jars and dissected minnows. She demanded cherry pies on her birthday and memorized Victorian house plans. She decided to be a writer in 5th grade after reading a book by Ruth Chew. Somebody told her that people from small towns don't become writers so she decided to be an architect, or a lawyer, or maybe a hippie. Ends up, people from small towns CAN be writers, so that's what she's doing now. That and teaching History to adult college students all over the world (online).
Kelly attended Texas A&M University, earning a B.A. in U.S. History and English. She then completed a M.A. at Baylor University in American Studies and a Ph.D. at the University of North Texas in U.S. History. She likes to garden, walk/hike, read, and listen to live music. She likes to travel and is especially fond of Treasure Beach on Jamaica's south coast. She lives on a farm in a tiny little community where people appreciate good stories.
Find her at her blog at: kellymcmichael.wordpress.com
