Wilton’s Landing
Convenience stores have a prominent place in the American landscape and our lives. Known by a variety of names such as service station, gas station, corner store, mini-mart, or bodega, it’s hard to travel anywhere without seeing one. Historically, many convenience stores in the United States were unwelcoming to racial and ethnic minorities. Jewish, Black, and Latino Americans developed their own systems to find safe places to rest and refuel.
Convenience stores played an essential role in the distribution of soft drinks, a typical road trip refreshment for many Americans. Wilton’s Landing allows visitors to see what products may have adorned the shelves in convenience stores of the past and explore the history of travel, convenience stores, and the people who used them.
Check out our interactive map of the locations featured in this exhibit!
This exhibition was made possible by:
The Cooper Foundation
The Rapoport Foundation
Keurig Dr Pepper
Humanities Texas
Waco Foundation
With special thanks for artifacts and history to:
7 Eleven
Special thanks to our exhibit taskforce:
Gary Myles
Dexter Hall
Dr. Stephen Sloan
Dr. Peaches Henry
Hector Sabido
Mito Diaz-Espinoza
Harry Harelik
Michelle Gonzalez
Lesson Plans
Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
Additional Resources
Oral History Resources
Oral history preserves the stories of our community members who helped create the fabric of history and whose lives, in turn, were shaped by the people, places, events, and ideas of their day. Using these recorded interviews, researchers can then learn about historically interesting moments in time.
7-Eleven Picketing
In-Depth Histories of the Sandtown and Calle Dos Neighborhoods
For more information on the original location and removal of the two historic Latino neighborhoods of Waco, check out their Waco History webpages. There, readers will learn more about the effects of the federal urban renewal efforts in Waco and be able to see historic photographs of the neighborhoods.
Business Owners
Sandtown/Calle Dos
Texas Historical Commission’s African American Travel Guide Survey Project
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has an ongoing project researching and conducting surveys of sites listed in various African American travel guides such as The Green Book. Check out their webpage for an interactive map of travel guide sites in Texas and look for sites in your hometown or Waco!
Additionally, detailed research has been conducted that highlights African American travel guide sites in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco. View the posters designed by hardworking interns of the THC.
Waco Hispanic Museum
If you are interested in learning more about the rich history of Latino residents of Waco, visit the Waco Hispanic Museum in the South Waco recreation center! To plan your visit, please call Louis Garcia at (245) 548-9730.